--- title: "OBS Studio Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is OBS Studio the right Screen Recording solution for you? Explore 1076 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/164144/OBS/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-09-30" --- OBS Studio 4.7 (1076) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/164144/OBS/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 30th, 2026 # Reviews of OBS Studio Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Destiny C OwnerBroadcast Media, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “From its overall performance and broadcasting quality & speed, to using a digitally implemented green screen & even quality adjustment options, you really CAN live broadcast to your fans with almost studio like quality!“ December 7, 2025 FP Francesco P CEOArts and Crafts, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Still the interface is not as user friendly as you may wish.“ June 2, 2026 Don M Asst. ManagerTelecommunications, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “What I like most about OBS Studio is its powerful, free, and highly customizable streaming and recording capabilities, which allow me to create professional-quality content without any cost.“ March 27, 2026 AL Amber L People Reporting and Communications OfficerNon-Profit Organization Management, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I filmed some videos that were way too quiet (whilst using a headset microphone) and I had to refilm.“ July 15, 2025 Destiny C OwnerBroadcast Media, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “With OBS you can sync your usual broadcasting fees to the software & give yourself the ability to then integrate so many different features that you almost couldn't find a way to use them all if you tried.“ December 7, 2025 JA Julian A IT TechnicianEducation Management, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It is a bit too much going on the screen for people who are new to technology or have no experience with this type of software.“ April 23, 2025 CD Caleb D Project ManagerWriting and Editing, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I prefer OBS to system-default recording methods because I can set OBS to record specific screens and audio sources. When multiple programs are contributing to recorded audio, I can use OBS to raise/lower the volume of audio pulled from certain programs.“ April 14, 2025 RK Rayhann K VolunteerReligious Institutions, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I don't know if this experience is for everyone, but for me, when I need to stream at a specific time, I have to manually press "Go Live", which is a bit annoying.“ May 9, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 1076 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Don M. Asst. Manager Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful and Free Streaming Tool with Professional Capabilities" March 27, 2026 5.0 Overall, my experience with OBS Studio has been very positive. It is a powerful and reliable tool for both recording and live streaming, offering high-quality output and extensive customization options. While the initial setup can be a bit complex, once configured properly, it runs smoothly and provides professional-level results. It’s especially impressive considering that it is completely free and open-source. Pros What I like most about OBS Studio is its powerful, free, and highly customizable streaming and recording capabilities, which allow me to create professional-quality content without any cost. Cons What I like least about OBS Studio is its steep learning curve and complex setup, which can be challenging for beginners to configure properly. Review Source SG Swagat G. Youtube Video Creator E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Absolutely a WINNER Broadcast Software" April 22, 2026 5.0 Personally, I have used OBS Studio for at least 4 years during my video creation journey on Youtube. Pros What I absolutely love about OBS Studio is that it is a open-source software which is completely FREE to use. And, the features and services it offers, I bet it can beat any other premium paid softwares in the market. Cons There is literally nothing that i like least about OBS Studio. It is an amazing broadcasting software you could use for FREE. Switched from [Camtasia](https://www.capterra.com/p/203013/Camtasia/) I used to use Camtasia before switching to OBS Studio. Although Camtasia is a decent product, it lacks many features if compared to OBS Studio. Review Source EC Etân C. Developer Computer Games Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Quick, Free and Easy" September 20, 2026 5.0 Very good. I use it pretty often to record my screen for diverse reasons, and it has never let me down. Pros The fact that it is free is probably the best part of it. It also records in high quality, the sound is nice, and it is really customizable too. it doesn't take too much resource for your pc to run, and is overall quick and easy to set up. Cons I found myself struggling a bit when I first started using it, especially for the sound input and output settings, but a few YouTube tutorials quickly solved the issues. Review Source EV Edwin V. Dev Manager Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Professionals who need advanced Video controls " July 29, 2026 3.0 My overall experience with OBS Studio has been very positive. It is one of the best tools available for anyone who needs reliable video creation, screen capture, and live streaming capabilities. The software feels fast, stable, and professional, especially considering that it is open source and free to use. I have used it for recording screens, creating video content, and managing live streams, and it provides all the important features needed for high-quality results. The learning curve is the main challenge, but once the basic setup is complete, OBS becomes a very powerful tool. Features like scene management, audio mixing, plugins, and streaming integrations make it suitable for beginners who want to learn and professionals who need advanced controls. Overall, OBS Studio provides excellent value for money because it delivers features that many paid applications charge for. Pros What I like most about OBS Studio is how powerful it is while still being completely free. The software gives you professional-level tools for video creation, live streaming, and screen recording without forcing you into a paid subscription. We use for example for internal work events and stream it using Webex or Zoom. The ability to create multiple scenes, add overlays, manage different audio sources, and customize layouts makes it very flexible. I especially like the screen capture features because I can record tutorials, gameplay, presentations, or demonstrations with good quality and control. The performance is also impressive because it can handle high-resolution recording and streaming without using too many system resources when configured correctly. The community support is another strong point, with many plugins, guides, and tutorials available. OBS Studio also provides good control over privacy and security because everything runs locally on your computer, giving users more confidence over their recordings. Cons The biggest downside of OBS Studio is that it can feel overwhelming for new users. When opening the software for the first time, there are many settings, panels, and options that can be confusing without prior experience. The setup process for audio devices, streaming platforms, and advanced recording settings requires some learning. While the customization options are excellent, beginners may spend a lot of time figuring out the best configuration. Another area that could be improved is customer support because there is no traditional support team like some commercial software products provide. Users usually depend on community forums and online documentation for troubleshooting. Some features, such as advanced video editing or built-in collaboration tools for chat communication, are limited compared to all-in-one content creation platforms. Review Source KM Kyle M. Streamer Computer Games Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing Product for Broadcast and Recording" June 4, 2025 4.0 Incredibly positive and would likely never actually switch unless they stopped being able to do anything Pros It's incredibly user friendly and customizable. If you can think of something to do, OBS can likely handle it Cons The updates don't always work or are compatible with the setup I have had, making me have to redor my entire layout Alternatives considered [Streamlabs Talk Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/231375/Melon/) Reason for choosing OBS Studio Again, much more customizable than anything else I found Switched from [Streamlabs](https://www.capterra.com/p/228751/Streamlabs/) Streamlabs was very limited in its capacity for customization Review Source FP Francesco P. CEO Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Yes is free, but your time is not. Keep in mind that while downloading it" June 2, 2026 3.0 A practical, easy to install solution with a lot of headache if you are not a nerd and want an easy plug and play solution to stream and record your videos. Pros OBS being free is the first choice if you need a solution for your streaming video and screen capture. Cons Still the interface is not as user friendly as you may wish. This alone may want to go to paid solution if you plan to work of videos and streaming on a daily basis. Alternatives considered [Streamyard](https://www.capterra.com/p/213044/StreamYard/) Reason for choosing OBS Studio Mainly because it's free but then I had to move to other solution to avoid the complexity Review Source BW Bailey W. Student Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent streaming/recording software!" July 23, 2025 5.0 Pros Free to use, with no additional costs for additional features. Usable for both streaming online and also recording videos offline. Being able to create separate scenes with their own sources is very handy, as sometimes I want to use OBS for streaming (which would have a different scene setup), and sometimes just screen recording. Cons Has a tough time handling inconsistent internet speeds, and can fail to recover a stream if the internet drops out for a second. Sometimes it streams at a higher bitrate than the settings specify. Switched from [Bandicam](https://www.capterra.com/p/188396/Bandicam-Screen-Recorder/) Bandicam's quite expensive for such a basic software, and OBS has more advanced features. Review Source MS Madi S. Twitch Streamer Entertainment Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great experience with OBS" April 8, 2025 5.0 I’m really happy that I started with OBS studio for my streaming journey! Pros The customization, easy to read layout and plugins. Cons Learning it can be hard at first. And there’s many things going on on the screen, but in the end it’s worth it. Switched from [Streamlabs](https://www.capterra.com/p/228751/Streamlabs/) I heard great things about OBS and that it was best in the long term. And nothing is hidden behind a paywall! Sounds like it’s what the pros use. Review Source Destiny C. Owner Broadcast Media Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "OBS is Studio Stream-sational" December 7, 2025 5.0 My overall opinion of OBS Studio is that it's honestly served me more useful & way better than any other streaming application or software that I've attempted to use this far. As a content creator & frequent love broadcasting cam model, if I had to suggest an app that anybody could use & never be left disappointed, then my choice would be OBS Studio by an longshot! Pros The OBS app is 1 of the best tools, by far, that I've been able to find that gives you probably the widest range of functions available on the market! With OBS you can sync your usual broadcasting fees to the software & give yourself the ability to then integrate so many different features that you almost couldn't find a way to use them all if you tried. From its overall performance and broadcasting quality & speed, to using a digitally implemented green screen & even quality adjustment options, you really CAN live broadcast to your fans with almost studio like quality! Cons The only suggestion that I would find to be useful to new OBS users, would be if there were a more comprehensive & expanded downloadable .pdf user and functions manual. Or even a more expanded "hints" segment when initially logging on so that it can teach you about all of the various uses & functions available to the user. Review Source Jeremy H. Host and Owner Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great tool for the starter streamer" May 8, 2026 4.0 I can quickly and easily make changes to my set up to adapt with whatever I may be wanting to stream that day Pros The access to free tools that let anyone go live and stream to the biggest streaming platforms on the internet Cons The user interface feels like it can still be improved to make new users understand all the tools that are actually available Review Source dS delores S. Manager Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "OBS Studio is Amazing!" November 16, 2021 4.0 I love OBS Studio software, I am glad it's available for Windows Desktop users. Pros First of all, I love that OBS Studio is free software and it allows me to capture my screen and do LIVE recordings for my YouTube Channel. I'm sure there is an upgrade feature somewhere, but I just need the basics to keep me going with my YouTube videos. Cons It was challenging to to use OBS Studio. I guess like with all new technology there is a learning curve. However, I started watching some YouTube videos and I did look at videos from the OBS YouTube channel and I eventually got up and running! Alternatives considered [Adobe Premiere Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/233456/Adobe-Premiere-Pro/)[Camtasia](https://www.capterra.com/p/203013/Camtasia/) Reason for choosing OBS Studio I chose OBS Studio over Camtasia, and I love Adobe Premiere Pro, so I use both Premiere Pro and OBS quite often. Review Source DM Dale M. Business Development Manager Wholesale Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best FREE screen and stream recording software out there" March 31, 2022 5.0 Overall i've found OBS to be a great free streaming software. For the purpose of streaming its fantastic with all the 'bells and whistles' next to the paid version that are out there. I've used it in both capacities for streaming gaming to twitch, as well as an educational stream over twitch through both schools and colleges. Pros The fact that OBS Studio is free and open source. It has tons of support and a very well rounded community backing its use. Any issues using the software is quickly solved by the great cupport community. Other than this the software is very intuitive and easy to use, especially if the main purpose is streaming, and screen sharing across a stream. Cons The issue I had with the software was calibrating OBS audio so that there were no delays in the streams audio. The good thing about this however, is there is a built in audio delay where you can purposefully delay someones audio so it matches the delay of other person streaming or recording. Not only is audio delay and issue, but audio sync with the video being streamed, but this has got far beter with each version update. Alternatives considered [XSplit Broadcaster](https://www.capterra.com/p/164141/XSplit-Broadcaster/) Reason for choosing OBS Studio OBS had a easier user interface and the over UX semmed far easy for a beginner to use than other software of this type. Review Source JC Jason C. Music Producer Music Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not only FREE but intuitive" November 18, 2022 5.0 I absolutely LOVE OBS Studio. It's like a gift from the heavens. It's completely FREE with the option to donate to its development because it is an open source program. All it took to get started was to watch a few how-to videos on YouTube for the setup I was going for and BOOM! We're in business. Pros OBS Studio is FREE. Let that sink in. It also does more than other paid software I've used in the past (Bandicam). I can screen record and live stream it to social media platforms. If I need to capture the audio coming out of my Digital Audio Workstation, I simply have to put a plugin called Reastream from ReaPlugs at the end of my master channel to route the audio out of my DAW and into OBS Studio. Cons It can be a little tricky to setup how you want it but YouTube has a plethora of how-to videos showing you how to setup OBS Studio in various configurations. Switched from [Bandicam](https://www.capterra.com/p/188396/Bandicam-Screen-Recorder/) Bandicam at first appeared simple but I was never able to figure out how to route audio out of my DAW and into Bandicam. Pretty bad for a paid product. OBS Studio is FREE and does this effortlessly. Review Source sL steven L. Analyst Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "OBS Studio for The Gaming Podcasters out there" January 18, 2024 4.0 Fun, useful, It doesn't crash nearly as often as other streaming software. If it does crash there is a automatic crash handler that sends the data from the crash to the OBS Dev team for review to help correct and better the software for the next release. Pros OBS Studio is a free and open-source software suite for recording and live streaming video content. It is widely used by gamers like me as well as other content creators to stream their gameplay or hold their Podcasts on Twitch and a variety of other platforms. OBS Studio is one of the more robust and free screen recorder and streaming suite available for gamers and podcasters, with everything one needs to achieve with some great results. It offers a wide selection of source options and is optimized for games. However, it is wise to get yourself familiarized with the software and experiment as well. Cons OBS Studio is powerful, customizable, and a resource-friendly solution especially with users on Twitch. However, limitations in advanced editing and streaming functionalities do require additional tools and at times other software to complement the suite that it is. Overall, OBS Studio is a awesome choice for gamers and podcasters who want to stream their gameplay on Twitch and other platforms. OBS offers a wide range of features and is optimized for games, but it can take some time to get familiar with the features, so best to learn and maybe check on a few tutorials. Switched from [Streamlabs](https://www.capterra.com/p/228751/Streamlabs/) The crashes were more than i could handle and was quite frustrating. Review Source BC Bernie C. CEO Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OBS Studio allows for no fuss recordings for any use case" April 8, 2025 4.0 My overall experience with OBS has been great. It is quite configurable and useful outside of the small learning curve at the beginning of when I started using it. There are many options to be able to tailor settings to your liking to get exactly want you want out of the software. However, the different docks on the main screen are not as configurable in size or location as you might expect. It is a fight to configure the docks in the space you want them and many times the configuration is not supported so it wastes precious screen space. Other than those two issues the experience has been great! Pros \- Free - Open source - Dark Mode - Supportive Community - Very configurable to the user's needs - Modern UI elements Cons \- User interface has a small learning curve for beginners - Docks are not configurable as desired in size and location Review Source JJ Jonathan J. Senior Pastor - Founder Religious Institutions Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OBS is A Church's Best Friend" March 4, 2025 5.0 We have had an amazing experience with OBS. Pros The ease in setting up our online streaming for our church Cons Some of the advanced settings are too advanced lol Review Source CB Cooper B. Director of Media Ministries Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OBS is great as a backup or as a primary software" February 6, 2025 5.0 This software has come in handy so many times as a backup for live streaming and recording. Pros It seems like there are constant improvements and feature updates being made, but I've never had a major issue with the software itself! Super useful for our church! Cons I wish that the interface was nicer. It's definitely easy to use for people who have used it in the past, but for new users, it might be a bit scary at first. Review Source WV Will V. Operations Specialist Veterinary Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OBS Studio is great and not just for streaming games!" May 23, 2023 4.0 I have used OBS for years and love that it is constantly changing and evolving. I use it at work and at home and found it to be one of the first programs I install on any computer I use. The fact that it is free makes it even better. Pros The ease of use is what I like about this product. There are times when I need to customize the layout of what I am trying to record and it's great for putting things in layers. It is easy to set up and start recording or streaming with just a few layers to setup. Cons The part of OBS that might need a little work, is the "decks". When I stream twitch one of the decks would be stream information. If I close that deck down and try to find it again, it's not easy to find. So I have to close down OBS and reopen. Review Source RC Rafael C. CSR Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An honest review about OBS Studio" February 5, 2024 5.0 Overall if you want to start a career in Streaming or want to record for Youtube uploads then I highly recommend OBS Studio. Since OBS Studio is completely free and has tons of features and many custom extension which makes your experience better. I have been using OBS Studio to record videos of me and my friends playing video games together. Pros The best thing about OBS Studio is that it is free, it also has 2 versions which it's own website or the Steam version which both works fine, and it still receive updates. Cons The cons of OBS Studio is that new users will have a hard time setting up OBS for streaming or recording. But there is tons of Youtube tutorial on how to setup OBS to their liking. Review Source Andrius L. Stock keeper Food Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Stream, eat, sleep, repeat! Just like that, easy with OBS." September 13, 2022 5.0 I have used the OBS for streaming the videos to youtube and the videos got saved there for later use. It is very useful tool to use that doesn't limit you from creativity Pros Software is open source and free to use. Has many useful functions and is widely used. Cons Sometimes the configuration of perfect video audio streaming quality can take lots of time configuring the audio/video codecs. Luckily the forums has guides how to make stable and quality video streaming by jist adjusting the video codecs configuration Review Source TM Tice M. Computer Repair Computer Hardware Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Why is OBS Studio is the best free recording software for gamers?" October 11, 2022 5.0 Well I have been using it since 2017 and it has improved a lot over the years. To this day this program is the only recording software I use. I record a lot of Sims 4 gameplay and it works wonderfully. I just have to adjust a few settings and it gives me no issues. It also works great on Linux and other operating systems. The best part of this program is that there are no ads and no paywall to get unlimited recording time. You can record however long you wish and it is free. There are no watermarks or distracting ads unlike other recording software out there. This I would recommend overall a nine out of ten on a scale. Very easy to use and install and export the files to YouTube. Pros I like how easy this program is to download and install. Go to the official website and download it. Then in a few clicks of a button you are in the program. You can figure the fps and the quality best for your computer and then hit record. The default it puts recording format .mkv but that can be easily changed to mp4. Cons One bad feature is the CPU can randomly spike up to 50% when recording games in higher graphics. This mainly happens on lower pcs but can be fixed by lowing the quality of the game and the recording software. Review Source Charles R. Software engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My OBS review." December 30, 2021 5.0 OBS has been amazing and has really made Facebook and YouTube streaming quite simple. It has also eased video editing and capture. Generally, I love it. Pros OBS is quite easy to use and integrate in everyday video livestreaming and content creation a walk in the park. Cons OBS does not have dedicated lower thirds which are important in some streaming applications and requires third party integrations which are sometimes not guaranteed to work. It would be nice if OBS had default lower thirds plugin. Review Source David L. I am the whole thing. I run the podcast and streaming network. Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Critical to my streaming setup" June 12, 2023 5.0 It is crucial to my growing podcasting and streaming business. Pros It's the industry standard for a reason. Rock solid. Works fantastically in Linux. Integrates with JACK and Pipewire no problem. Also super convenient if I need to do a quick screen recording. Cons Three's not much to dislike about it. Sometimes it forgets my cameras though. That can be a pain. Reason for choosing OBS Studio There were no alternatives for Linux Review Source SR Shari R. CEO, Marketing and PR Executive Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Perfect Software for Multi-Screen Recording and Audio Capture!" July 2, 2021 5.0 My overall experience with OBS Studio is more than highly satisfied! It can do everything that I needed it for. Will not be switching to anything else! Pros What I like most about OBS Studio is its ability to capture multiple screens into one main screen! You can hide screens/videos as well—which is useful if you want to have multiple screens/videos in the same spot of the screen. You can stack them on top of each other, hide all of the screens/videos and play each screen/video one by one. Hopefully that wasn’t confusing to read and understand \*laughs\* but it is a genius software for all of your screen capturing/recording needs! I personally use this for Twitch and would have my Xbox screen, Safari screens and a Google Chrome screen all showing on my main screen in my own way! I would have my Xbox screen and Safari screen on top of each other, and whenever I wanted to display the Xbox screen I would hide the Safari screen and vice versa. Cons It did take a little bit of YouTube video watching and Googling to adjust certain settings with my MacBook, as its easier to use with a Windows computer. For instance, to audio capture into OBS Studio with my MacBook, I needed to install an audio capturing software called SWB Audio Capture and select the multi-output option in my Mac’s audio settings—selecting my microphone and SWB only and deselecting the MacBook audio. Then going into OBS Studio’s audio settings and selecting SWB Audio Capture as the Output. So it does take special adjusting to work with a MacBook, but it is very possible. Review Source LC Luke C. PM Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful video capture and streaming abilities" September 13, 2022 5.0 Once I figured out most of the settings, it was incredibly powerful. I was able to plug my game console into a video capture card, my camera into my PC, and stream both the screen of the game console and myself to a streaming service while also capturing the video to my harddrive. Pros An incredibly powerful free application that lets you capture or stream content. It supports multiple screens, has built in functionality with the most popular apps (ie: twitch), and is the software of choice for most professional streamers. It's covered under GPL and is free to use Cons There's a large learning curve. It's not software that you can just install and use immediately. You'll need to watch a few tutorial videos or do some searching to figure out how to add resources to stream/capture. Other software provides less functionality, but more of an 'instant use' scenario. 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