Streamlabs vs Switchboard Live (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Streamlabs grades higher than Switchboard Live: 2.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Streamlabs grades higher on value for money, the free plan and 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.
Streamlabs
Live streaming apps, overlays and tools for creators
Switchboard Live
Multistreaming to unlimited destinations for public sector teams
Which one is for you
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
Pick Switchboard Live if
- Fits if you are a public sector team that streams to many places at once
- Works for organisations that can buy under a GSA contract
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price before a call, as none is shown
- Tight on inputs: SMB has 1 RTMP input and 2 team members, Public Sector 1 input and 3 members
- Watch out: Scheduled Start/Stop, SRT Input and Archives are Coming Soon
- Not for you if you want a free plan
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAStreamlabsGood | 1.8GPASwitchboard LiveWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo prices on the pricing page; each of the three tiers has a Book a Call button. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free Starter plan has 2 destinations, 1 guest and 1 GB of storage, and the editors add watermarks or limits. | FNo free plan or trial is listed on the pages read, only a sales call or quote. |
| Features | CScenes, overlays, alerts, multistream, a browser studio and editors, but no registration pages or polls. | CUnlimited destinations, scheduled events and analytics. Scheduled Start/Stop, SRT Input and Archives are marked Coming Soon on the homepage. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and you connect accounts and build scenes before going live. | CNo store rating on record. You connect inputs and destinations to your encoder. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. | BWeb with Facebook, YouTube and Twitch destinations. |
| Best for | creators who stream to Twitch and YouTube | multistreaming for public sector teams |
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: Streamlabs and Switchboard Live. How we grade
Where they differ
- Streamlabs also covers video editing.
- Switchboard Live also covers reports and webinars.
At a glance
| Streamlabs | Switchboard Live | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $27 per month, or $189 per year | Not published |
| Free plan | Starter plan, free always: free overlays and themes, 2 streaming destinations, 1 guest, limited free apps, no-fee tipping and 1 GB of storage. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Logitech Services S.A. | Switchboard Live |
| Price read from | streamlabs.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Switchboard Live
- The pricing page shows three tiers (SMB, Public Sector, Enterprise) with no prices and a Book a Call button on each.
- SMB has 1 RTMP input and 2 team members; Public Sector has 1 input and 3 members; Enterprise lists 3 inputs.
- Scheduled Start/Stop, SRT Input and Archives are marked Coming Soon on the homepage.
Key features
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.
Switchboard Live
- Unlimited destinations
- Every plan lists unlimited multistreaming destinations and unlimited Facebook pages, plus a custom RTMP destination.
- PartnerShare
- Lets a partner or guest channel receive the stream without sharing passwords with the broadcaster.
- Auto Start Destinations
- Destinations go live automatically once the streaming software or encoder starts sending.
- Scheduled events and analytics
- The homepage lists scheduled events for meetings and event analytics on how viewers watch.
- Input and archive options
- Public Sector and Enterprise add SRT input; archives of 30 days or more are listed for those two tiers.
Plans
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.
Switchboard Live
Pricing could not be confirmed. See switchboard.live.
Ways to pay less
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.
Switchboard Live
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Streamlabs or Switchboard Live?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Streamlabs starts at $27 per month, or $189 per year, and Switchboard Live has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Streamlabs or Switchboard Live?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Streamlabs has a free plan. Switchboard Live does not.
Which platforms do Streamlabs and Switchboard Live 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.