Free Live Streaming Software (2026): 8 Tools and Their Limits

Can you go live every week without paying anything and without a logo in the corner of your stream? Yes, but only with some of the tools people call free. The rest are free in a narrower way, and the difference only becomes obvious once you're live and your audience can see it.

So this page starts with the limits rather than the features. Each free-plan limit below comes from the vendor's own page, as of Nov 2026.

Free streaming tools and their limits at a glance

Tool	Kind of tool	Where the free plan stops
Larix Broadcaster	Mobile streaming app	Three or more streams and WebRTC output are premium
Meld Studio	Desktop studio with multistream	Multistreaming included; AI overlay requests capped on free
OBS Studio	Desktop encoder, open source	No feature lock stated; you build every scene yourself
OneStream Live	Browser studio and multistreamer	720p, two destinations, small storage, three scheduled events
Restream	Multistreaming service	Two channels at once, with the vendor's branding
StreamYard	Browser studio	Vendor logo on streams and limited local recording
VDO.Ninja	Browser video link	Feeds video in; you still need studio software
XSplit Broadcaster	Desktop studio	Four scenes; watermark above 720p or 30 fps

Three kinds of free: effort, branding or a helper

Desktop software with no stated output lock

OBS Studio is free and open source software for recording and live streaming, per its page, with no upgrade tier or feature lock stated. The limit is effort: you set up scenes, sources and stream destinations yourself, and there's no built-in guest studio or hosted multistreaming on its page. Meld Studio's free plan, which the vendor calls free forever, includes multistreaming to Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick and X; its AI overlay builder lets you try building your own on free, with bigger request allowances on the higher tiers.

Free tiers that cap or brand the output

XSplit Broadcaster's free version is capped at 4 scenes, and it adds a watermark above 720p or above 30 fps, with AI background removal and the virtual camera also watermarked. StreamYard shows its logo in your streams on the free plan, and local recordings are limited to 2 hours a month, with 6 on-screen participants and 1 seat. Restream's free plan streams to 2 channels at once and carries its branding; removing the watermark is a feature of higher plans. OneStream Live's free plan streams at 720p to 2 destinations, with 1 GB of storage, 3 scheduled events and 1 team seat.

Free helpers for phones and guests

Larix Broadcaster is free mobile broadcasting software for iOS and Android, per its vendor, and marks streaming to 3 or more destinations at once, WebRTC output, HEVC over RTMP, NDI HX2 output and Zixi as premium features. VDO.Ninja says it's free with no downloads, no personal data collection and no sign-in, but it's a feed-in tool, not a studio. Its page also warns that some options use more CPU, that video can freeze if a guest doesn't keep the tab visible, and that some features are experimental.

Why the limit shows up on screen, not in settings

A free streaming tool is rarely free in the same way as the next one. Desktop programs put the limit on your time or on extras. Browser studios and multistreamers put it on your output: a vendor logo on your stream, a cap of two destinations, 720p, or a few hours of recording.

That matters because the limit appears where your viewers look. A watermark in the corner of a client webinar says something about your brand, and a 720p cap is easy to miss on a laptop but obvious on a big TV. So check each output limit against what you need to publish, not against what the studio looks like while you're setting it up. If you want to make a free stream look more finished, our guide on where to find free stream overlays covers the graphics side.

The eight streaming tools, in no particular order

Larix Broadcaster

Best for: Streamers going live from an iOS or Android phone over SRT, RTMP or other broadcast protocols, sending one or two streams on the free version.

Meld Studio

Best for: Creators who want multistreaming, 4K recording with multitrack audio and one click clipping in a desktop app, going by the vendor's description of its free plan.

OBS Studio

Best for: Anyone comfortable setting up their own scenes and sources who wants free, open source recording and live streaming on Windows, Mac or Linux.

OneStream Live

Best for: Scheduling live or pre-recorded streams from a browser to a couple of destinations, with one team seat and modest storage on the free plan.

Restream

Best for: Sending one live stream to two platforms at once from a browser studio, where a small vendor watermark on screen is acceptable.

StreamYard

Best for: Interviews and panel shows run from the browser, with guests on screen and ready-made layouts, as long as a vendor logo on your stream is fine.

VDO.Ninja

Best for: Bringing a phone, a remote computer or a guest into OBS or other studio software through a browser link, with no download or sign-in.

XSplit Broadcaster

Best for: Streamers wanting a desktop studio for scenes, sources and recordings who can stay at 720p and 30 fps to keep the free output unwatermarked.

Plain advice for your first free broadcast

If you're streaming alone to one or two platforms and you don't mind an hour of setup, desktop software with no output lock gives you the cleanest free stream. If you're bringing guests on and want it to feel like a TV studio from the first click, a browser studio is quicker, but accept that the free plan brands your output or limits recording, and decide whether your audience will mind.

If you're streaming from events or out and about, start with a phone app and add a desktop studio later. And if guests are joining from home, a free browser link that feeds into your desktop software can save you a whole studio subscription. For a broader comparison that includes tools without free plans, see our roundup of live streaming software for creators and businesses.

Five checks before you press go live

• Watch your own stream back. Open the stream on a second device and look for a logo or watermark you didn't expect.
• Check the resolution viewers get. Some free tiers cap output, so view it on the largest screen your audience is likely to use.
• Count your destinations. If the free plan allows two, decide which two platforms matter most before you start.
• Record locally as a backup. Free recording limits are easy to forget until a stream is gone.
• Test your guest link. Ask a friend to join from a phone and a laptop, and keep their browser tab in front.

Do you make live streaming software with a free plan? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Is there live streaming software with no watermark on the free version?

Yes. Some desktop programs on this list state no output lock at all, and one desktop studio only adds a watermark above 720p or 30 fps. Several browser studios do show their branding on free streams, so check before a client event.

Can I stream to YouTube and Twitch at the same time for free?

You can with some tools. A few free plans include multistreaming to two destinations, and one desktop app includes several platforms on its free plan, per its vendor. Check the platforms you need are on the list.

Do I need a powerful computer to stream for free?

Desktop software uses your own computer to encode the stream, so an older laptop may struggle with high resolutions. Browser studios do more of the work online, which helps on modest hardware but brings their own free-plan limits.

Can I go live from my phone without paying?

Yes. Mobile broadcasting apps can send a stream from your phone to most platforms. Free versions may hold back extras such as streaming to three or more places at once.

How do I bring a guest into a free live stream?

Either use a browser studio that lets guests join from a link, or use a free browser link tool that feeds the guest's video into desktop software. The second route takes more setup but keeps your stream free of a studio's branding.

Will the free plan let me record my live stream?

Most tools let you record in some form, but free plans may limit recording hours or storage. Desktop programs usually record to your own drive, which keeps the file in your hands.