StreamElements vs Streamlabs (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StreamElements and Streamlabs share a 2.6 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money and the free plan, where StreamElements grades higher, or platforms, where Streamlabs does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
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.
Streamlabs
Live streaming apps, overlays and tools for creators
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.6GPAStreamElementsGood | 2.6GPAStreamlabsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe homepage says its alerts and widgets are free forever. | 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 | BFree forever by the homepage, but any paid options could not be read. | CThe free Starter plan has 2 destinations, 1 guest and 1 GB of storage, and the editors add watermarks or limits. |
| Features | CAlerts, overlays, chatbot and SE.Live. It does the streamer job and lists no webinar, registration or attendee features. | CScenes, overlays, alerts, multistream, a browser studio and editors, but no registration pages or polls. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build overlays and connect your channel. | CNo rating on record, and you connect accounts and build scenes before going live. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with Twitch and OBS Studio links and developer tools. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. |
| Best for | overlays and chatbots for streamers | 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: StreamElements and Streamlabs. How we grade
Where they differ
- Streamlabs also covers video editing.
At a glance
| StreamElements | Streamlabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $27 per month, or $189 per year |
| Free plan | The homepage says its alerts and widgets are free forever; no pricing page lists any plans. | 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 | StreamElements | Logitech Services S.A. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | streamlabs.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
StreamElements
Pricing could not be confirmed. See streamelements.com.
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
StreamElements
No public discounts listed.
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, StreamElements or Streamlabs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StreamElements has no price we could confirm, and Streamlabs starts at $27 per month, or $189 per year.
Which has a free plan, StreamElements or Streamlabs?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both StreamElements and Streamlabs have a free plan.
Which platforms do StreamElements and Streamlabs run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.