vMix vs Wowza (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, vMix grades higher than Wowza: 2.2 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
vMix grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use. Wowza grades higher on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
vMix
Windows live video production and streaming software
Wowza
Streaming server software you run yourself, plus a cloud platform
Which one is for you
Pick vMix if
- Fits if you produce live video on a Windows PC
- Makes sense if you want a one-time license over a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, as there is no Mac version
- Not for you if you want a webinar tool with registration and polls
- Tight if you buy Basic HD: 4 inputs and 1080p
- Pricey if you want updates after 12 months: another year costs $60
- Watch out: 4K, replay with more cameras and scripting need $700 to $1,200
Pick Wowza if
- Fits if your team builds its own streaming service
- Makes sense if you need a server you can run in your own setup
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you stream occasionally: $195 a month, or $295 for a single month
- Not for you if you want webinars with registration and polls
- Watch out: extra transcoded channels cost $25 each beyond the 10 per instance, and extra instances cost $195 each
- Watch out: Wowza Video, the managed cloud, is priced separately, and Perpetual and Enterprise licenses are quoted by sales
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAvMixFair | 1.4GPAWowzaWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABasic HD is $60 once and HD is $350 once, under a year of the category's $49 middle subscription, though Pro is $1,200. | D$195 a month for Streaming Engine, right at the dearest tenth of the category ($195 and up). One month costs $295. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 60-day fully working trial with no watermark is offered; there is no free plan. | DA free trial is offered but its length is not stated, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CInputs, overlays, replay and calling in a production app, but no registration, polls or attendee chat, and features differ by edition. | DIt is infrastructure: it streams and transcodes video, but gives no registration, polls or attendee chat, so you build the rest. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and it is production software with editions and a learning curve. | DA server product that needs setup and configuration, with no rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only; the download page says there is no Mac version. | BWeb platform listed, with RTMP, SRT, HLS, WebRTC, Docker and an API. |
| Best for | Windows live video production | self-run streaming server software |
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: vMix and Wowza. How we grade
Price against what you get
vMix starts at $50 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Wowza starts at $195 a month and scores 1.7.
They score the same, and vMix starts $145 a month lower. Of the other webinar and live streaming tools on the chart, 13 score higher than vMix for less, and 24 score higher than Wowza 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
- vMix can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Wowza is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- vMix also covers screen recording, video calls and multistreaming.
At a glance
| vMix | Wowza | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $60 one-time for Basic HD, or $50 per month for vMix MAX | $195 per month for Streaming Engine, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free, fully functional 60-day trial with no watermark | Free trial for Streaming Engine and for Wowza Video; the page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | StudioCoast Pty Ltd | Wowza Media Systems, LLC |
| Price read from | vmix.com | wowza.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
vMix
- It runs on Windows only; the download page says there is no Mac version.
- Lifetime licenses include 12 months of updates; further updates cost $60 for another 12 months.
- It is a production tool, not a webinar platform: registration, polls and attendee chat are not part of it.
- Features differ a lot by edition, so check the comparison table before buying the cheapest one.
Wowza
- It is infrastructure, not a webinar tool: there is no registration page, polls or attendee chat out of the box.
- Additional transcoded channels cost $25 each beyond the 10 included per instance.
- Wowza Video, the managed cloud product, is priced separately; this listing records the Streaming Engine plans shown on the pricing page.
- Perpetual and Enterprise licenses are quoted by sales, with no published price.
Key features
vMix
- Multi-source switching
- Mix cameras, NDI sources, video files, images, PowerPoint, web streams and desktop capture in one production.
- Remote guests with vMix Call
- Bring video callers into a production: 1 on Basic HD, 4 on HD and 8 on 4K and above.
- Streaming to several services
- Stream to services such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Vimeo while recording the same production.
- Titles and graphics
- GT Designer provides animated titles, scoreboards and tickers, and higher editions import custom designs.
- Recording and replay
- The 4K and Pro editions add MultiCorder ISO recording of each camera, and instant replay for sports and events.
- Zoom integration
- The comparison table lists Zoom integration, with one input on Basic HD and multiple inputs on higher editions.
Wowza
- Self-hosted streaming server
- Wowza Streaming Engine runs on premises, in a private or public cloud, behind a firewall or fully offline, and can be deployed as a Docker container.
- Many protocols
- It ingests and delivers WebRTC, SRT, RTMP, RTSP and HLS, and supports low-latency HLS and DASH.
- APIs and SDKs
- A REST API and a Java SDK let developers script the server and add custom modules.
- Transcoding
- Each paid Streaming Engine instance includes 10 concurrent transcoded channels; extra channels are $25 each.
- Security options
- DRM, watermarking and encryption are offered, and the company says it holds a SOC 2 Type II report.
- Managed cloud option
- Wowza Video is a separate cloud platform that handles ingest, transcoding, delivery, analytics and a player without running servers.
Plans
vMix
Basic HD$60
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
4 inputs (3 camera or NDI), 1920 x 1080 maximum, 1 overlay channel, 1 vMix Call caller.
HD$350
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Up to 1000 inputs, 1920 x 1080 maximum, 8 overlay channels, 4 vMix Call callers.
4K$700
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Adds 4096 x 2160 output, 8 callers, MultiCorder recording and instant replay with 1 camera.
Pro$1200
one-time lifetime license, 12 months of free updates
Adds instant replay with 8 cameras, extra external and virtual outputs, scripting and PTZ control.
MAX$50
per month, with updates while subscribed
Subscription with all the features of vMix Pro.
Wowza
One Month of Streaming$295
one-time purchase for one month, first instance included
Streaming Engine for occasional events: up to 10 concurrent transcoded channels on the first instance, extra instances $295 each.
Basic Monthly$195
per month, billed monthly, first instance included
Streaming Engine for steady use: up to 10 concurrent transcoded channels on the first instance, extra instances $195 each per month.
EnterpriseCustom
Annual plans and discounted rates, hybrid cloud services (CDN, Flowplayer, analytics), offline keys and professional services.
PerpetualCustom
A license with no expiration for containerized, air-gapped or self-hosted deployments, scoped and quoted by Wowza.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, vMix or Wowza?
As of Nov 12, 2026, vMix is cheaper to start with: $50 a month, against $195 a month for Wowza. vMix starts at $60 one-time for Basic HD, or $50 per month for vMix MAX, and Wowza starts at $195 per month for Streaming Engine, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, vMix or Wowza?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither vMix nor Wowza has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do vMix and Wowza run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only vMix lists a Windows app and only Wowza lists 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.