Tools and providers
Part of Choosing tools and suppliers for a gaming channel by drawing the workflow first
How to trial OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop for gaming
A gaming creators supplier comparison as a practical OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop trial: matched recordings, import checks and a recovery exercise.
A trial-led gaming creators supplier comparison
- OBS Studio is free of charge. Streamlabs Desktop has a free tier, but its cloud multistream route requires the paid Ultra plan. Dual Output sends one horizontal and one vertical canvas to one platform each and is included without that plan.
- Choose Streamlabs Desktop for guided onboarding and an account-based cloud workflow. Choose OBS Studio for direct configuration, published Linux support and portable profiles.
- Neither application multistreams widely on its own. That takes Ultra, an external service such as Restream, or a plug-in such as obs-multi-rtmp.
- Decide with two matched trial recordings and one recovery exercise on your own PC, not with feature counts.
Free and paid plan access
OBS Studio
- Application
- Free of charge
- Account
- Not required
- Cloud multistream
- Absent, so use an outside service or plug-in
- Settings export
- Profiles export as JSON; scenes need Scene Collections
Streamlabs Desktop
- Application
- Free tier, plus paid Ultra
- Account
- Streamlabs account required
- Cloud multistream
- Documented route tied to Ultra
- Settings export
- Import from OBS is documented; export route needs confirming
Streamlabs sets the Ultra price inside its own account system and changes it, so read the current figure at checkout rather than in a review. A dollar headline plus UK VAT is a different number from a sterling invoice, and both matter once a creator registers for VAT in England.
The subscription is one line in your channel costs. Our feature-by-feature product comparison covers what changes if Streamlabs alters its plan terms.
Operating system and machine load
OBS publishes Windows 10 or 11, supported macOS hardware and Linux requirements on its first-party system requirements page. It warns that meeting those basics does not prove a chosen encoder, resolution, frame rate and scene will run well.
Streamlabs lists Windows 10 or macOS 12 as minimum operating systems and 8 GB RAM for Desktop, with higher recommendations depending on workload. Both are paper claims from suppliers, so the trial below is what tells you how your own machine copes with a game and an encoder running together.
OS and RAM requirements
OBS Studio
- Windows
- 10 or 11
- macOS
- supported hardware
- Linux
- published route
- RAM
- not stated here
Streamlabs Desktop
- Windows
- 10
- macOS
- 12
- Linux
- not listed
- RAM
- 8 GB
Setup and production controls
OBS documents scenes, capture sources, audio devices, filters, hotkeys, Studio Mode and separate output controls. Streamlabs' start guide opens with camera and microphone permissions, an account sign-in, intended use and skill level, and offers to import an existing OBS setup.
The import may cut recreation time. Check every source anyway, because a finished wizard does not prove that alerts, audio tracks or hotkeys behaved the same.
Sending one stream to several places
Base OBS documentation covers choosing a streaming service or a custom server. Extra destinations usually mean an external service such as Restream or a plug-in such as obs-multi-rtmp, each with its own terms. Streamlabs documents a cloud multistream route tied to Ultra, while Dual Output sends one horizontal and one vertical canvas to one platform each without that plan.
Multiple destinations
OBS Studio
- Base route
- service or custom server
- Extra destinations
- external services or plug-ins
- Entitlement
- separate assessment
- Dual Output
- not described
Streamlabs Desktop
- Base route
- cloud multistream
- Extra destinations
- selected destinations
- Entitlement
- Ultra for Multistream
- Dual Output
- one platform each
Destination support and entitlements need a live account check. Technical delivery does not grant permission to rebroadcast, and a sponsored overlay brings UK labelling duties set out in the ASA advertising codes. If you are still picking a destination, our comparison of live streaming providers sets out what each platform expects from a creator.
Portability, support and billing
OBS says a Profile exports as JSON and holds output-related settings, while scenes need separate Scene Collections. A recovery test needs profiles, scene collections, external media and plug-ins. Streamlabs documents importing from OBS, but this comparison does not establish a complete exit route. Treat portability as unproven until you confirm a current export option and test it on a sample.
Support deserves the same scrutiny. Record the help route, the evidence a ticket needs, the cover hours offered in UK time and who owns escalation. If alerts or tracked links feed chat data into analytics, the ICO guide to data protection explains what you owe viewers.
What to hold constant in a gaming trial
A trial only compares the applications if everything else stays the same. Fix these before the first recording:
- The game, its graphics preset and the same scene or match type, so the load on the GPU is comparable.
- The capture methoduse the same kind of capture source in both applications, rather than game capture in one and full display capture in the other.
- The encoderthe same hardware or software encoder, at the same resolution, frame rate and bitrate.
- The audio routinggame audio, microphone and alerts on the same separate tracks, so drift and level problems show up per source.
- The background loadthe same browser tabs, chat window and overlays open in both runs.
If a game uses anti-cheat software, run the trial in a mode you normally stream, because capture behaviour is part of what you are testing.
Example: a two-recording trial
Two-recording trial
- Record 20 minutes on your own PC in each application, using the same game, camera, alerts and recording settings.
- Compare the files and the in-application statistics for dropped frames, encoding load and audio drift.
- Import the OBS profile into Streamlabs, then check alerts, hotkeys, audio tracks and plug-ins one by one.
- Rebuild one scene on a second machine and rotate any stream key used in the test.
Two matched recordings beat a supplier page. Our matched cohort method explains why like-for-like conditions decide a comparison.
Common questions
Does Streamlabs Desktop run on Linux?
The cited minimum list does not include Linux, while OBS publishes a Linux route. Treat the absence as unsupported for your shortlist until Streamlabs publishes a current record.
Can I multistream to several platforms for free?
Not with the base applications alone. OBS needs an outside service or plug-in, and the Streamlabs cloud route sits behind Ultra.
How much does Streamlabs cost compared with OBS Studio?
OBS Studio is free to download; Streamlabs has a free tier and a paid Ultra plan. This article does not give an Ultra price: check the current amount and any VAT shown at checkout in your account.
