Lightstream vs StreamElements (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightstream grades higher than StreamElements: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lightstream grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, 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.
Lightstream
Browser-based live streaming studio, built for console streamers
Which one is for you
Pick Lightstream if
- Fits if you stream from an Xbox or PlayStation and have no capture card
- Works for creators who want to simulcast to up to 5 places for free
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a clean stream for free, as the free plan carries a Lightstream logo
- Tight if you want 1080p, guests or URL imports, which need Premium at $12 a month
- Not for you if you run webinars: it has no registration or attendee tools
- Watch out: RTMP video sources are marked as coming soon on the pricing section
Pick StreamElements if
- Fits if you stream on Twitch and want alerts and a chatbot
- Works for streamers who build their own widgets
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to run webinars, as there are no registration or attendee features
- Watch out: the pricing page returned no readable text, so paid options are unverified
- Watch out: a Titanium site is linked separately
- Skip it if you are off Twitch, as one feature is Twitch-only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPALightstreamGood | 2.6GPAStreamElementsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APremium is $12 a month, or $9 on an annual plan, well under the $16.20 mark (60% of the category's cheaper quarter of $27). | AThe homepage says its alerts and widgets are free forever. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free plan streams to up to 5 destinations for up to 10 hours at a time, but with a Lightstream logo and 720p video. | BFree forever by the homepage, but any paid options could not be read. |
| Features | CConsole capture, simulcasting, scenes, overlays and alerts, but RTMP sources are marked coming soon and there is no registration or attendee tool. | CAlerts, overlays, chatbot and SE.Live. It does the streamer job and lists no webinar, registration or attendee features. |
| Ease of use | CWeb only, with no rating on record, and you connect each destination account first. | CNo store rating on record. You build overlays and connect your channel. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Xbox, PlayStation, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and custom RTMP. | CWeb only, with Twitch and OBS Studio links and developer tools. |
| Best for | console streamers who want to skip the PC | overlays and chatbots for streamers |
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: Lightstream and StreamElements. How we grade
Where they differ
- Lightstream also covers video calls.
At a glance
| Lightstream | StreamElements | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per month, or $9 per month on an annual subscription | Not published |
| Free plan | Simulcasting to up to 5 destinations, 720p, 10-hour limit per stream and up to 3 scenes at once, with a Lightstream Studio logo on all streams. | The homepage says its alerts and widgets are free forever; no pricing page lists any plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Infiniscene, Inc. | StreamElements |
| Price read from | golightstream.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lightstream
- The free plan puts a Lightstream Studio logo on every stream and caps video at 720p.
- Guests, 1080p and URL imports are Premium-only.
- RTMP video sources are marked as coming soon on the pricing section.
- It is a streaming studio for creators and has no webinar registration or attendee tools.
StreamElements
- The pricing page returned no readable text, so any paid options are unverified; a separate Titanium site is linked.
- Built for live streamers; it is not a webinar platform and lists no webinar, registration or attendee features.
- The homepage notes one feature is available now for Twitch streamers only.
Key features
Lightstream
- Cloud capture for consoles
- Captures Xbox and PlayStation gameplay in the cloud, so a stream does not need a PC.
- Simulcasting
- Streams to up to 5 destinations at once on both plans, including a custom RTMP destination.
- Guests
- Premium lets up to 10 guests join a stream, aimed at multiplayer games and talk-style shows.
- Overlays, alerts and templates
- Preset templates, overlays and XPN alerts are available inside Studio, and custom overlays can be uploaded.
- Scenes
- The free plan goes live with up to 3 scenes at once and Premium with up to 20.
StreamElements
- Alerts and overlays
- Animated alerts and overlays can be built from templates or a visual editor, which the site says is free.
- Chatbot
- Commands, variables, timers, spam filters and interactive modules for chat, per the documentation.
- SE.Live
- An OBS Studio plugin with setup guides in the documentation.
- Ground Control
- Described as a multi-streaming stream management companion app.
- Developer tools
- The documentation covers WebSockets, an HTTP API and custom widgets.
Plans
Lightstream
Free$0
Core Studio features with a Lightstream logo on every stream, 720p, up to 5 destinations, 10-hour limit per stream, 3 scenes at once.
Premium$12
per month, billed monthly ($9 per month on an annual subscription)
Removes the logo, adds up to 10 guests, 1080p, a 48-hour stream limit, URL imports from third-party services and up to 20 scenes at once.
StreamElements
Pricing could not be confirmed. See streamelements.com.
Ways to pay less
Lightstream
- Annual discount
Annual subscription at $9 a month
Premium shows $12 a month, or $9 a month on an annual subscription.
StreamElements
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lightstream or StreamElements?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightstream starts at $12 per month, or $9 per month on an annual subscription, and StreamElements has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Lightstream or StreamElements?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Lightstream and StreamElements have a free plan.
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.