Streamlabs vs OBS: which should you use?
OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop are the two most popular ways to broadcast from a computer — and Streamlabs is actually built on OBS. The right pick depends on what you value: a lean, free, endlessly customisable tool, or a batteries-included experience with overlays and alerts baked in.
OBS Studio — free, open and lightweight
OBS Studio is free, open-source and cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux). It’s lighter on system resources, has no account or upsell, and a huge plugin ecosystem covers almost anything you’d want to add. The trade-off is that overlays, alerts and themes aren’t built in — you add them yourself or via plugins.
Streamlabs Desktop — batteries included
Streamlabs Desktop is built on OBS but bundles overlays, alert boxes, themes, a widget store and an integrated setup flow, which makes it faster to get a polished look out of the box. The cost is higher resource use, an account-based model, and some features sitting behind a Streamlabs Ultra subscription.
Which should you choose?
If you want maximum performance, full control and zero cost — or you’re on a modest PC — choose OBS Studio. If you want overlays and alerts ready to go and prefer convenience over tinkering, Streamlabs Desktop saves time. Many creators start on Streamlabs and move to OBS as they outgrow it.
- Lean, free, customisable, lower-spec PCs → OBS Studio.
- Built-in overlays/alerts, fastest polished setup → Streamlabs Desktop.
Frequently asked questions
Is Streamlabs just OBS?
Streamlabs Desktop is built on OBS Studio, with overlays, alerts and themes added and a different interface. The underlying engine is shared.
Which uses fewer system resources?
OBS Studio is generally lighter, which can matter on lower-spec machines or when you’re also running a game.
Do both work with a restreaming service?
Yes — both can publish to a custom RTMP server, so either feeds Stream Repeater the same way.