12 OBS Alternatives Free for Win, Mac, and Linux [2024]

If you're a gamer who likes to stream the perfect gameplay or a teacher with many video lectures, you may know the OBS Studio. This free and open-source program is used for video recording and live streaming. The software is widely used for Twitch, Mixer, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Live streamers.

However, it is a little complicated for beginners to use with a complex user interface. Fortunately, there are lots of OBS alternatives you can count on. This post shows you a list of the top 10 best free alternatives to OBS Studio. You can also check the standard of choosing a qualified OBS alternative first. 

OBS Alternative for Windows

Let's look at the most recommended OBS alternatives for Windows users now.

Top 1. EaseUS RecExperts ^[HOT]

Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 (32-bit & 64-bit) & macOS 10.13 or later

With a simple and intuitive user interface, EaseUS RecExperts is an easy-to-use and free OBS alternative. Like OBS, this software allows you to capture your screen flexibly, including full screen, a part of the screen, etc. Also, it is an excellent audio recorder that supports recording audio on PCs or microphones in simple clicks.

Better than OBS, this screen recording software also provides a trimmer, which means you can easily modify your recorded files within this screen recording software.

Pros:

• Allow schedule recording to start/stop capturing anytime
• Capture screen, webcam, audio, and even gameplay with high quality
• Export recordings in more than 10 formats
• Offer built-in editing tools
• Capture anything on your screen with no lag

Cons:

• It can't be used on mobile phones currently

Top 2. Atomi Active Presenter 6

Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1, 64 bit

It's a full-scale screen recorder for Windows 10 and tutorial-creating software like OBS. The software is designed mainly for e-learning and course creation, but anyone can use it for screen recording and similar purposes with its features.

Once the recording is done, you can blur, speed up, or cut your recordings with the built-in tools. Finally, this alternative to OBS allows exporting recorded files in various formats, including MP4, FLAV, MKV, etc.

Pros:

• Record videos of unlimited length
• Edit videos with cut, speed up/down, blur, and volume adjustment
• Full annotation capabilities Export to MP4, FLV, WebM, AVI, WMV, and MKV formats

Cons:

• Export to HTML5 is available only in the professional edition
• Upload recordings to YouTube or other video hosting sites

Top 3. Xsplit Broadcaster and Gamecaster

Compatibility: Windows 11/10, 64 bit

Xsplit supports two different software - Broadcaster and Gamecaster. Broadcaster tool is a live stream recorder similar to OBS, so you can customize your desktop screen with overlays and add different audio and video sources (including sound cards).

And Xsplit Gamecaster is streaming software like OBS, which allows you to start live streaming or recording. You can adjust all of the necessary encoding settings. The interface (in-game stream control HUD) allows you to work directly inside your favorite game, so you can start and stop your broadcast and interact with chat.

Pros:

• Hundreds of fully customizable themes to choose from
• Powerful and easy to use intuitive editor
• Allow you to see all your stream events for new followers and subscribers
• Store all of your themes in the cloud

Cons:

• Put a watermark on higher resolution files

Top 4. IceCream Screen Recorder

Compatibility: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

This feature-rich screen recorder alternative to OBS Studio helps you capture video and screenshots. You can record your computer screen, system audio, and microphone. You can also overlay your webcam on the screen while recording it.

A useful feature for tutorial clip creators is drawing on the screen while recording. You can draw different shapes, arrows, or even erase a created shape.

Pros:

• The free version supports decent features, but records in 25 fps
• Multiple annotation options
• Available for both Windows and Mac
• Follow mouse feature allows you to capture a small resolution video on a large display

Cons:

• Export only to WebM format or YouTube in the free version
• No editing capabilities
• No commercial use of videos in the free version

Top 5. Loom

Compatibility: Windows 10, 64 bit

It is a simple and easy-to-use OBS alternative for Chromebook and Mac. This software allows you to choose different recording styles depending on whether you want your voice, your face, or both.

Moreover, this OBS alternative is also free video recording software. You can share your videos directly through their portal. The support team is friendly and quickly responsive. There is a Beta version of Loom for Teams, and you can bring the whole team together, recording and collaborating in a shared workspace.

Pros:

• Allow you to save video data with large size out of disk
• The dashboard contains the necessary tools to manage the videos
• The keyboard during recording videos is practical, and you can use letters as shortcuts

Cons:

• Few editing options within the user console
• There is no option of deleting videos

OBS Alternatives Mac

Here are some feasible OBS alternatives for Mac users.

Top 6. Screencast-O-Matic

Compatibility: macOS 10.13 or later

Another OBS alternative for Mac is Screencast-O-Matic. With its help, you can capture any area of your screen with the option to add narration from your microphone and video from your webcam. While recording, you are able to enhance your video by adding text, shapes, and images. Moreover, this software also allows you to create fun animations and fluid transitions with ease.

Pros:

• Free to use and user-friendly
• One-click uploading to YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox
• A built-in speech-to-text feature
• A great Chrome extension that is easy to use

Cons:

• Videos are watermarked
• Only the paid premium versions include editing tools

Top 7. Streamlabs OBS

Compatibility: macOS 10.15 and higher

Another OBS alternative for Windows is Streamlabs OBS. This free and quick video recorder that can record video on PC for novices. It has a lot of integrated features, including a huge number of free themes.

The users with accounts for Streamlabs can import many tools directly from the company's website. Moreover, this OBS Studio alternative recognizes your supporters live on stream with fully customizable alerts. It supports dynamic in-game overlay for single monitors, so you can see events and chat on one screen.

Pros:

• Free to use streaming software
• Save resources and settings on the cloud

Cons

• Fewer encoding options than OBS Studio
• Currently in beta, so you might face some issues

Top 8. Lightstream

Compatibility: macOS 11.0 or later, Apple M1 chip or later

Lightstream is a simple, web-based broadcast studio powered by the cloud. It's a good starting point for new gamers.

Using this online OBS alternative, you can stream what you are passionate about and easily invite guests onto your stream. Besides that, this program supports many features like third-party integrations, images, video clips, and many more.

Pros:

• Full creative control over user stream
• Access by any browser on a modern desktop or laptop
• Easily invite remote guests onto your stream
• Remote control of your stream by a mobile browser

Cons:

• Lightstream changed the policy and now offers a week's free trial
• Most of the streams are 720p

Top 9. OBS.Live

Compatibility: macOS 11 or higher

Stream Elements created an add-on to the application OBS. It's easy to set up and versatile. You have to download, install, and use Streamelements' web page to create your scenes.

OBS.Live loads of ready-made scenes for you at the click of a button. Practically OBS.Live can do the same thing, but it has fewer bugs, and there is no latency issue.

Pros:

• Contains all StreamElements info in one place
• Library of free overlays and SuperThemes for specific games
• No bugs latency/connection issues

Cons:

• Sometimes a widget may not appear
• Not as many advanced bonus features as Streamlabs OBS

Top 10. Prism Live Studio

Compatibility: macOS 12.3 or higher, Apple silicon only

Prism Live Studio is a program like OBS. You can use it to stream on many platforms like Youtube, Twitch, Periscope simultaneously. You can also record YouTube live streams with easy steps.

Additionally, it allows adding AR masks, graphic effects, and media files to your streams and videos. The latest update v2.1.2 provides many easy-to-use features, including improved performance of Beauty Effects, 4K monitors, and many more.

Pros:

• Run on multiple platforms (Windows /macOS, and iOS/ Android)
• Stay camera ready with facial effects, powered by automatic face recognition technology
• Enjoy real-time communication with the audience
• Add some background music

Cons:

• No ability to stream 60 fps, as most games have 60 fps
• It put watermarks on the video
• The last update works unstable

OBS Alternatives for Linux

Here, we give you two OBS alternatives that are compatible with Linux.

Top 11. VLC Media Player

Compatibility: Linux

Like OBS, VLC is also an open-source and cross-platform screen recorder. It is capable of recording a video from your desktop with simple clicks. What's more, it allows users to customize the output quality, format, and saving path as they like.

As it is also known as a multimedia player, you can play your recordings smoothly. You can even change the video-playing settings if you want. In a word, the recording screen with VLC is quite simple. Check more information about it below.

Pros:

• Record the screen in video format
• Play recordings after capturing
• Manage and share the videos easily

Cons:

• It offers basic recording features
• It doesn't offer multiple recording function

Top 12. SimpleScreenRecorder

Compatibility: Linux

As its name indicates, SimpleScreenRecorder is an easy-to-use screen-capturing tool for Linux users. It records any activities going on on your device screen. Also, it records HD videos in simple clicks.

Like OBS Studio, SimpleScreenRecorder helps you capture live-streaming videos or gaming videos. After recording, you can preview, pause, resume, or manage the captured videos as you like. Then, you can save them to your local folders.

Pros:

• Offer an easy and intuitive user interface
• Customize screen recording settings
• Preview the recordings before sharing

Cons:

• It is not compatible with older versions than Windows 10
• The recording function is limited

What to Consider When Choosing an OBS Alternative

Here are some features of a good OBS Studio alternative. Check if your choice is right.

• Function: OBS is a streaming tool and a recording tool at the same time. Whether it's live streaming or screen recording, it finishes the task perfectly. Therefore, you may find a program that can stream and record content.
• Price: As an open-source program, OBS is totally free to use. Everyone can use all its functions without paying. You may also find a free tool as a substitute. At least, find the one that is cost-effective.
• Customer service: One disadvantage of OBS is that there's no customer service to solve the problems that occur when using it. Therefore, you may find the one that offers customer service.
• Ease of use: Some novices find OBS difficult to use. Therefore, it's better to find an easy-to-use alternative for OBS.
• Output quality: You'd better find a live streaming service or a screen recorder that offers high-quality and steady content.

Conclusion

OBS Studio is a popular application among gamers, professional trainers, and online streamers. There is many OBS alternative software, and this guide gives some advice for 10 of the most appropriate free software like OBS. Some of them are running only under Windows or macOS, and others can be used on PCs and mobile devices.

Among them, EaseUS RecExperts is the best alternative to OBS Studio, as it records a full screen and a webcam at the same time. Moreover, it supports many video and audio formats so that you can get the files you need directly without converting.