Lightstream vs Streamlabs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lightstream grades higher than Streamlabs: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lightstream grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Streamlabs grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on 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
Streamlabs
Live streaming apps, overlays and tools for creators
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 Streamlabs if
- Fits if you stream games or talk shows and want overlays and alerts
- Works for creators who want a desktop, phone and browser setup from one login
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want registration pages, polls or attendee follow-up, as the pricing page has none
- Tight if you stay free: 2 destinations, 1 guest and watermarks or limits in the editors
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $27 against $189 for the year
- Watch out: the Logitech G discount for Ultra members is US only, and there is no team or business plan
How we grade them
| 2.8GPALightstreamGood | 2.6GPAStreamlabsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | BUltra is $27 a month or $189 a year (about $15.75 a month), at the low end of what webinar tools charge, with just one paid plan. |
| 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. | CThe free Starter plan has 2 destinations, 1 guest and 1 GB of storage, and the editors add watermarks or limits. |
| Features | CConsole capture, simulcasting, scenes, overlays and alerts, but RTMP sources are marked coming soon and there is no registration or attendee tool. | CScenes, overlays, alerts, multistream, a browser studio and editors, but no registration pages or polls. |
| Ease of use | CWeb only, with no rating on record, and you connect each destination account first. | CNo rating on record, and you connect accounts and build scenes before going live. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Xbox, PlayStation, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and custom RTMP. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. |
| Best for | console streamers who want to skip the PC | creators who stream to Twitch and YouTube |
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 Streamlabs. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lightstream starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Streamlabs starts at $15.75 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Streamlabs scores higher, and starts $6.75 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other webinar and live streaming tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Lightstream for less, and none scores higher than Streamlabs 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
- Lightstream also covers video calls.
- Streamlabs also covers video editing.
At a glance
| Lightstream | Streamlabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per month, or $9 per month on an annual subscription | $27 per month, or $189 per year |
| 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. | Starter plan, free always: free overlays and themes, 2 streaming destinations, 1 guest, limited free apps, no-fee tipping and 1 GB of storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Infiniscene, Inc. | Logitech Services S.A. |
| Price read from | golightstream.com | streamlabs.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Streamlabs
- Ultra is the only paid plan; the pricing page shows no team or business tier.
- The free Starter plan allows 1 guest and 2 destinations, and the editors add watermarks or limits.
- It is built for creator streams, so webinar features such as registration pages and polls are not part of the pricing page.
- The Logitech G discount for Ultra members is US 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.
Streamlabs
- Desktop streaming app
- Streamlabs Desktop for Windows and Mac handles scenes, overlays, alerts and streaming, with multistream and dual output on Ultra.
- Multistreaming
- The free plan streams to 2 destinations; Ultra raises that to 3 or more.
- Guests from the browser
- Talk Studio records and broadcasts from a browser with up to 12 guests, and saves up to 10 hours of recording on Pro.
- Mobile and console streaming
- A mobile app for iOS and Android and a console service that streams to Twitch without a desktop.
- Alerts, tips and Cloudbot
- Alerts and widgets, a tip page and a chat bot come with every plan; Ultra adds a custom tip domain and a custom-named bot.
- Editing and clips
- Cross Clip reformats clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and the Video and Podcast Editors cover browser-based editing.
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.
Streamlabs
Streamlabs Starter$0
Free overlays and themes, 2 destinations, 1 guest, no-fee tipping, 1 GB of storage and basic Cloudbot.
Streamlabs Ultra$27
per month, billed monthly ($189 per year when billed annually)
1000+ overlays and themes, 3+ destinations, up to 11 guests or cameras, 60+ apps, custom tip domain, 10 GB storage, and Pro tiers of its editors and Talk Studio.
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.
Streamlabs
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves $135
Ultra is $189 a year against $27 a month, which the pricing page states as a $135 saving.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lightstream or Streamlabs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lightstream is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $15.75 a month when paid by the year for Streamlabs. Lightstream starts at $12 per month, or $9 per month on an annual subscription, and Streamlabs starts at $27 per month, or $189 per year.
Which has a free plan, Lightstream or Streamlabs?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Lightstream and Streamlabs have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lightstream and Streamlabs run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Streamlabs lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web 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.