How to find the easiest streaming software to use

What’s the easiest streaming software for people just starting out? Is OBS the best streaming software, or is it worth paying for a premium subscription that offers customer service? With a lot of options on the market promising easy, user-friendly streaming, it can be hard to choose. 

What makes a streaming tool easy to use?

Some of the top streaming software options are designed for gamers, while others are better suited to podcasts. Others demand higher processing power from your computer, while others are run completely on your browser. What is ‘easiest’ to use will vary from person to person depending on a few factors.  

When picking streaming tools, think about factors like:

• the type of content you want to stream
• the device (or devices) you want to stream from
• how powerful your device’s processing power is
• the live streaming platforms you’re streaming to, for example, Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube
• how many cameras, mics, and other sources you’ll want to set up
• your budget

Here’s some of the easiest streaming software available

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is one of the top preferred streaming software amongst our community here at uno, and is one of the most popular amongst streamers.

Pros: 

• Fully open source, which means it’s free and has several community-created plugins
• Compatible with macOS, Windows and Linux
• You can easily set up hotkeys and control everything with a Stream Deck
• A supportive global community providing advice and tutorials
• Customizable docks that you can pop out into their own window
• Studio view so you can see both scenes as you transition from one to the other

Cons: 

• Not a very aesthetically pleasing interface
• Requires some getting used to, especially with more technical features
• Can require lot of processing power
• No customer service

How easy is it to use? 

OBS is simple to set up, but not very intuitive for beginners.  Luckily, we’ve got several tutorials on how to set up your first few streaming layouts and scenes. Plus, you won’t be faced with premium fees when you’re ready for more advanced features or plugins.

Streamlabs OBS‍

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Streamlabs is another free, open source streaming software built off OBS, but with a cleaner, simpler interface. 

Pros:

• Several great free features, including the same benefits of OBS Studio
• Simplified and easy to navigate to the features you want, including layout editors
• Designed specifically for gamers
• Several integrated tools including creating subscriptions, receiving donations, and other monetization options

Cons:

• Some features are locked behind premium fees
• No studio mode to preview each scene, so transitions might be a bit trickier
• Takes up a lot of space on your CPU

How easy is it to use?

Streamlabs is a great, intuitive tool for gamers starting their first live stream. Its clean interface makes it easy to find everything you need, and it comes with integrations that help you start making money faster. However, some of the better features are still locked behind a paywall.

XSplit

XSplit is another key player in the streaming world, offering a powerful live video streaming tool for all levels of experience.

Pros:

• Intuitive and easily navigable interface
• A built-in green screen
• A Layout Wizard to help you switch between streaming setups, including for podcasts and presentations with multiple guests
• Has a drag-and-drop functionality for media sources and comes with scene presets

Cons:

• The best features are behind a paywall, including multistreaming
• Some features may require guides and tutorials to understand
• You’re limited to four scenes on the free version
• Less customization possibilities

How easy is it to use?

XSplit is beginner-friendly, simple to install, and easy to use – but lacks a lot of customization that you might get with other tools. Plus, once you get a little more used to streaming, you’ll need to subscribe to premium to get what you want.

Twitch Studio

Streaming platform Twitch has its own streaming software, which is designed specifically for people (especially gamers) to stream directly to Twitch. 

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly and not too technical to use
• Designed with simplified navigation
• Seamless integration with Twitch
• Automated scene switching and audio mixing

Cons:

• Not a lot of control over your stream
• Only optimized for Twitch, and might not be as seamless for other platforms
• Not much customization
• No plugin support

How easy is it to use?

For Twitch streamers, Twitch Studio is a great, easy-to-use tool – but if you want to stream to other platforms or add any other features, you might struggle. 

vMix

vMix is a live video production and live streaming software solution designed for advanced, professional streaming.

Pros:

• Allows remote participants to call in directly
• Includes several great features like color correction, scripting, advanced audio mixing, and multistreaming
• Great for keeping multiple cameras synced

Cons:

• Only compatible with Windows
• Might get a little too technical for the average user
• A bit pricey
• Very limited free version that offers only four scenes and makes a watermarked recording

How easy is it to use?

While vMix is very user-friendly, it might not be beginner-friendly. It’s a great choice for a business, enterprise or house of worship that has the budget and wants something more polished and complex. However, it does have a steep learning curve, and isn’t very budget friendly – even if the fantastic features are definitely worth the cost! 

Ecamm Live

Ecamm is an all-in-one live video tool and video switcher designed exclusively for Mac.

Pros:

• A very user-friendly interface despite offering advanced controls
• Covers everything from live broadcasting to recording podcasts
• Supports high-quality multistreaming
• Offers isolated video and audio track recording
• Great customer support

Cons:

• The tools for setting up layers, backgrounds and layouts aren’t easily found
• No mobile app 
• Available as a paid subscription
• Only compatible with macOS
• Uses hardware-based multistreaming, which needs more computing power and internet bandwidth

How easy is it to use?

Ecamm Live is user friendly and very easy to handle – if you have the right device. You also might need some time to get used to finding and using some features. 

Prism Live Studio‍

Prism Live Studio is a live streaming, mobile-based app that supports game-casting and VTubing that’s been steadily growing in popularity.

Pros:

• Free to use
• Mobile-first design makes it very intuitive and easy to use, while also being compatible with desktops and laptops
• Highly recommended by users as an alternative to OBS 
• Simple tools available to add web widgets, images, videos, and graphics 

Cons:

• Custom CSS can be hard to learn
• Some features are behind a premium paywall
• No recording functions

How easy is it to use?

Prism Live Studio is one of the easiest ways to stream directly from your phone. However, it has limitations when it comes to handling multiple video and audio sources, so it’s really best suited for IRL streamers. 

When picking a streaming software, you should always balance its intuitiveness with how easily it fits with your planned content and chosen streaming platforms. Always think about its accessibility before how good it looks. If it’s beyond your budget or makes your laptop crash, it’s not going to be that easy to use. Take your time and experiment with free versions before subscribing to anything. Remember, you can always uninstall if you don’t think something works for you. 

Once you’ve found the easiest streaming platform to start streaming with, check out our range of free streaming graphics on overlays.uno. Our online, real-time overlays work with most streaming software – just add an uno overlay as a browser source! Check out our library of overlays today and get started streaming.