Castr vs vMix (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Castr grades higher than vMix: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Castr grades higher on platforms. vMix grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Castr
Multistreaming, video hosting and 24/7 playout in one service
vMix
Windows live video production and streaming software
Which one is for you
Pick Castr if
- Fits if a church or school streams services or events to several platforms
- Works for selling access to live streams behind a paywall
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a studio in the browser without asking Castr to switch it on
- Not for you if you've never used an encoder and don't want to learn
- Tight if you stream a lot to your own player, since each plan has a bandwidth allowance
- Watch out: monthly plans get less bandwidth and fewer concurrent streams than annual ones
- Pricey if you need DRM or phone and TV apps, which are Events add-ons on top of $624.99 a month
Pick vMix if
- Fits if you produce live video on a Windows PC
- Makes sense if you want a one-time license over a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, as there is no Mac version
- Not for you if you want a webinar tool with registration and polls
- Tight if you buy Basic HD: 4 inputs and 1080p
- Pricey if you want updates after 12 months: another year costs $60
- Watch out: 4K, replay with more cameras and scripting need $700 to $1,200
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACastrFair | 2.2GPAvMixFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $16.67 a month billed annually ($199.99 a year, $19.99 by the month) and streams to 6 destinations, enough for three platforms. That's level with Restream and Ecamm, well under StreamYard's Core, and it includes hosting and a paywall. | ABasic HD is $60 once and HD is $350 once, under a year of the category's $49 middle subscription, though Pro is $1,200. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Starter with no credit card. The other plans go straight to checkout. | CA 60-day fully working trial with no watermark is offered; there is no free plan. |
| Features | CMultistreaming to 30 destinations, hosting, a player, cloud recording, 24/7 playout and a paywall on every plan. The gaps: you bring the encoder, as the browser Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request, and recordings are kept up to three days. | CInputs, overlays, replay and calling in a production app, but no registration, polls or attendee chat, and features differ by edition. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You set up an encoder such as OBS or a camera, add each destination and embed the player, which takes some know-how. | CNo rating on record, and it is production software with editions and a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web service with no desktop or phone app listed. It sends to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and LinkedIn, takes RTMP, SRT, RTSP and HLS input from OBS or cameras, and has an API on Premium. | DWindows only; the download page says there is no Mac version. |
| Best for | multistreaming plus hosting your own video | Windows live video production |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Castr and vMix. How we grade
Price against what you get
Castr starts at $16.67 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. vMix starts at $50 a month and scores 1.7.
Castr scores higher and starts $33.33 a month lower. Of the other webinar and live streaming tools on the chart, 2 score higher than Castr for less, and 13 score higher than vMix for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- vMix can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- vMix also covers screen recording and video calls.
At a glance
| Castr | vMix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly) | $60 one-time for Basic HD, or $50 per month for vMix MAX |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required | Free, fully functional 60-day trial with no watermark |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Castr Live Streaming, Inc. | StudioCoast Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | castr.com | vmix.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Castr
- Streams come in from encoder software, hardware or IP cameras; the browser-based Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request.
- Each plan has a player-bandwidth allowance, and monthly plans get less upfront bandwidth and fewer concurrent streams than annual ones.
- Only Starter has the 7-day trial; the other plans go straight to checkout.
- DRM and native iOS, Android and TV apps for the Events plan are add-ons arranged with sales.
vMix
- It runs on Windows only; the download page says there is no Mac version.
- Lifetime licenses include 12 months of updates; further updates cost $60 for another 12 months.
- It is a production tool, not a webinar platform: registration, polls and attendee chat are not part of it.
- Features differ a lot by edition, so check the comparison table before buying the cheapest one.
Key features
Castr
- Multistreaming
- One RTMP or SRT feed goes out to up to 30 destinations, including YouTube, Facebook pages and groups, Twitch and LinkedIn; TikTok and Instagram connect through custom RTMP.
- Video hosting and player
- An embeddable player with analytics, video storage from 100 GB, and unlimited viewers within each plan's bandwidth allowance.
- Cloud recording and live-to-VOD
- Records streams of up to 72 hours, keeps the recordings for up to three days, and turns live streams into on-demand videos.
- 24/7 playout
- Runs pre-recorded videos as an always-on live channel, like a TV station, on every plan.
- Paywall and monetization
- A paywall comes with every plan, in-stream ads start on Standard, and Events adds subscriptions, pay-per-view and more than 30 payment gateways.
- Ingest protocols and API
- Takes RTSP, RTMP, HLS, MPEG-TS and SRT input, offers pull links from Standard, and adds API access and HLS URLs on Premium.
vMix
- Multi-source switching
- Mix cameras, NDI sources, video files, images, PowerPoint, web streams and desktop capture in one production.
- Remote guests with vMix Call
- Bring video callers into a production: 1 on Basic HD, 4 on HD and 8 on 4K and above.
- Streaming to several services
- Stream to services such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Vimeo while recording the same production.
- Titles and graphics
- GT Designer provides animated titles, scoreboards and tickers, and higher editions import custom designs.
- Recording and replay
- The 4K and Pro editions add MultiCorder ISO recording of each camera, and instant replay for sports and events.
- Zoom integration
- The comparison table lists Zoom integration, with one input on Basic HD and multiple inputs on higher editions.
Plans
Castr
Starter$16.67
per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)
2 concurrent streams (3 on annual), 6 destinations, 200 GB of player bandwidth a month and 100 GB of video storage.
Standard$41.67
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
10 destinations, 500 GB of bandwidth a month and 200 GB of storage, plus SRT and RTMP pull links and in-stream ads.
Premium$166.67
per month, billed annually ($199.99 billed monthly)
5 streams (10 on annual), 20 destinations, 3 TB of bandwidth, 2 TB of storage, adaptive bitrate, API access and 3 team members.
Ultra$291.67
per month, billed annually ($349.99 billed monthly)
10 streams (15 on annual), 30 destinations, 5 TB of bandwidth, 3 TB of storage, failover ingest and low-latency playback.
Events$624.99
per month, billed annually ($749.99 billed monthly)
A branded OTT web app with a CMS, subscriptions and pay-per-view sales, 15 streams, 30 destinations and 10 TB of bandwidth a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom stream, bandwidth and storage allocations, enterprise controls and migration help, arranged with sales.
vMix
Basic HD$60
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
4 inputs (3 camera or NDI), 1920 x 1080 maximum, 1 overlay channel, 1 vMix Call caller.
HD$350
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Up to 1000 inputs, 1920 x 1080 maximum, 8 overlay channels, 4 vMix Call callers.
4K$700
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Adds 4096 x 2160 output, 8 callers, MultiCorder recording and instant replay with 1 camera.
Pro$1200
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Adds instant replay with 8 cameras, extra external and virtual outputs, scripting and PTZ control.
MAX$50
per month, with updates while subscribed
Subscription with all the features of vMix Pro.
Ways to pay less
Castr
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Castr's pricing page says annual billing gives 2 months free plus a larger upfront bandwidth pool: Starter is $199.99 a year against $19.99 a month.
vMix
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Castr or vMix?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Castr is cheaper to start with: $16.67 a month, against $50 a month for vMix. Castr starts at $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly), and vMix starts at $60 one-time for Basic HD, or $50 per month for vMix MAX.
Which has a free plan, Castr or vMix?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Castr nor vMix has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Castr and vMix run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Castr lists a web app and only vMix lists a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.