StreamYard vs Restream vs OBS: Which Streaming Tool Should a Solo Creator Use?

If you are starting to stream on your own, you will quickly run into three names: OBS Studio, StreamYard and Restream. They are often compared as if they were the same kind of product, but they are not. Once you see what each one actually does, the choice usually becomes obvious, and many creators end up using two of them together.

This comparison is based on each product’s official pages and on Twitch’s published rules, checked in November 2026. It is not a hands-on review, and plan details change frequently, so confirm the current pricing pages (linked at the bottom) before you pay for anything.

The short answer

• Mostly gaming, one platform, free: use OBS Studio.
• Talk shows, interviews, podcasts with remote guests, minimal setup: use StreamYard (or Restream Studio) in the browser.
• Going live on several platforms at once: use Restream or a paid StreamYard plan as the multistream relay, often with OBS as the encoder.

What each tool actually is

OBS Studio: a free encoder and production app on your computer

OBS is free, open-source desktop software for Windows, macOS and Linux. It captures your screen, games, webcams and audio, lets you build layouts (scenes), encodes the video on your own computer, and sends it to a streaming service. Everything happens locally, so the quality and complexity are limited mainly by your hardware and how much time you invest.

Strengths:

• Free, with no watermark and no time limits.
• Full control over layouts, audio filters, encoders and bitrate.
• Huge ecosystem of plugins and tutorials.
• Captures games and applications directly, which browser studios generally cannot do as well.

Trade-offs:

• Steeper learning curve.
• Your computer does the encoding work.
• Out of the box, OBS sends your stream to one service at a time. Streaming to several platforms needs a plugin or a relay service.
• Bringing in remote guests needs extra tools.

StreamYard: a live studio in your browser

StreamYard runs in a web browser. You open a studio, your webcam and mic appear, you invite guests with a link, and you pick layouts with a click. StreamYard’s servers handle the outgoing stream to platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and others.

According to StreamYard’s pricing page, the free plan includes the core studio features but adds a StreamYard logo to your streams, has streaming limits, allows 6 on-screen participants, and includes 2 hours per month of local recordings. Paid individual plans remove the logo and add things like multistreaming to multiple destinations, custom RTMP destinations, more on-screen participants, overlays and cloud recording; the higher tier raises the number of destinations further. StreamYard notes that prices vary with promotions and billing terms, and it offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on the first charge.

Strengths:

• Easiest way to run an interview or panel show with remote guests.
• Almost no setup; works on modest computers because it isn’t doing game capture.
• Clean, branded layouts without designing anything.

Trade-offs:

• Not designed for capturing PC games.
• The branding and limits on the free plan.
• Less fine-grained control than OBS.

Restream: a multistreaming relay plus a browser studio

Restream is best known as a relay: you send one stream to Restream, and Restream forwards it to many platforms at once. Its pricing page says it can stream to 30+ platforms, and you can feed it from OBS or any other encoder. It also has Restream Studio, a browser studio similar in spirit to StreamYard.

According to Restream’s pricing page, the free plan lets you stream to 2 channels at once with Restream branding. Paid plans add more simultaneous channels, remove the watermark and add features like more cloud recording. The page also notes that Restream Studio is limited to 720p on lower plans while 1080p in the Studio needs a higher plan, but if you send your stream from your own software (like OBS), Restream says it does not impose that resolution restriction, though individual platforms may have their own limits.

Strengths:

• One upload from your computer, many destinations, so you don’t need extra upload bandwidth per platform.
• Combined chat view for you as the streamer.
• Works with OBS rather than replacing it.

Trade-offs:

• Free plan is limited to two destinations with branding.
• Another service in the chain that can fail.
• Some platform rules (see Twitch below) limit how you use combined features.

Free tool: Multistreaming straight from OBS means sending a copy to each platform. Use the Upload Speed & Bitrate Checker to see what your connection can handle.

Side-by-side comparison

	OBS Studio	StreamYard	Restream
Runs where	Desktop app	Browser	Browser studio + cloud relay
Cost to start	Free	Free plan available	Free plan available
Free-plan branding	None	StreamYard logo	Restream branding
Game capture	Excellent	Not its focus	Via OBS or another encoder
Remote guests	Needs extra tools	Built in (6 on screen on free)	Built into the Studio
Multistreaming	Plugin or relay needed	Paid plans	Free for 2 channels; more on paid
Who does the encoding	Your computer	StreamYard’s servers	Your encoder (relay) or Restream (Studio)
Learning curve	Highest	Lowest	Low to medium

Twitch’s simulcasting rules (read before multistreaming)

Twitch allows simulcasting (streaming the same broadcast on Twitch and another service at the same time) unless you have signed a separate exclusivity agreement. Section 11 of the Twitch Terms of Service sets three conditions:

1. The Twitch experience must be at least as good as on other platforms, including your engagement with Twitch chat. Its FAQ gives the example that lowering the size or quality of the Twitch video below other platforms would break this rule.
2. You must not link or direct your Twitch community to leave Twitch for your simulcast elsewhere. Listing your other social profiles is allowed; banners, chat commands, QR codes or stream titles pushing people to another live stream are not.
3. You must not use third-party services that combine activity from other platforms on your Twitch stream, such as a merged chat overlay.

On the third point, Twitch leadership said in early 2026 that it would not enforce the merged-chat rule, but as of this writing the written terms still include it. The lowest-risk approach is to read a combined chat privately and show only Twitch chat on the Twitch video.

Which one should you pick?

You stream games, mainly to one platform

Use OBS Studio. It is free, has no watermark, and game capture is what it does best. Start with our OBS setup guide for beginners.

You host interviews, a podcast, or a show with guests

Use StreamYard (or Restream Studio). Inviting guests by link and switching layouts with one click is far easier than building the same thing in OBS. If you outgrow the free plan’s branding and limits, compare the paid tiers on the current pricing page.

You want to be on YouTube, Twitch and others at once

Use OBS + Restream (start with the free two-channel plan) or a paid StreamYard plan with multistreaming. Remember Twitch’s simulcast rules above.

Your computer is weak

A browser studio can be the better choice for talking-head content, because it is not capturing and encoding a demanding game. For gaming on a laptop, see our laptop OBS settings guide.

Can you use them together?

Yes, and many creators do:

• OBS → Restream → many platforms. OBS builds and encodes the stream; Restream relays it.
• StreamYard guests into OBS. Some creators run the interview in a browser studio and capture or route it into OBS for their own overlays. This adds complexity, so try it only after the simple setup works.

Bottom line

OBS is the free, flexible workhorse for gaming. StreamYard is the fastest path to a polished show with guests. Restream is the relay that puts one stream in many places. Pick the one that matches the stream you will actually do this month, and keep it simple until you know you need more.