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Best Live Streaming Tools in 2026

Tools for live broadcasting and streaming

Key Takeaways
  • ProPresenter is our #1 pick for live streaming in 2026.
  • We analyzed 56 live streaming tools to create this ranking.
  • 5 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.

Live streaming tools cover broadcaster software (OBS, Streamlabs, StreamYard, Restream, Ecamm Live), streaming platforms (Twitch, YouTube, Kick), and developer infrastructure (Mux Live, Cloudflare Stream, AWS IVS). Pick by use case: gaming, business webinar, multi-platform creator.

7 top live streaming tools compared

Starting price, average user rating, and our pick for each category.

ToolBest forStarting priceRating
ProPresenter logo
ProPresenter
Best overallContact sales4.6
OBS Studio logo
OBS Studio
Best free tierFree4.7
Livestorm logo
Livestorm
$99/mo4.5
Vimeo logo
Vimeo
$12/mo4.5
SUB/WAVE logo
SUB/WAVE
Free4.3
BigMarker logo
BigMarker
Contact sales4.7
StreamYard logo
StreamYard
Most reviewed$36/mo4.7

How the Top Live Streaming Tools Compare

The live streaming category is highly competitive in 2026, with ProPresenter and OBS Studio both ranking among the top choices on Toolradar's assessment, followed closely by Livestorm. The tight competition reflects how mature this market has become.

Pricing varies significantly among the top picks: OBS Studio (free), Livestorm (freemium (free tier available)), Vimeo (freemium (free tier available)) offer free access, while ProPresenter requires a paid subscription. Teams on a budget should start with OBS Studio, which delivers strong value despite its free tier.

Computed from live tool ratings, review counts, and editorial scores.Editorial policy
01
ProPresenter logo

Powerful video presentation software designed for demanding live productions and diverse industries.

Paid4.6/52,160 ratings

ProPresenter is a comprehensive live presentation and worship software solution built to handle the most demanding productions, from church services and school presentations to business events and concerts. It offers a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both seasoned professionals and volunteers. The software provides advanced capabilities for seamless live editing, multi-screen management with up to 8 unique outputs, and broadcast-quality outputs supporting various hardware and protocols like SDI, NDI, and Syphon. Beyond core presentation features, ProPresenter includes worship-centric tools such as automatic lyric and copyright integration, access to 125 Bible translations, and integration with SongSelect by CCLI. It also offers powerful automation features like macros, MIDI/DMX control, and Timecode follow. The platform is complemented by ProContent, a media library with over 50,000 visuals, and a dedicated remote control app. ProPresenter serves a wide array of industries including worship, live production, broadcast, education, and government, providing robust tools for dynamic visual storytelling and engagement.

ProPresenter UI screenshot
02
OBS Studio logo

Record and stream video with powerful, free, open-source software

Free4.7/51,206 ratings

OBS Studio is free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming. Powerful mixing handles multiple sources including cameras, displays, and media. Scenes and transitions create professional broadcasts. Filters add visual and audio processing in real-time. Plugins extend functionality endlessly. The streaming software that powers most streamers on Twitch, YouTube, and beyond - completely free.

03
Livestorm logo

Video conferencing software for webinars and virtual meetings, designed for engagement and efficiency.

Freemium4.5/52,087 ratings

Livestorm is an all-in-one video platform designed for hosting dynamic online events, including webinars, virtual meetings, product demonstrations, and training sessions. It caters to marketing teams, sales professionals, HR, and internal communications, offering intuitive functionalities to run any event in minutes. The platform emphasizes brand consistency with customizable templates and permissions, and improves efficiency through seamless data transfer with CRMs. Livestorm provides a comprehensive suite of features covering the entire event lifecycle, from registration and promotion to live engagement and post-event analytics. Key functionalities include customizable registration pages, email cadences, marketing automation integrations, interactive polls, Q&A, breakout rooms, and advanced reporting. It also incorporates AI-powered features for content repurposing, captions in multiple languages, transcripts, and tools for generating webinar titles, outlines, and video scripts. Livestorm is EU-hosted, ISO 27001 certified, and GDPR compliant, ensuring data security and privacy.

04
Vimeo logo

Ad-free video hosting, editing, and live streaming for creators

Freemium4.5/51,763 ratings

Vimeo is a professional video platform for creators and businesses. Ad-free hosting with customizable player. Live streaming and webinar capabilities. Screen recording and video editing built-in. Team collaboration and review tools. Where serious video creators host their work.

05
SUB/WAVE logo

AI DJ streams a live, adaptive radio broadcast to all listeners

Free4.3/5323 ratings

SUB/WAVE is an open-source internet radio station that replaces traditional DJs with an agentic AI system. It streams a single broadcast to all listeners simultaneously, with an LLM-powered DJ that selects tracks, speaks between songs, and adapts to the time of day. The system uses a cloned voice persona and can be configured with different language models and speech engines. Listeners tune into a live broadcast with no skip controls, seeing the current track, a timeline of upcoming and past songs, and a live log of everything the DJ says. The player is available as native iOS and Android apps, desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, a PWA, and even traditional streaming formats like M3U and PLS for hardware radios. The interface is fully skinnable with multiple visual themes, but the broadcast remains the same for everyone. The DJ is powered by a language model that reads the time, weather, calendar events, and listener requests to pick the next track from the user's own music library. It writes and speaks original content between songs, and can hand off to different personas for scheduled shows or guest co-hosts. The entire stack is modular: the language model and speech engine are swappable, supporting local options like Ollama and Piper, or cloud services like OpenAI and ElevenLabs.

06
BigMarker logo

Video-powered marketing platform

Paid4.7/5825 ratings

BigMarker is an AI-powered webinar and virtual event platform that helps enterprises launch and scale global events, demand generation programs, and customer marketing initiatives. It supports live, simulive, hybrid, and on-demand formats with interactive engagement tools, CRM integrations, and white-label customization. Used by Amazon, Microsoft, TED, and The Wall Street Journal, BigMarker handles audiences from 1,000 to 500,000 attendees with built-in registration, email campaigns, and AI-driven lead scoring.

07
StreamYard logo

Live streaming studio in your browser

Freemium4.7/5402 ratings

StreamYard is a browser-based live streaming studio for professional broadcasts. Go live to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more simultaneously. Bring on guests, share screens, and display comments on screen. Brand with custom overlays, logos, and backgrounds. No downloads required - everything runs in your browser. Professional live streaming without the complexity of OBS or streaming software.

08
EasyWorship logo

Reliable and powerful church presentation software for seamless worship services.

Paid4.5/5895 ratings

EasyWorship is a dedicated church presentation software designed to help churches easily import, build, and display lyrics, videos, and slides for their worship services. It provides a comprehensive platform for creating entire service schedules, from song lyrics and scripture to sermon slides, all within a single application. The software is built for ease of use, making it accessible for volunteers, while also offering robust features for tech teams and worship leaders. This tool is ideal for churches of all sizes looking to streamline their presentation workflow, integrate with livestream setups, and manage media content efficiently. It supports various outputs, including NDI for professional streaming, and offers features like CCLI integration for song reporting and a Presentation Editor for creating engaging sermon content. EasyWorship aims to provide a dependable and intuitive solution for enhancing the worship experience.

EasyWorship UI screenshot
09
ServantKeeper logo

Comprehensive church management software to streamline administration, boost engagement, and manage ministry.

Paid4.6/5693 ratings

Servant Keeper is a robust church management software designed to help religious organizations efficiently manage their operations, members, and finances. It provides a centralized platform for tasks ranging from member communication and attendance tracking to contribution management and child check-in, aiming to save churches hundreds of hours of administrative work. The software caters to various roles within a church, including administrators, pastors, treasurers, children's ministry leaders, and IT personnel. It offers tools to coordinate between staff and members, track spiritual health and involvement, ensure financial health with accurate contribution tracking, and maintain secure and organized children's ministry areas. Additionally, Servant Keeper extends its capabilities to include website and app creation, livestreaming, and enhanced communication features to help churches expand their reach and engage their communities more effectively. Servant Keeper is ideal for churches looking to consolidate their administrative processes, improve member engagement, and leverage technology to support their ministry goals. With over 30,000 churches trusting its services, it aims to provide a comprehensive solution for managing all aspects of church life.

ServantKeeper UI screenshot
10
Castr logo

The complete video infrastructure for live streaming, video hosting, and OTT solutions.

Paid4.7/5444 ratings

Castr is a comprehensive video streaming platform designed to provide top-tier solutions for livestreaming, multistreaming, video-on-demand (VOD), and IP camera streaming. It offers a robust infrastructure for broadcasters and media companies to deliver high-quality video content globally. The platform caters to a wide range of needs, from basic live streaming and video hosting to advanced features like cloud production, 24/7 playout scheduling, and white-label OTT app development. Castr aims to simplify complex streaming workflows, allowing users to manage, transcode, monetize, and distribute their video content efficiently across various devices and platforms. Its enterprise-grade infrastructure, backed by multi-CDN networks, ensures reliable delivery and a guaranteed 99.9% uptime. Castr is ideal for anyone looking for a scalable, cost-effective, and reliable solution to manage their video content, whether for corporate broadcasts, educational content, or building a full-fledged OTT service. It provides tools for content monetization, detailed analytics, and dedicated 24/7 support to ensure seamless operations.

More Live Streaming tools worth considering.

Beyond the editorial top 10, these are also strong choices we've evaluated in the live streaming category. Useful when the leaders don't fit your stack or budget.

Wave.video logo
Wave.video
Create, edit, and multistream videos from one platform
NMTV logo
NMTV
Experience a curated selection of music videos and live performances.
MTV REWIND logo
MTV REWIND
Relive the golden age of music television with MTV REWIND, streaming classic MTV content 24/7.
SproutVideo logo
SproutVideo
Powerful live and on-demand video hosting for businesses with secure sharing, marketing, and analytics.
LiveWebinar logo
LiveWebinar
Host interactive webinars, online meetings, and virtual events with advanced customization and monetization.
Restream logo
Restream
Broadcast live video to 30+ platforms simultaneously
Hopin logo
Hopin
Virtual and hybrid events platform
Zoom Webinars logo
Zoom Webinars
Scale video events to thousands with built-in engagement and integrations
Remo logo
Remo
Replicate in-person networking with interactive 3D virtual spaces
Ecamm logo
Ecamm
The leading live streaming and video production studio built for Mac.
Crowdcast logo
Crowdcast
Host engaging live events with registration, Q&A, and monetization
Dacast logo
Dacast
Host, monetize, and broadcast live and on-demand video with an end-to-end streaming solution.
WebinarJam Platform logo
WebinarJam Platform
The most powerful live and automated webinar software for selling online and engaging audiences.
WebinarJam logo
WebinarJam
Live webinar broadcasting platform
Kaltura logo
Kaltura
Powering video experiences for education, enterprise, and media companies.
Lightstream logo
Lightstream
Cloud-powered live streaming studio for creators to produce high-quality broadcasts.
Vmix logo
Vmix
Create professional live streams and video productions from your Windows PC.
Brightcove logo
Brightcove
Manage, stream, and monetize video content globally
Streamlabs logo
Streamlabs
All-in-one live streaming and content creation software for creators.
Subsplash logo
Subsplash
The ultimate engagement platform for churches to simplify technology and amplify ministry.

Browse all live streaming tools

56 tools
ProPresenter logo
ProPresenter
Powerful video presentation software designed for demanding live productions and diverse industries.
paid· Web, macOS, Windows
OBS Studio logo
OBS Studio
Record and stream video with powerful, free, open-source software
free· Windows, macOS, Linux
Livestorm logo
Livestorm
Video conferencing software for webinars and virtual meetings, designed for engagement and efficiency.
freemium· Web
Vimeo logo
Vimeo
Ad-free video hosting, editing, and live streaming for creators
freemium· Web, iOS, Android
SUB/WAVE logo
SUB/WAVE
AI DJ streams a live, adaptive radio broadcast to all listeners
free
BigMarker logo
BigMarker
Video-powered marketing platform
paid· Web
StreamYard logo
StreamYard
Live streaming studio in your browser
freemium· Web
EasyWorship logo
EasyWorship
Reliable and powerful church presentation software for seamless worship services.
paid· macOS, Windows
ServantKeeper logo
ServantKeeper
Comprehensive church management software to streamline administration, boost engagement, and manage ministry.
paid· Web
Castr logo
Castr
The complete video infrastructure for live streaming, video hosting, and OTT solutions.
paid· Web, iOS, Android
Wave.video logo
Wave.video
Create, edit, and multistream videos from one platform
freemium· Web
NMTV logo
NMTV
Experience a curated selection of music videos and live performances.
free· Web
MTV REWIND logo
MTV REWIND
Relive the golden age of music television with MTV REWIND, streaming classic MTV content 24/7.
free· Web
SproutVideo logo
SproutVideo
Powerful live and on-demand video hosting for businesses with secure sharing, marketing, and analytics.
paid· Web
LiveWebinar logo
LiveWebinar
Host interactive webinars, online meetings, and virtual events with advanced customization and monetization.
freemium· Web
Restream logo
Restream
Broadcast live video to 30+ platforms simultaneously
freemium· Web
Hopin logo
Hopin
Virtual and hybrid events platform
paid· Web
Zoom Webinars logo
Zoom Webinars
Scale video events to thousands with built-in engagement and integrations
paid· Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Remo logo
Remo
Replicate in-person networking with interactive 3D virtual spaces
paid· Web
Ecamm logo
Ecamm
The leading live streaming and video production studio built for Mac.
freemium· macOS
Crowdcast logo
Crowdcast
Host engaging live events with registration, Q&A, and monetization
paid· Web
Dacast logo
Dacast
Host, monetize, and broadcast live and on-demand video with an end-to-end streaming solution.
paid· Web
WebinarJam Platform logo
WebinarJam Platform
The most powerful live and automated webinar software for selling online and engaging audiences.
paid· Web
WebinarJam logo
WebinarJam
Live webinar broadcasting platform
paid· Web
Kaltura logo
Kaltura
Powering video experiences for education, enterprise, and media companies.
paid
Lightstream logo
Lightstream
Cloud-powered live streaming studio for creators to produce high-quality broadcasts.
freemium· Web
Vmix logo
Vmix
Create professional live streams and video productions from your Windows PC.
paid· Windows
Brightcove logo
Brightcove
Manage, stream, and monetize video content globally
paid· Web
Streamlabs logo
Streamlabs
All-in-one live streaming and content creation software for creators.
freemium
Subsplash logo
Subsplash
The ultimate engagement platform for churches to simplify technology and amplify ministry.
freemium· Web
Xsplit logo
Xsplit
Professional live streaming and recording software for content creators and businesses.
freemium
Wirecast logo
Wirecast
Professional live streaming software for anyone, anywhere, turning your laptop into a production studio.
paid· macOS, Windows
VideoSDK logo
VideoSDK
Build, scale, and secure immersive live audio/video and AI communication experiences for your applications.
freemium· Web, iOS, Android
StreamElements logo
StreamElements
The ultimate all-in-one platform for live streamers to manage and grow their channels.
freemium· Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Mux logo
Mux
Video infrastructure for developers
usage_based· Web
JW Player logo
JW Player
Video technology and monetization platform for streamers, publishers, and advertisers to transform content into growth.
paid· Web
Plex logo
Plex
Stream free movies, TV, live channels, and your personal media
freemium
Swipe logo
Swipe
Create, share, and present interactive slide decks online
paid
Amagi logo
Amagi
Powering the new video economy with cloud solutions for broadcast, CTV, and FAST.
paid· Web
stagecaptions.io logo
stagecaptions.io
Real-time closed captioning software for live events, delivering accurate speech-to-text instantly.
freemium· Web
TuneJourney.com logo
TuneJourney.com
Explore the world through a vast collection of live internet radio stations.
free· Web
Skylive logo
Skylive
Your portal to live space events and celestial wonders
free
Wallie V2 logo
Wallie V2
Human-like AI VTuber framework for engaging virtual broadcasts
freemium
Switcher Studio logo
Switcher Studio
Transform your mobile devices into a multi-camera live streaming and video production studio.
paid· macOS, iOS
Pixellot logo
Pixellot
AI-powered sports broadcasting and analytics for every level
paid· Web
100ms logo
100ms
Live video infrastructure for building customizable and scalable real-time video experiences.
freemium· Web
Toornament logo
Toornament
Manage, broadcast, and monetize esports tournaments with a comprehensive platform.
freemium· Web
EarthCam Jobsite logo
EarthCam Jobsite
Global leader in live webcam content, technology, and services for construction monitoring and exploration.
paid· Web
Melon logo
Melon
Stream and record live video content directly from your browser with ease.
freemium· Web
Socio logo
Socio
The comprehensive platform for seamless in-person, virtual, and hybrid event management.
paid· Web, iOS, Android
Accelevents logo
Accelevents
Virtual and hybrid event platform
paid· Web
Cabin Radio logo
Cabin Radio
Your independent source for news, music, and community updates from the Northwest Territories.
free· Web
GTR (formerly Attendify) logo
GTR (formerly Attendify)
Engage your audience and streamline your events with a powerful, all-in-one platform.
freemium
Dyte logo
Dyte
Build powerful live video, audio, and chat experiences with SDKs for any platform.
freemium· Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
6Connex logo
6Connex
Craft engaging video experiences for webinars, virtual events, and internal communications.
paid· Web
Eyeson logo
Eyeson
Unify diverse video, audio, and data feeds into one synchronized interactive stream for decisive action.
freemium· Web

How to choose live streaming software

  1. Match tool to use case

    Gaming streaming: OBS Studio (free), Streamlabs. Multi-platform creators / interviews: Restream, StreamYard, Riverside. Business webinars: see webinar. Developer in-product video: Mux Live, Cloudflare Stream, AWS IVS. Different use cases, different tools.

  2. Audit bitrate and platform requirements

    Twitch, YouTube, and Kick have different bitrate, key-frame, and resolution requirements. Tools handle this but verify before launching. Bandwidth on your upload side matters as much as software.

  3. Plan for the multi-platform strategy

    Streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously (Restream, OBS multi-output) extends reach but each platform has audience norms. Gaming favors Twitch; broader audiences favor YouTube. Match platforms to audience.

Honorable mentions

Tools that didn't crack the headline list but deserve a look depending on what you optimize for.

  • OBS Studio logo
    OBS StudioBest free broadcaster software

    OBS Studio is the open-source standard for live streaming. Free, broad plugin ecosystem, used by most serious streamers.

Best Live Streaming for

How we ranked these live streaming tools

Each tool gets a Toolradar score from 0 to 100. It reflects how complete and well-sourced the listing is (a substantive description, verified pricing, and a quality logo) plus hands-on editorial curation for the tools we cover in depth. It is a completeness and ranking signal, not a review average. Real user ratings are aggregated separately from G2, Capterra, and our community and shown on each tool. We re-score on every product update and re-rank monthly.

Tools reviewed
56
With free tier
52%
Avg completeness score
70/100
Last updated
August 2026

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