Choose OBS Studio if you need Linux support or want to keep an existing OBS scene and its plugins. Choose Streamlabs Desktop if you want alerts, widgets and a selection of overlays together in a free Windows or Mac app. If Streamlabs alerts are the only thing you're missing in OBS, add their URL as a Browser source; switching applications isn't necessary.
I would keep a working OBS setup and add the missing source first, because a widget page can supply the alert without changing the rest of the scene. Streamlabs Desktop becomes the stronger choice when you want its integrated tools, especially separate horizontal and vertical layouts, enough to move your production into that app.
Check your operating system first
The OBS Studio 33.0.1 download page lists Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or newer, and Linux. Its official Linux routes are Flatpak on Flathub and the PPA for Ubuntu 26.04 or newer. Streamlabs Desktop's current desktop download lists Windows 10 or newer and macOS 12 or newer; it doesn't list a Linux desktop installer.
| Your computer | What that means for this choice |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 or 11 | Both desktop applications are options. Continue with the tools and output formats you need. |
| macOS 13 or newer | Both list support. Streamlabs' separate plugin for OBS is Windows-only; its Browser-source widgets are a different route. |
| macOS 12 | Streamlabs Desktop lists support; the current OBS release requires macOS 13 or newer. |
| Linux | Choose OBS Studio. Use an official package if you need the bundled Browser source. |
These are operating-system requirements, not a promise that a particular computer can encode your scene at your chosen resolution and frame rate. The encoder and workload still decide that.
Compare the tools around the scene
OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop are separate applications. Streamlabs describes Desktop as built on the OBS engine, and its public source repository describes an Electron-and-OBS application. The code is open source: OBS uses GPL v2 or later, and Desktop's package declares GPL-3.0. A shared engine doesn't establish identical features, plugin compatibility or performance.
The practical difference appears as you build the scene. In OBS, a Browser source loads a provider's overlay page into the picture. Streamlabs Desktop includes alerts and widgets in its own workflow, alongside its scene controls. You can reach the same kind of on-screen alert through either route, but the setup and account connections differ.
| What you need | OBS Studio | Streamlabs Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Streamlabs alerts and widgets | Add the widget URL as a Browser source, or consider Streamlabs' separate Windows plugin. | Included among the free core tools. |
| Overlay selection | Add the overlay's sources or web page to your scene. | Some overlays are free; the full premium library requires Ultra. |
| A specific OBS plugin | Choose the OBS release, operating system and architecture that its maintainer supports. | Desktop has its own App Store. Don't assume an OBS plugin's compatibility statement covers Desktop. |
| One horizontal and one vertical stream | Plan the extra output route separately. | Free Dual Output covers one destination of each orientation. |
| Local recording | Keep your scene and recording settings in OBS. | Recording-only use needs no account; local recordings have no watermark or time limit. |
Streamlabs' free Desktop feature description includes alerts, some overlays, widgets and scenes, plus recording and Dual Output. Those free tools are enough to decide whether you prefer its workflow before paying for a larger library.
What you pay for in Streamlabs Ultra
OBS Studio is free. Streamlabs Desktop also has a free tier, while its Desktop page lists Ultra at $27 per month billed monthly. The Ultra feature list adds the full overlay and widget-theme library, full Desktop App Store access and expanded multistreaming. Collab Cam rises from one guest or camera on Free to up to 11 with Ultra.
Check the annual total carefully. The Desktop plan selector prints $179/year, while the Ultra page's $15.75 monthly equivalent works out to $189 for twelve months. Those are different totals. Compare the amount and renewal terms in the offer you select before subscribing; a monthly equivalent doesn't mean monthly billing.
I would start with the free tier and upgrade when a specific limit blocks the show, such as a second horizontal destination or more Collab Cam guests. Paying for Ultra doesn't answer whether you prefer building your scene in OBS or in Desktop.
For recording only, Streamlabs explicitly says Desktop adds no watermark or recording time limit.
Keep Streamlabs alerts inside OBS
Streamlabs' FAQ for OBS users confirms that its widgets work through a Browser source without Desktop or the Streamlabs plugin. This is the built-in route to try when your picture and audio already work in OBS.
- Copy the widget URL from your Streamlabs dashboard. Keep the full widget address private when sharing settings or screenshots.
- Add a Browser source to the scene in OBS and open its properties.
- Leave Local file unchecked, clear the default URL, and paste the widget URL.
- Set Width and Height to the dimensions the widget or overlay expects, then position that source in the scene.
The Browser source properties define Width and Height as the web page's viewport. They don't change your stream's output resolution. If part of an overlay is missing, check that viewport before changing the encoder or stream resolution.
When the separate Streamlabs plugin makes sense
The Streamlabs Plugin for OBS brings selected Streamlabs tools into OBS itself. Streamlabs lists it for Windows 10 and 11, and says Desktop isn't required. Its base tools are free; server-side multistreaming and premium overlays require Ultra. On a Mac or Linux system, use the Browser-source route for widgets.
Consider the plugin when you want its integrated widget and overlay workflow. Check its current compatibility information against your OBS release before installing. Desktop also has built-in features beyond the plugin, including Dual Output, Collab Cam and Stream Shift, so the plugin doesn't turn OBS into Desktop.
Count destinations and their orientation
Streamlabs' free Dual Output limit is one horizontal and one vertical platform at the same time. Two horizontal destinations are outside that free allowance. Three or more destinations also require Ultra. Check that your platform account is eligible to broadcast, as well as each platform's rules for simultaneous streams.
For example, a horizontal broadcast and a vertical version of the scene fit the free orientation split. Adding a second horizontal platform changes the subscription decision even though the total would still be two. Count the destinations you need and mark each one's orientation before choosing a plan.
If you keep OBS, Streamlabs also offers a server-side multistream route: connect the platforms in its dashboard and use the supplied RTMP destination in OBS. That service requires Ultra. A separate OBS output plugin is another approach, with its own compatibility and encoder requirements; choosing OBS doesn't make every multistreaming service free.
Compare resource use with the scene you'll broadcast
The useful performance question is whether your scene can render and encode while the game or other application is running. OBS's hardware guidance ties CPU requirements to the encoder, resolution, frame rate and scene complexity. The fact that Desktop uses Electron doesn't give you a CPU percentage or memory budget for that workload.
LTT Labs recording results at 1080p
OBS reduced game frame rate less than Streamlabs on both tested graphics cards in LTT Labs' August 2026 recording test. At 1080p, the source reports these geometric-mean losses relative to recording being off.
| Tested graphics card | OBS: game-frame-rate loss | Streamlabs: game-frame-rate loss |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB | 5% | 11% |
| Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB | 13% | 18% |
The results combine Cyberpunk 2077, F1 24 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Both rows come from one experiment and stay separate because they use different GPUs.
The Windows 11 system paired a Ryzen 7 7800X3D with 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM. It recorded H.264 at 6 Mbps and 60 FPS through hardware encoding; OBS used basic Game Capture in an otherwise empty scene.
The source doesn't identify app builds, driver versions or encoder presets. These are local-recording results; they don't measure live-stream CPU or memory use. I would start with OBS when preserving game frame rate decides the choice, then compare the complete scene on the computer that will run it.
Check your complete scene
Keep the source media and capture workload the same when you compare the applications. Match the output resolution and frame rate, then check the encoder's rate control and preset rather than relying on similarly named quality options. Include the alerts and browser pages you intend to use; an empty scene answers a different question.
Run one application at a time and record the same sequence locally, with the game or working application active. Note the app versions, hardware and driver alongside the settings. Compare the resulting files for smooth motion and audio sync, then use the same system-monitor view to inspect each application's CPU and memory use. Repeat the sequence before judging a difference.
In OBS, open View > Stats and watch Frames missed due to rendering lag and Skipped frames due to encoding lag. OBS's performance troubleshooting guide separates scene-rendering work from encoder load. A rising network-drop counter during a live stream belongs to the connection and ingest path, so check that path before changing applications.
Move scenes, then verify the output again
OBS has a Streamlabs scene-collection importer. The OBS 33.0.1 importer converts scene data and some stored hotkeys. Use the import command in the Scene Collection menu, choose the collection, and switch to the imported collection before checking its preview.
A scene collection isn't the whole broadcast setup. Streamlabs' migration guidance tells you to set up output configurations, audio settings and hotkeys again. Some source hotkeys can carry over, but verify every binding you rely on. Recheck media paths and filters as well as the appearance of the scene.
Keep the original collection and settings available until the new setup is ready. Make a short local recording with the imported scene: change scenes, trigger the alert using its provider's test control, and speak over the captured audio. Watch the saved file for missing sources and listen for sync or duplicate audio before moving the live destination.
