OBS Studio vs Switcher Studio
We give OBS Studio a 2.8 GPA and Switcher Studio a 1.8, out of 4.0. OBS Studio grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OBS Studio
Free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming
Switcher Studio
Multicamera live streaming from iPhone, iPad and Mac
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOBS StudioGood | 1.8GPASwitcher StudioWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ANothing to pay, ever. It's free and open source under the GNU GPL v2 with no paid edition, against a category whose middle plan is $10 a month. Sponsors and donations through Open Collective and Patreon keep it going. | DStudio is $45 a month billed annually ($65 by the month). Its pricing page gives Studio 2 destinations while its multistreaming page says 5, so three platforms may need Suite at $79. Either way, that's around three to five times what Ecamm and Castr charge for the same job. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free on Windows, macOS and Linux: recording, live streaming, the virtual camera, plugins and scripting. There is no paid tier waiting further in and no cap to reach. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial on Mac or iOS, and the listing doesn't say whether it asks for a card. There's also a 7-day pass for $35 if you only have one event. |
| Features | CIt does the record-and-stream job completely, with scenes, an audio mixer with VST filters, Studio Mode, an 8-scene Multiview and a virtual camera. But that's the smaller job: its own listing says the feature list doesn't include editing a recording afterwards. | CUp to nine cameras, live graphics, 5 remote guests, multistreaming, video hosting and ticket sales, which is more than most streaming tools do. But its own pages disagree on whether Studio streams to 2 destinations or 5, and selling needs Suite. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there's real setup here: you build scenes out of sources before you record anything, and streaming means pointing it at a service or a custom server. Help is a knowledge base, forums and a Discord, not a support desk. | CNo App Store rating on record. It's an app you install, but the point is wiring up several cameras, graphics templates and destinations, so expect some setup before the first stream. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or newer and Linux, so computers only, with no web version and no phone app. There is a plugin API and Lua and Python scripting, and the Game Capture source is Windows only. | CApple only: Mac, iPhone and iPad. It streams to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X and custom RTMP, sells through Stripe and Shopify, and the iOS app can be your camera in Zoom, Teams or Meet. |
| Best for | free live streaming and recording | multicamera streams from iPhones and iPads |
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: OBS Studio and Switcher Studio. How we grade
Where they differ
- OBS Studio is free. Switcher Studio starts at $45 per month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly).
- OBS Studio has a free plan. Switcher Studio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only OBS Studio lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Switcher Studio lists an iOS app.
- OBS Studio is open source, according to its own site.
- OBS Studio also covers noise cancellation and screen recording.
- Switcher Studio also covers video editing and multistreaming.
At a glance
| OBS Studio | Switcher Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $45 per month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GNU GPL v2, with no paid edition. The project is funded by sponsors and by donations through Open Collective and Patreon. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial on Mac or iOS |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | OBS Project | Switcher Inc. |
| Price read from | obsproject.com | switcherstudio.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
OBS Studio
- Live streamers who want detailed control of scenes, sources and audio
- Recording gameplay, tutorials or presentations without paying for software
- Linux users: there is an official Flatpak and an Ubuntu PPA
Switcher Studio
- Churches and schools streaming services or games with several cameras
- Creators who film and stream from iPhones and iPads
- Selling tickets or subscriptions to live and recorded video
Worth knowing
OBS Studio
- It captures and mixes video in real time; the feature list on its site does not include editing a recording afterwards.
- Downloads are offered for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13.0 or newer, and Linux; no mobile or browser version is listed.
- The Game Capture source is Windows only, according to the quick start guide.
- Help comes from a knowledge base, forums and a community Discord server rather than a vendor support desk.
Switcher Studio
- The app runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad only.
- Sales of tickets, pay-to-view videos and subscriptions carry a $0.99 fee per transaction, and selling needs the Suite plan.
- The pricing page gives Studio 2 multistream destinations while the multistreaming page says 5.
- Suite's discounted first month or first year renews at $99 a month or $948 a year, and past payments are not refunded.
Key features
OBS Studio
- Scenes and sources
- Compose a scene from window and display captures, webcams, capture cards, images, text and browser windows, and set up as many scenes as you need.
- Recording and live streaming
- Record to a local file or stream to one of the included services or a custom server. A replay buffer can save recent footage with a hotkey.
- Audio mixer with filters
- Each audio source can take filters such as a noise gate, noise suppression and gain, and VST plugins are supported.
- Studio Mode and Multiview
- Studio Mode lets you preview and adjust a scene before it goes live. Multiview shows 8 scenes at once and cues any of them with a click.
- Virtual camera
- Sends an OBS scene, or a single source, to any app that accepts a webcam, such as Zoom or Discord.
- Plugins and scripting
- An API supports native plugins and scripts written in Lua or Python, and community-made plugins are shared in the site's Resources section.
Switcher Studio
- Multicamera switching
- Connect up to nine wireless cameras, including iPhones, iPads and webcams, or HDMI cameras such as DSLRs and GoPros, and cut between angles live.
- Multistreaming
- Streams to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X and custom RTMP channels at once, with Facebook, YouTube and Twitch comments shown in one panel.
- Live graphics and guests
- Branded graphic templates, lower thirds, music, green screen, screen sharing, live polls and on-screen chat, with up to 5 remote guests in split-screen.
- Video hosting and watch pages
- Upload a video library, embed players, playlists and collections on any site, or build watch pages, with password protection and viewer analytics.
- Selling access
- Suite sells tickets to live streams, pay-to-view videos and subscriptions through Stripe, and shoppable streams link to Shopify products through the Cartr app.
- Camera for video calls
- The iOS app can act as the webcam in Zoom, Teams or Meet, with camera switching, graphics and pre-recorded clips during the call.
Plans
OBS Studio
OBS Studio$0
The complete program for Windows, macOS and Linux, including recording, live streaming, the virtual camera, plugins and scripting.
Switcher Studio
Studio 7-Day Pass$35
one-time, for 7 days
All Studio plan features for a single event, for a one-time fee.
Studio$45
per month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly)
Multicamera streaming and recording, multistreaming to 2 destinations, graphics templates, 5 remote guests, 10 hosted videos and 250 cloud assets.
Suite$79
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Everything in Studio plus 20 destinations, 100 hosted videos, watch pages and selling tickets, pay-to-view and subscriptions. First month $79, or $71 a month the first year.
Ways to pay less
OBS Studio
No public discounts listed.
Switcher Studio
- Annual discount
Up to 30% off with annual billing
Switcher's pricing page labels annual billing up to 30% off: Studio is $45 a month billed annually against $65 monthly, and Suite $79 against $99.
- Other savings
Suite first-term discount
Suite is $20 off the first month ($79, then $99 a month) or $95 off the first year ($71 a month, then $948 a year), shown as a limited-time saving.
