Utilities · €0
Loading…
Tool page
OBS Studio
The open source streaming and video recording tool, the standard for content creation.
- Category
- Utilities
- Pricing
- €0 · Free
- How often
- Now and then
- My rating
- 4.7 out of 5
In short
OBS Studio is the tool that democratized video content creation. Free, unlimited, and powerful enough for professional productions.
- Ideal for
- Content creators, developers who make tutorials, online trainers
- Use case
- Screen recording, live streaming, creating demos and video tutorials
What it costs
Entry price: €0. Prices taken from the official site, excluding tax.
| Plan | Per month | Per year | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBS Studio | €0 | – | Content creators, streamers, developers, trainers: everyone |
Alternatives I ruled out
| Alternative | Why I did not keep it |
|---|---|
| Loom | Loom for quick recordings shared fast. OBS for anything that needs power. Better at: Ultra-simple, instant link sharing, comments, view analytics Worse at: Paid for advanced features, no streaming, watermark on Free |
| QuickTime (macOS) | QuickTime for a quick capture. OBS for any professional use. Better at: Built into the system, no setup, simple for basic captures Worse at: No advanced features, no streaming, no scenes, no mixing |
| Streamlabs | Streamlabs for streamers who want everything turnkey. OBS for full control. Better at: More accessible interface, built-in overlays and alerts, optimized for streaming Worse at: Heavier, some paid premium features, built on OBS |
Strengths and limits
Pros
- Entirely free and open source: no watermark, no time limit, no subscription
- Multiple scenes: switch between "screen + webcam", "webcam only", "screen only" in 1 click
- Multi-track recording: separate audio per source (mic, system, music) for editing
- Virtual Camera: use OBS as a camera in Zoom, Meet, Teams
- Plugins: NVIDIA RTX Super Resolution, browser source, StreamFX, WebSocket for automation
Cons
- Interface not intuitive for beginners: the first setup takes time
- Uses CPU/GPU resources depending on the encoders and filters used
- No built-in video editing: you have to export, then edit in DaVinci, CapCut, etc.
- No teleprompter, no automatic chaptering: a pure recording tool
Main features
- Scenes and sources
- Create scenes made of sources (screen capture, webcam, images, text, browser) Switch between different layouts live or while recording
- Audio mixer
- Mix several audio sources with filters (noise gate, compressor, equalizer) Remove background noise, balance mic and system sound without external software
- Virtual Camera
- Expose OBS as a virtual camera in all video conferencing apps Appear with a background, overlays or several sources in Zoom/Meet
- Replay Buffer
- Keep the last N seconds in memory to save them on demand Capture an interesting moment that just happened without having recorded everything
- OBS WebSocket
- WebSocket API to control OBS from scripts or external applications Automate scenes, trigger recordings from a script or a stream deck
Compatibility
- macOS : compatible
- Windows : compatible
- Linux : compatible
- iOS : not compatible
- Android : not compatible
- Browser : not compatible
- API : compatible
- n8n : not compatible
- Zapier : not compatible
Frequently asked questions
Is OBS Studio free?
Yes, entirely free and open source (GPL-2.0). No watermark, no time limit.
Can OBS Studio stream to YouTube and Twitch at the same time?
Yes, through multistreaming services like Restream, or with the obs-multi-rtmp plugin.
Does OBS use a lot of resources?
It depends on the encoder. NVENC (NVIDIA) or Apple Silicon offload the CPU: minimal impact when streaming 1080p60.
Can you edit a video in OBS?
No, OBS is a recording and streaming tool. For editing, use DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or Final Cut Pro.
Does OBS work on macOS Apple Silicon?
Yes, OBS 28+ is optimized for Apple Silicon with a native VideoToolbox encoder.
Final verdict
The open source standard for recording and streaming. Free, unlimited, used by millions of professional creators.
- I recommend it to
- Content creators, developers who make tutorials, trainers: anyone who records their screen regularly.
- Not suited for
- Occasional, simple use: QuickTime or Loom are faster to pick up.
- Value for money
- Excellent · 4.7 out of 5
Other tools on the workbench
Utilities · Included in Setapp (~€9.99/month)
Paste
Utilities · Included in Setapp (~€9.99/month)
CleanShot X