Best Live Streaming Software in 2026
Live streaming tools can support broadcast production, distribution across destinations, and audience interaction. The ranking compares multistreaming, custom RTMP destinations, browser-based studios, and unified chat. For ongoing or prepared broadcasts, check 24/7 looping and pre-recorded streams; cloud recording may matter for keeping a copy. Restream, OBS Studio, and OneStream Live are among the first entries, followed by Livepush and Streamlabs Multistream. Free plans and paid starting prices are also listed, giving you additional points to weigh against the production and distribution features you need.
128 live streaming software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | App | Score | From | Free plan | Paid from | Multistreaming | Pre-recorded streams | 24/7 looping | Browser-based studio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restream | 8.4 | $19/mo | Yes | $19/mo | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | OBS Studio | 8.0 | Free | Yes | — | — | — | — | No | View |
| 3 |  OneStream Live | 7.9 | $15/mo | Yes | $15/mo | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 4 |  Livepush | 7.9 | $15/mo | Yes | $15/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | View |
| 5 | Streamlabs Multistream | 7.9 | $27/mo | Yes | $15.75/mo | — | — | — | — | View |
| 6 |  Yostream | 7.9 | Free | Yes | $15/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes | View |
| 7 | playout.video | 7.8 | $19/mo | Yes | $19/mo | — | — | — | — | View |
| 8 | LiveReacting | 7.8 | $1.33/mo | Yes | $16/mo | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 9 | Upstream | 7.8 | $2/mo | Yes | $30/mo | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 10 | Ant Media Server | 7.8 | $0.24/mo | Yes | $89/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 11 | PRISM Live Studio | 7.8 | $6.67/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | — | — | — | No | View |
| 12 | StreamYard | 7.7 | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 13 | StreamRove | 7.7 | $24.17/mo | Yes | $24.17/mo | — | — | — | — | View |
| 14 |  ApexStream | 7.7 | $25/mo | Yes | $25/mo | — | — | — | — | View |
| 15 | XSplit Broadcaster | 7.7 | $5/mo | Yes | $14.99/mo | — | — | — | No | View |
| 16 | Streamlabs Desktop | 7.7 | $14.92/mo | Yes | $15.75/mo | Yes | — | — | — | View |
| 17 | Streamlabs | 7.6 | Free | Yes | $27/mo | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 18 |  mimoLive | 7.6 | Free | Yes | — | — | — | — | No | View |
| 19 | Agora Interactive Live Streaming | 7.6 | $0.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 20 |  OmniStudio | 7.5 | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | — | View |
| 21 | OnTheFly.Stream | 7.5 | ₹2,143/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 22 |  Alibaba Cloud Live Streaming | 7.4 | Free | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | View |
| 23 | Meld Studio | 7.3 | $1.42/mo | Yes | $20/mo | — | — | — | No | View |
| 24 | Amazon Interactive Video Service | 7.3 | $0.07/mo | No | — | — | — | — | — | View |
| 25 | Streamster | 7.3 | $0.48/mo | Yes | — | — | — | — | No | View |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which live streaming software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Restream is ranked #1 of 128 with a score of 8.4. OBS Studio is second and OneStream Live third.
How many of these have a free plan?
25 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Amazon Interactive Video Service has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.07/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.