StreamYard vs Wave.video Comparison 2026
StreamYard does one job, multistreaming a live show from a browser with no install for host or guest, free with a logo and two hours of recording, then $44.99 a month, or $35.99 billed yearly, for three destinations. Wave.video bundles an editor, a video host with stated bandwidth, and live streaming into one plan starting at $16 a month, though its pricing page does not state whether that figure is billed monthly or annually. StreamYard is more expensive but is a dedicated, guest-friendly live tool. Wave.video is the cheaper-looking bundle for anybody who also needs editing and hosting.
Go live to several places from a browser tab
Editing, hosting and streaming on one plan
At a glance
- Wave.video starts cheaper, at $16.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
StreamYard | Wave.video | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $44.99 | From $16 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated |
StreamYard
Go live to several places from a browser tab
StreamYard runs a live show from a browser with no software to install, which is why it is the default for interview streams and for guests who will not download anything. Multistreaming to several destinations is the feature people pay for. Anybody who wants scenes, plugins and local capture is describing OBS instead.
Wave.video
Editing, hosting and streaming on one plan
Wave.video puts three things on one bill that are normally three subscriptions: an editor, a video host with embeds, and live streaming out to several destinations at once. The hosting side states its bandwidth and storage allowances rather than claiming they are unlimited, and charges per gigabyte beyond them. It suits somebody whose video mostly ends up on their own site.
Our note
The stated allowances are worth more than they look, because most bundled hosting hides its limits until you cross one. Compare the traffic ceiling against your actual monthly views before assuming the bundle is cheaper than buying separately.
Only on this side
Why people weigh these two
- Wave.video instead of StreamYard
- Wave.video from $16 with a free tier edits, hosts and streams on one plan, so the recording has somewhere to live afterwards.
- StreamYard instead of Wave.video
- StreamYard focuses on going live to several places at once, with a free tier and plans from $44.99, deeper streaming tools than a bundle that also edits and hosts.
Which one should you pick
Choose StreamYard if the live show is the whole job and guests need to join without installing anything: nothing runs locally for them, which is why they actually turn up. Core at $44.99 a month, or $35.99 billed yearly, adds three multistream destinations, branding and unlimited local recording, and the paid plans are stated as being for individual use only.
Choose Wave.video if editing and hosting are also part of the job: one bill replaces three separate subscriptions, and hosting limits are stated as real numbers, 150GB of traffic on one tier and 500GB on the next, rather than a vague unlimited claim. Confirm which billing cadence the $16 figure reflects before committing, since the page does not label it, and compare the hosting ceiling against actual monthly views before assuming the bundle is cheaper than buying pieces separately.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper, StreamYard or Wave.video?
- Wave.video's listed figures are lower, starting at $16 a month against StreamYard's $44.99, or $35.99 billed yearly. Wave.video's pricing page does not state whether $16 is a monthly or annual rate, though, so confirm that before assuming it beats StreamYard outright.
- Does Wave.video include a video editor like StreamYard does not?
- Yes, that is one of its core differences: a basic editor is included from the free plan up. StreamYard has no editing tools at all; it is built around live multistreaming and local recording, not post-production.
- Which one hosts video for embedding on my own site?
- Wave.video does, with stated bandwidth and storage allowances by tier and published overage rates. StreamYard has no video hosting product; its local recordings are for keeping a copy of the live show, not for embedding elsewhere.
- How many platforms can each one stream to at once?
- StreamYard reaches three destinations on Core and eight on Advanced. Wave.video also multistreams to several destinations, though a specific maximum count is not stated in its own materials the way StreamYard's plan cards state one.
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.