StreamElements vs Streamlabs Comparison 2026
StreamElements is completely free, alerts, overlays, chat bot and a tipping page, with no paid tier at all, funded by sponsorships rather than subscriptions. Streamlabs offers the same kind of layer for free too, then charges $19 a month for Ultra's themes, multistreaming and the rest of its apps. StreamElements has never charged for any of it; Streamlabs' free tier covers most of a new channel's needs but is heavier on system resources than plain OBS.
Overlays, alerts and a chatbot, all free
Streaming with alerts, overlays and tipping
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
StreamElements | Streamlabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $19 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Not stated |
| Free trial | None | Not stated |
| API | Not stated |
StreamElements
Overlays, alerts and a chatbot, all free
StreamElements is the layer over a stream: alerts when somebody follows, overlays built in a visual editor, a chat bot with commands and loyalty points, and a tipping page. All of it is free with no tier above it, because the business is sponsorships rather than subscriptions. Most streams running something other than plain OBS are running this or its one real rival.
Our note
StreamElements and Streamlabs are the two, they do much the same job, and this is the one that has never charged for it. Set it up alongside OBS rather than instead of it.
Streamlabs
Streaming with alerts, overlays and tipping
Streamlabs wraps OBS in something friendlier and adds alerts, overlays and a donation page. Setup takes minutes rather than an evening. It is heavier on system resources than plain OBS.
Our note
Start free and stay there until a specific Ultra feature is blocking you. The resource cost against plain OBS is real, and on a mid-range machine it is the difference between a smooth stream and a stuttering one.
Why people weigh these two
- Streamlabs instead of StreamElements
- Streamlabs covers the same alerts, overlays and tipping from $19 with a free tier, the direct rival on a stream.
- StreamElements instead of Streamlabs
- StreamElements gives the same overlays, alerts and a chatbot away free rather than on a paid plan, and pairs with OBS instead of replacing it.
Which one should you pick
Pick StreamElements if you want the whole layer, alerts, overlays, a chat bot with loyalty points, a tipping page, for nothing, permanently, with no upgrade path dangling above it. It is the one of these two that has never charged for any part of it.
Pick Streamlabs if the mobile app for going live away from a desk, or an Ultra feature like multistreaming and themes, is worth $19 a month to you. Its free tier alone covers most of what a new channel needs, but it costs more system resources than plain OBS, which matters on a machine already working to run the game and the stream together.
Common questions
- Which one is actually free forever?
- StreamElements is: no upgrade path and no feature held back, funded by sponsorships instead of subscriptions. Streamlabs is free at the base level too, but Ultra at $19 a month sits above it for themes and multistreaming.
- Which one uses more system resources?
- Streamlabs does, by its own account, more than plain OBS, which matters on a mid-range machine already running a game. StreamElements' resource cost is not detailed the same way.
- Does StreamElements have a mobile app for streaming away from a desk?
- Not stated as a feature. Streamlabs does, sharing the same alerts as the desktop setup, which is one reason to pick it over a free-only option.
- Are these two meant to be used instead of OBS?
- No, both are meant to run alongside it rather than replace it, adding alerts, overlays and tipping on top of whatever is doing the actual capture.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.