Best live streaming software for Windows

This is our 2023 roundup of the best live streaming software for Windows PC right now. So after trying and testing all the top options, I'm going to run through my short list of the best ones, as well as my pick for the best live streaming software for PC in 2023.

Now, as we're going through, scroll down and let me know in the comments what live streaming software are you currently using and what's your favorite feature.

So when it comes to live streaming software on PC, you've got so many options. You've got things like Belive, Streamyard, OBS, Wirecast, Mellon, Wave, Video, Lightstream, VMix, Prism, Live, Minicam, Zoom, Evmux, Restream, XSplit, and that's not even all of them.

So after so much trying and testing of all the top options, here's my shortlist for the best options.

OBS

So option number one is OBS, and this works on Mac, PC and Linux. This is one of the most popular options out there because it is open source. It is 100% free, but it also packs in a ton of features, not just for live streaming, but also for screen recording as well.

So while it's got a ton of features and options and everything in there, the overall interface really isn't too intuitive. It's not that easy for, say, an absolute beginner to jump in and configure everything and to get set up and go live.

But compared to some of the other options that we've got coming up, it definitely isn't as intuitive. But because it is such a popular option, there is a massive community online of people that will help you if you're stuck, and lots of resources and YouTube videos are there to help you.

And there's also an amazing library of plugins and add-ons that you can use to really help you take your OBS experience and the live streams and screen recordings you're doing to the next level as well.

Now, while there is support to go live from all the major platforms from OBS, there is no built in, simulcast or multicast feature.

So if you do want to be going live to, say, Facebook and YouTube at the same time, you can do it. But there's nothing built in to make that easy for you.

So it's possible, but it's a lot more complicated than some of the other options. And there's also no built in guest feature if you want to bring in other people into your stream.

Again, there are workarounds, but there are also simpler options. But overall, OBS is a great solution for someone who is looking for more of the advanced features or controls, or someone who doesn't want to spend any money because it's free, but is willing to spend the time to learn it and to get everything set up the way that they want.

But if you don't need those extra features, and you're after something more intuitive and something simpler, or you're after something even more advanced, then make sure you stick around.

Prism Live Studio

The next option is Prism Live Studio, and this one, in the big scheme of things, is relatively new to the space. While this one works on Windows, there is also an iOS and Android app that you can download to go live from your mobile device.

But what we're talking about here is the Windows version, which is something that I was really blown away with. I guess you could think of this as something very similar to OBS in terms of the overall interface and a lot of the features and things in there but with a much nicer, more intuitive interface, something that's much more modern but also easier to use.

Prism Live Studio does have built-in simulcasting if you want to go live to multiple places, and it also has combined real-time chat. So if you are broadcasting live to multiple places, all of the chat comes into one chat window that's combined for you to easily monitor and interact with your audience while you're live.

There are also a lot of really useful built-in effects, and then you've also got some other effects and things like beauty mode and gifs, which of course are super important as well.

But overall I think it's a great option. It's easy to use with a clean interface, and not as many of the advanced features as in OBS, but this one is aimed at someone, probably more at that beginner to intermediate level, who doesn't need all of that extra stuff.

Now, in regards to pricing, Prism Live Studio right now at the time of filming, is currently free.

Now, I have no idea how long it's going to be free. I think it's amazing what they're giving you access to for free, so hopefully it stays that way because it's a really good option.

Evmux

The next option is Evmux. Now this one is a little bit different from the previous option because there is nothing to download and install.

This one runs in your web browser, meaning that it's going to work on pretty much anything.

This decision was actually really hard to make because I guess the competition here in this space of online browser-based or cloud-based live streaming solutions is quite a few.

Like Streamyard, Beelive, Mellon Wave video is a new one that's out in beta and Evmux and all of them are very, very similar.

If you're logging into the different platforms, the interface between them all is pretty much identical.

I mean, yes, there are pros and cons and standout features of each of them, but I will say, after making this video for the last few years, this was the toughest call we've ever had to make.

And Streamyard has previously been my top pick in this category. Now, this isn't to say that Streamyard is a bad option. It's not at all.

I'm still a big fan of Streamyard, but what Evmux has included in there now is actually really awesome.

So pretty much all the options I just covered have amazing, easy to use, simple, intuitive interface that's really easy to add your webcam, add your screen share, go live to multiple platforms, and bring in guests.

They all make it so easy to grab an invite link and send it out and bring other people onto your live stream and even do video recording as well.

Either as a backup of your live stream or even if you just want to use these platforms to record a video, you can do that pretty much in all of those as well.

But the standout thing for me with Evmux right now is the level of control, the level of customization that you get in there while still having it really easy to use

So not only do you get access to the preset templates of say, a 50:50 screen split or a screen share with a picture-in-picture effect applied, you can really pick things up and scale things up and down and move them around to customize them up the way that you want them.

You can save these customizations as separate scenes that you can easily click between while you're live, so you can set everything up before you go live, and you can easily switch between them while you're live.

Now scenes are something that Wavevideo is bringing in as well, so that's cool to see, but Evmux currently takes it further with what you can control and add to them.

There's also a dedicated green room where all your guests can hang out and actually interact and talk to each other while they're waiting to come onto your livestream.

This is something that the others don't really do. While you can be waiting backstage to come onto someone's livestream you don't really get to connect or engage or see who else is backstage with you.

So I love the green room concept. You can also easily add co-hosts so other people can help you control and manage your livestream.

It supports multiple cameras, you also have and manage multiple broadcasts at the same time.

So if you're a larger company or an organization, you've got a few different live streams on the go at once. You can manage them all and run them all inside of Evmux as well.

But probably the biggest standout feature for me that I absolutely love is that it has ISO video recording in here.

Now this is something that you really only see in top-line live streaming solutions. But what it means is that your video recording of your live stream is actually recording a separate video file for each one of the guests or cameras that you're having in your live show.

So if you're going to be editing your videos down afterward and repurposing them, this means that you're not just limited to a finished recording of whatever happens live, you can actually re-edit everything together to create some really effective repurposed content too.

Now in terms of pricing, there is a free plan that gives you access to so many features, but it does include the Evmux watermark and I am not a fan of that.

So what I recommend, and for a professional looking live stream is that you pay the $25 per month, or it works out as $19 per month if you're paying annually to move up to the basic plan, which will remove the watermark, and it'll also unlock the recording functionality too.

And then above that there's a pro plan for $49 a month or 39 a month if you're paying annually, which will give you access to more storage and additional hosts or producers.

So ridiculously cheap considering what you're getting access to. So this is a great option for anyone who is looking for a simple way to go live, to bring in guests, to simulcast, to have access, to be able to customize everything up, but also have access to some of those more advanced features like ISO recording, then yeah, Evmux, it's a pretty good deal.

But if you are someone who's after more advanced features and controls and really wants to dial everything in and control everything, then the next option could be the one for you.

VMix

The next option on the shortlist is VMix. This one really packs a punch when it comes to really being an overall production workhorse, not just for live streaming, but also for video recording as well.

And this one is probably the most professional option when it comes to live-streaming software on Windows.

So if you're someone who really wants to be able to customize everything up, control everything down to the nitty gritty, then VMix is a solid option.

There's great hardware support and integration for PTZ cameras, NDI support, IP cameras, all the top-name hardware capture devices, all in a fairly easy to use interface. It's definitely not as easy to use as a Prism Live studio or an Evmux, but I would take it over OBS any day.

There's built in multi streaming if you want to broadcast to multiple places at once. There is built in interview or guest feature in here as well.

But unlike the other options, you get so much more control to really customize and configure everything.

Now that does mean straight out of the box if you just want to quickly bring in a guest. It's not as straightforward as something like Evmux, where you can just click the different presets and templates that they've got in there.

In VMix, you will need to create the different scenes and set everything up the way that you want, but once you've done that, then you can save those to use in future live streams.

Now you also get a lot of control over the outputs from VMix as well, not just in relation to the bitrates and the resolutions of your live streaming outputs, but also in regards to video recording as well.

You can actually set up different recording templates or presets to record different file types and different formats and resolutions that can happen simultaneously as well.

So it could be that during your livestream you're also recording a backup onto your computer, and it might be a high quality 1080p version that you just save as a backup, but you also could in parallel be recording a much lower quality version of that video as well.

So the moment that you stop recording and stop live streaming, you end up with multiple files, and multiple outputs that you can then go and distribute immediately without the need to then go and create those separate video files or audio files afterward.

Now, in terms of pricing, there's actually quite a few different options you've got. There is an outright purchase option. So for those of you who don't like the monthly subscription model, you don't have to jump on a monthly subscription.

You can buy it outright and that's going to give you updates for twelve months since your purchase date. So the cheapest license is basic HD for $60.

You've then got the HD license for 354k, the license for 700, or the Pro license for 1200, which is going to unlock everything.

So I'd imagine here that most people are probably looking at the HD, the 4K or the Pro in terms of the features that you're going to unlock.

But for those of you who do want access to the pro and want access to the updates after twelve months as well, then there is a subscription option now available too, at $50 per month.

So really not that expensive considering what you're getting access to. This is literally professional grade software.

So again, VMix is a great option for someone who is looking for the most advanced features and controls, someone who really wants to be able to configure everything up and dial everything in the way that they want it.

So those are my top picks on Windows right now. OBS, Prism Live Studio, Evmux and Vmix.

Now, if I had to pick one, the overall winner right now is going to go to Evmux.

I really think it's the great mix of features, but also of ease of use. They make it so easy to do things like bring in guests, share your screen, have multiple cameras.

I love that it's got the ISO recording feature in there as well. So having the ease of use with a lot more of the professional tools and functionality in there as well.

So well done. A lot of change in this space in the last twelve months. There's a lot of competition and I'm pumped to see where this is next year.

So now that you've got your live stream software sorted.