OBS Studio vs. Riverside.fm vs. Streamlabs

From simple streaming to bigger events, OBS has been able to handle all of it with full confidence from us. Have never questioned if it was going to be unreliable in a specific situation, even with minimal training. Software identified the external input source easily and had no issues setting that up (Blackmagic Mini Recorder), and great for pulling in separate audio from the computer input.

Incentivized

Riverside.fm is well suited for video content that you are recording ahead of time in order to edit and release where you are inviting people to participate that are not part of your organization. You can send them a link and they just have to go to the website and be in the conversation. There is no software to download and they do not have to worry about handling their video files after they are done.

Incentivized

Streamlabs is perfect for generating multimedia content with common elements such as cell phones, web cameras, PC screens, etc. By allowing video from multiple sources to be shown at the same time, it is perfect for example for technical product demonstrations. In the scenario described, parcticity is prioritized. However, if the proposed scenario is to generate high-quality multimedia content, you should use professional equipment for video, sound and editing.

Incentivized

• RTMP Streaming with customizable bitrate
• Scene Composition and Switching + source control which allows for creators and our customers to move between different types of content they might have (different video feeds, slides etc)
• Audio mixer and audio control - noise gating, a/v syncing, audio source control

Incentivized

• Great looking platform with a handsome layout.
• Makes it easy to invite interviewees into your "studio"
• Provides livestream capabilities

Incentivized

• Simultaneously accept various video sources such as cell phones, WEB cameras, etc.
• Accept multiple audio sources simultaneously, including PC audio.

Incentivized

• OBS can be a little clunky sometimes, the lots of features can be a bit overwhelming
• I can multitask with it, but can't run heavy software like Premiere alongside it
• No way to make adjustments to file after it's done, have to use After Effects or Premiere for that

Incentivized

• I have had some times where there are video glitches, and I have been told that it could be because of other software running. It would be good if the software were more robust and able to more consistently get smooth video.
• I have had a couple instances of people being kicked off and their video files were not recoverable.

Incentivized

• Sometimes CPU resource consumption is a bit high.
• Although it is understandable some functions are restricted to the PREMIUM version.

Incentivized

Very usable because it is free and has had a lot of people helping to suggest improvements and sponsors have allowed the product to grow in sophistication and suitability across a variety of situations and use needs. It is very logical to use once you get started, although the dashboard can seem intimidating at first.

Incentivized

When you get to the platform, it's unclear where to start. You're driven to join your "studio" and invite someone to interview...but if that's not the kind of show you're creating, it's not easy to figure out the next steps.

Incentivized

For a free product, a range of support is available. There are plenty of ways to find out answers to questions, because there are probably thousands of people using the product who are willing to share what they have learned. It usually works as designed, so needs for support are limited.

Incentivized

I have not needed to use the Riverside.fm support that much, which in itself is a good sign of how good their product is, but when I have had to use their support it was prompt, and helpful, and the people were very kind. I am glad to know there is someone there to help quickly if I am having a problem.

Incentivized

I have also used TinyTake by Mango Apps and I prefer OBS studio because the video quality results are better and OBS allows you to record an unlimited length of the video. OBS also lets you record an entire screen instead of manually having to draw your parameters, which can create oddly sizes videos if you miss by a few pixels.

Incentivized

StreamYard may have fewer capabilities than Riverside.fm, but it knows exactly what it is: a place to record/stream video conversations. Riverside.fm, in trying to be all things to all users, may need to improve its UI to serve all constituents.

Incentivized

Although Adobe Premier Pro is a product for video professionals, it did not present the possibility of performing LIVE as Streamlabs, in addition to the fact that Adobe is a paid version exclusively. Streamlabs was more in line with our objectives as it is a tool aimed at the common user and not just professionals.

Incentivized

• It was great to have a platform that is free that I can experiment with without having to use our business capital on.
• It took time to learn, but it helped me understand a lot of things, so it was a great learning experience.
• It was a great balance of cost and time with the high-quality product we got from it.

Incentivized

• Since I need their platform, which again is actually pretty good, I had to waste money to sign up again, so that I had a workable password.
• from experience, wasted weeks of going back and forth with their support team - throwing off my podcast schedule.

• Even though it is a free Open Source software, the features have been excellent.

Incentivized