StreamYard vs XSplit Broadcaster Comparison 2026
Both cover live streaming. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Go live to several places from a browser tab
Windows streaming with a lifetime option
At a glance
- XSplit Broadcaster starts cheaper, at $14.99.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
StreamYard | XSplit Broadcaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $44.99 | From $14.99 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
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.
Only on this side
- Covers video hosting
- Works with LinkedIn
- Works with Kick
XSplit Broadcaster
Windows streaming with a lifetime option
XSplit Broadcaster is the paid alternative to OBS on Windows, and the money buys polish rather than capability: scene handling that does not fight you, background removal without a green screen, and a plugin store for the things a stream ends up needing. There is a free version that streams. The lifetime licence is the unusual part of the pricing, and it is aimed squarely at somebody tired of another monthly bill.
Our note
The lifetime licence is the only pricing here worth thinking hard about, because streaming software is a tool people keep for years and the subscription maths turns against you quickly. Run the free version for a month first; if you never hit its limits, the decision makes itself.
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.