Best Live Streaming Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Restream is ranked #1 of 136 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Agora Interactive Live Streaming and Amazon Interactive Video Service. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Agora Interactive Live Streaming. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Amazon Interactive Video Service at $0.07/mo.
Live streaming tools cover different parts of a broadcast workflow, from sending a stream out to managing chat or recording. Compare multistreaming and custom RTMP destinations for distribution, and look for a browser-based studio or unified chat if those fit your production needs. Cloud recording and pre-recorded streams offer other workflow distinctions; 24/7 looping matters for continuous programming. Restream begins the ranking, followed by Agora Interactive Live Streaming and Amazon Interactive Video Service. Compare free-plan availability and paid-from pricing alongside these listed capabilities to find options that fit how you create and deliver a broadcast.
136 live streaming software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Multistreaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restream | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | $19/mo | Yes | View |
| 2 | Agora Interactive Live Streaming | 8.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $0.99/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | Amazon Interactive Video Service | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $0.07/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 4 |  Riverside | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | $19/mo | — | View |
| 5 | BoxCast | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $8.25/mo | No | $109/mo | Yes | View |
| 6 | Dacast | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $3.25/mo | No | $29/mo | — | View |
| 7 | OBS Studio | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 | Red5 Pro | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $29.99/mo | No | $29.99/mo | — | View |
| 9 | Streamlabs Desktop | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $14.92/mo | Yes | $15.75/mo | Yes | View |
| 10 | PRISM Live Studio | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $6.67/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | — | View |
| 11 | Meld Studio | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $1.42/mo | Yes | $20/mo | — | View |
| 12 |  Livepush | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $15/mo | Yes | $15/mo | Yes | View |
| 13 | XSplit Broadcaster | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5/mo | Yes | $14.99/mo | — | View |
| 14 |  mimoLive | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 |  OneStream Live | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $15/mo | Yes | $15/mo | — | View |
| 16 | Ant Media Server | 7.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $0.24/mo | Yes | $89/mo | Yes | View |
| 17 | Streamlabs Multistream | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | $15.75/mo | — | View |
| 18 | Lightstream | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $129/mo | Yes | $9/mo | — | View |
| 19 | LiveReacting | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $1.33/mo | Yes | $16/mo | — | View |
| 20 | playout.video | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | $19/mo | — | View |
| 21 | Upstream | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $2/mo | Yes | $30/mo | — | View |
| 22 | StreamRove | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $24.17/mo | Yes | $24.17/mo | — | View |
| 23 | vMix | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $50/mo | No | $50/mo | — | View |
| 24 | Wirecast | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $34/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 25 | Castr | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $16.67/mo | No | $16.67/mo | Yes | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which live streaming software is ranked first on Inferse?
Restream is ranked #1 of 136 with a score of 8.8. Agora Interactive Live Streaming is second and Amazon Interactive Video Service third.
How many of these have a free plan?
16 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Amazon Interactive Video Service has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.07/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.