StreamYard vs Switcher Studio
We give StreamYard a 2.0 GPA and Switcher Studio a 1.8, out of 4.0. StreamYard 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.
StreamYard
Browser-based studio for live streaming and recording with guests
Switcher Studio
Multicamera live streaming from iPhone, iPad and Mac
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAStreamYardFair | 1.8GPASwitcher StudioWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DCore is $35.99 a month billed yearly, $44.99 by the month, against a $10 middle for this category. 4K recordings, transcript downloads and On-Air webinars need Advanced at $68.99, and both plans are for individual use only. | 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 | CThe free plan gives you the essential studio, 6 people on screen and 2 hours of local recordings a month, but it stamps a StreamYard logo on the stream and won't let you stream live and record at once. Paid plans have a 7-day trial. | 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 live-show job fully: guests by link, multistreaming to six platforms and custom RTMP, separate local recordings, overlays, webinars, pre-recorded video streamed as live. But editing is trimming into clips, and 4K and transcripts need Advanced. | 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. Guests join from a link with nothing to install, which is the easy half. Your half means connecting streaming accounts and building layouts, overlays and intros before you go live. | 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 | BA browser app and nothing else, with no desktop or phone app listed, but it streams to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Twitch and custom RTMP, and guests can join from a phone. | 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 | live shows with remote guests | 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: StreamYard and Switcher Studio. How we grade
Where they differ
- StreamYard starts at $35.99 per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly). Switcher Studio starts at $45 per month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly).
- StreamYard has a free plan. Switcher Studio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only StreamYard lists a web app.
- Only Switcher Studio lists macOS and iOS apps.
- StreamYard also covers transcription.
- Switcher Studio also covers multistreaming.
At a glance
| StreamYard | Switcher Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $35.99 per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly) | $45 per month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The essential studio features with a StreamYard logo on streams, monthly streaming limits, limited storage, 2 hours of local recordings a month, 6 on-screen participants and 1 seat. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Core or Advanced | 14-day free trial on Mac or iOS |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Bending Spoons | Switcher Inc. |
| Price read from | streamyard.com | switcherstudio.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
StreamYard
- Solo creators running interview shows without a production crew
- Streaming one broadcast to several social platforms at once
- Podcasters who record remote guests on separate tracks
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
StreamYard
- The Free plan shows a StreamYard logo, limits monthly streaming hours and storage, and cannot stream live and record at the same time.
- Core and Advanced are for individual use only; companies are pointed to separate Business plans sold through sales.
- 4K local recordings, transcript downloads and On-Air webinars need the Advanced plan.
- StreamYard says plan prices can vary with promotions and renewal terms, and its 7-day money-back guarantee covers only the first charge.
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
StreamYard
- Browser studio with remote guests
- Guests join from a browser or phone through a link, with no download or account. Up to 6 people fit on screen on the Free plan and 10 on paid plans.
- Multistreaming
- Send one stream to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Twitch and custom RTMP destinations at once: 3 destinations on Core and 8 on Advanced.
- Local recordings
- Each participant's audio and video are recorded on their own device as separate files and uploaded in the background, so a weak connection does not blur the result.
- Show branding
- Paid plans add logos, overlays, video clips, backgrounds, intro and outro videos and more than 16 custom layouts. Custom fonts need Advanced.
- On-Air webinars and pre-recorded streams
- StreamYard On-Air hosts live webinars that can be embedded on your own site. Pre-recorded videos can be streamed as if live: up to 2 hours on Core and 4 on Advanced.
- Clips and repurposing
- Trim and split recordings into short clips for Shorts and Reels inside StreamYard, which is free for all users. AI clips are part of the paid plans.
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
StreamYard
Free$0
Essential studio features with a StreamYard logo, streaming limits, limited storage, 2 hours of local recordings a month and 6 on-screen participants.
Core$35.99
per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly)
1080p, no StreamYard logo, multistreaming to 3 destinations, 10 on-screen participants, unlimited streaming and recording, and 50 hours of storage.
Advanced$68.99
per month, billed yearly ($88.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Core plus 4K local recordings, 8 multistream destinations, 15 backstage participants, On-Air webinars for 100 viewers and transcript downloads.
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
StreamYard
- Annual discount
22% off with yearly billing
StreamYard's pricing page labels yearly billing as 22% off. Core is $35.99 a month billed yearly against $44.99 billed monthly, and Advanced is $68.99 against $88.99.
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.
