If you're familiar with either StreamLabs or Stream Elements, you'll be able to quickly understand how OBS Studio works. OBS Studio is a completely free streaming program that a lot of other options are based on.

Both the free and premium versions let you add donation and tip widgets, create custom overlays for different scenes, and create polls and giveaways to keep your audience engaged and entertained. Support includes help securing products for reviews, brand endorsements, and other paid opportunities as well as enhanced troubleshooting for any issues you may have. The premium features include the ability to create a custom merch store, a custom page for viewers to send donations, access to more custom overlays, streaming to multiple sites at once, and dedicated creator support. But as your audience grows and you become more familiar with what works for you, you can opt to pay either a $19 monthly subscription or $149 for an entire year to get access to more features. The base version of the program is completely free, which is good news for anyone who is just starting out and might not want to invest a ton of money right away. StreamLabs OBS is one of the most popular choices for streaming on Twitch, and for good reason. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews.

This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.

Set up obs studio for twitch