In the world of live streaming, two names keep popping up: Restream and Streamyard.
Both promise to make your online broadcasts smoother and reach a wider audience.
But which one is truly the best fit for your needs?
This comparison between Restream vs Streamyard breaks down each platform’s key features, pricing, and pros and cons.
So just grab a cup of coffee & settle in – let’s figure out which streaming tool will help you take your live content to the next level!
Overview
Before diving into the nitty-gritty, let’s get a bird’s-eye view of Restream and Streamyard.
We’ve spent countless hours testing both platforms, pushing their limits, and comparing their features side-by-side to give you the most accurate and helpful information possible.
Want to reach a massive audience across multiple platforms? Restream’s got your back. Explore it today and see the difference!
Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan starts at $16/month
Key Features:
- Multi-platform streaming
- Chat aggregation
- Scheduling.
Need a professional look without complicated software? Streamyard makes it easy. Give it a shot and elevate your livestream!
Pricing: It has a free plan. Sign Up for their paid plans.
Key Features:
- Multistreaming.
- Screen Sharing.
- Guest Invitations.
What is Restream?
Want to broadcast your live stream to a ton of different places at once?
Restream is your answer.
It’s like a central hub for your live videos, connecting you to all your favorite platforms without any extra hassle.
Also, explore our Restream Alternatives.
Our Take
Ready to streamline your live streams? Millions of people use Restream to reach 30+ platforms at once. Explore it today and experience seamless multistreaming.
Key Benefits
- Multistreaming made easy: Reach a wider audience by streaming to multiple platforms at once.
- Customizable branding: Add your logo, overlays, and calls to action to your streams.
- Analytics and insights: Track your viewers, engagement, and other key metrics.
- Cloud-based recording: Automatically record your streams for later viewing or editing.
- Chat integration: Engage with your audience across all platforms in one unified chat.
Pricing
All the plans will be billed annually.
- Free: $0/month..
- Standard: $16/month.
- Professional: $39/month.
- Business: $199/month.
Pros
Cons
What is Streamyard?
Think of Streamyard as your own personal TV studio, but right in your web browser!
No fancy software downloads are needed.
It’s perfect for creating professional-looking live streams, even if you’re just starting out.
Also, explore our StreamYard Alterknatives.
Our Take
StreamYard is a fantastic option for live streaming and recording, especially for beginners. It’s user-friendly, affordable, and packed with features to make your streams look professional.
Key Benefits
- Multistreaming: Go live on multiple platforms at once (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.).
- Easy Branding: Customize your live stream with logos, overlays, and backgrounds.
- Guest Invites: Bring up to 10 guests on your stream with a simple link.
- No Software Downloads: Works directly in your browser.
Pricing
They have arranged different pricing plans chosen for you. Sign Up to get your required plan.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Restream and StreamYard are the two most popular live streaming platforms, simplifying broadcasting to multiple platforms simultaneously.
StreamYard focuses on a user friendly cloud-based studio for collaboration and ease of use.
Restream is optimized for distribution reliability across all the platforms and maximizing stream’s performance. This comparison details their key features for free users and high-volume broadcasters alike.
1. Core Platform Model and Accessibility
- StreamYard: Is a cloud based platform that is incredibly easy to use and accessible via a browser or desktop app. The streamyard studio is designed for a simple, user friendly professional collaboration and a smooth experience for on screen participants.
- Restream: Is also a cloud based platform offering its studio and distribution services through a browser. It is known for its user friendly interface, allowing free users to stream simultaneously to various channels.
2. Multi-Streaming and Distribution
- StreamYard: Is highly efficient for broadcasting to multiple platforms simultaneously. Premium tiers unlock the ability to stream simultaneously to many destinations, ensuring the live streaming platform meets all professional live video streaming needs.
- Restream: Excels at distribution reliability, allowing the live stream to be sent to all the platforms and various streaming platforms easily. It is the known expert for maximizing reach across multiple platforms.
3. Video Quality and Output
- StreamYard: Provides high quality hd streaming and full hd streaming (1080p) output, often reserving full hd streaming for paid subscribers. The focus is on producing clean, crisp output from the streamyard studio.
- Restream: Also supports hd streaming and full hd streaming, depending on the subscription level. Its emphasis is on ensuring stable stream’s performance across the receiving multiple platforms simultaneously via its robust distribution network.
4. Audience Interaction and Chat
- StreamYard: The streamyard studio allows users to add logos and viewer comments on the screen in real time. Its streaming tools are tailored for making chat messages and Q&A sessions visually integrated and professional.
- Restream: Features excellent streaming tools for audience engagement, including aggregating chat boxes from all the platforms into a single feed. This makes it simple to respond to viewer comments instantly during the live stream.
5. On-Screen Participants and Collaboration
- StreamYard: The streamyard studio is highly optimized for hosting on screen participants (live interviews, collaboration). It allows multiple guests to join easily via a link, which is a key features for educators and podcasters.
- Restream: Also supports guests within its studio. While efficient for on screen participants, StreamYard is often cited as having a slightly cleaner interface dedicated to managing live interviews and collaboration.
6. Pricing and Free Tier Features
- StreamYard: Offers a generous free users plan that includes basic features and allows some testing, but watermarks the output. The paid tiers scale based on the number of destinations streamed to and the need for full hd streaming.
- Restream: Provides an accessible plan for free users to stream simultaneously to a limited number of multiple platforms, offering a low barrier to entry for users who only need basic features and testing.
7. Workflow and Software Integration
- StreamYard: Is an all-in-one studio, serving as a clean, cloud based platform that eliminates the need for separate live streaming apps like OBS. Users start streaming directly from the browser.
- Restream: While offering its own studio, Restream is often used as a distribution hub with external live streaming apps like OBS or Vmix, where the external app handles the production and sends the feed via stream key to Restream for multi stream distribution.
8. Use Case and Target Market
- StreamYard: Targets business professionals, educators, and agencies who need a polished, reliable studio for webinars, live interviews, and collaborative events. The service emphasizes a clean, corporate look.
- Restream: Targets gamers, audience builders, and individuals who need reliable distribution to multiple platforms simultaneously for audience building events. Its focus is less on polished interviews and more on maximizing reach.
9. Reliability and Stream Performance
- Restream: Is known for its high reliability in distribution. The live streaming platform is built to maximize stream’s performance and ensure delivery to all the platforms, making it a stable choice for critical live streams.
- StreamYard: Is known for its high reliability and simplicity in handling live streams. Its user friendly interface and cloud based platform ensure a smooth streaming experience for both the host and guests, focusing on a clean production capture.
What to look for in a Streaming Platform?
- Your Streaming Goals: Are you a casual streamer or looking to build a professional presence? Your goals will influence the features you need.
- Target Audience: Where does the audience hang out online? Choose a platform that simply integrates with your preferred social networks.
- Budget: Free plans are tempting, but paid options often unlock crucial features. Consider your budget & what you’re willing to invest.
- Ease of Use: Are you tech-savvy or prefer a simple setup? Some platforms are more user-friendly than others.
- Mobile Streaming: If you plan to stream on the go, make sure the platform has a solid mobile app or mobile-friendly interface.
- Technical Support: Things can go wrong during a live stream. Look for a platform with reliable customer support.
Final Verdict
While both Restream and Streamyard excel at live streaming, Restream’s extensive multi-platform support and advanced features give it a slight edge.
If reaching the widest possible audience is your priority, Restream is the ideal choice.
However, Streamyard’s user-friendly, in-browser studio and seamless guest collaborations make it a strong contender, particularly for those who value simplicity and teamwork.
Ultimately, the perfect platform depends on your specific needs.
We’ve tested and compared both extensively, providing unique insights to guide your decision.
So, trust our expertise and choose the platform that best aligns with your streaming goals.
More of Restream
Let’s see how Restream stacks up against these other streaming and recording platforms:
- Restream vs Streamlabs: Both Restream and Streamlabs let you stream to multiple platforms. Streamlabs offers more tools for on-screen graphics and alerts, popular with gamers. Restream is simpler for just getting your stream to different places.
- Restream vs Riverside: Restream is for getting your live video out to many viewers. Riverside is about recording high-quality audio and video with separate tracks, which is better for podcasts that might also be live sometimes.
- Restream vs Streamyard: Both Restream and Streamyard are easy to use for multistreaming. Streamyard is browser-based and great for having guests on your stream. Restream is also browser-based and focuses on reliable delivery to many platforms.
- Restream vs Zencastr: Restream is for live video streaming. Zencastr is specifically for recording high-quality audio for podcasts with remote guests, not for live video.
- Restream vs Ecamm: Restream is a platform for sending your stream to many places. Ecamm Live is software for Macs with lots of tools to control and enhance your live streams and recordings.
- Restream vs Castr: Both Restream and Castr are built for reliable live video streaming to multiple platforms. Castr is often seen as a direct competitor with similar features and pricing.
More of Streamyard
Let’s see how Streamyard stacks up against these other streaming and recording platforms:
- Streamyard vs Riverside: Streamyard is great for simple live interviews. Riverside prioritizes high-quality local audio and video recording for each guest, which is excellent for podcasts that also do live video.
- Streamyard vs Restream: Both Streamyard and Restream are easy to use for multistreaming your live video to many platforms. Streamyard is known for its simple guest invitation and on-screen layout tools.
- Streamyard vs Zencastr: Streamyard is for live video conversations and streaming. Zencastr is specifically for recording high-quality audio for podcasts with remote guests, not live video.
- Streamyard vs Ecamm: Streamyard is a browser-based platform known for its ease of use. Ecamm Live is macOS software with more advanced control and features for live streaming and recording.
- Streamyard vs Streamlabs: Streamyard is a simple, browser-based tool for live streaming with guests. Streamlabs is software you download with many features for stream customization, alerts, and overlays.
- Streamyard vs Castr: Streamyard focuses on user-friendly live streaming with guest participation. Castr is a more robust platform for reliable live video streaming to multiple destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which one is better, Restream or StreamYard?
It depends entirely on your workflow. Restream is the powerhouse for multistreaming to 30+ platforms simultaneously. StreamYard, however, offers a smoother, more intuitive “studio” experience for interviews and podcasts. Choose Restream for reach, StreamYard for production ease.
What are the disadvantages of StreamYard?
Customization is limited. You can’t tweak bitrates or audio settings as deeply as desktop software like OBS. Also, it relies heavily on your browser’s stability; if Chrome crashes, your stream cuts. 1080p is reserved for paid tiers.
Which is better, OBS or StreamYard?
They serve different masters. OBS is free, powerful, and complex; perfect for gamers or pro broadcasters needing total control. StreamYard is paid but runs in your browser. It handles guests beautifully and requires zero technical knowledge.
Is Restream or Streamlabs better?
Streamlabs Desktop is primarily a broadcasting tool (encoder) designed for gamers who need overlays and alerts. Restream is a distribution service. You often use them together: Streamlabs generates the video, Restream sends it everywhere.
What is better than StreamYard?
For professional production values without the browser limitations, vMix or OBS Studio are superior. For a similar browser-based experience with slightly different features, look at Evmux or Riverside for higher quality local recordings.
Is there anything better than Restream?
Castr is a strong competitor for pure restreaming stability and IP camera support. However, for an all-in-one solution that includes a browser-based studio, Restream remains the market leader in user friendliness.
Which is better StreamYard or Zoom?
Zoom is built for private conferences and low-latency interaction. StreamYard is built for public broadcasting. StreamYard gives you branding, lower thirds, and high-quality output for social media. Zoom compression kills video quality.
More Facts about Restream and StreamYard
- Platform Support: Restream lets you broadcast to over 30 platforms (including Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter) simultaneously. StreamYard connects directly to the main 7 platforms but can reach others via a special protocol called RTMP.
- Ease of Use: StreamYard is famous for being very easy to set up and use. It guides you through a quick start process (which you can skip) and is great for managing guests on your show. Restream is often preferred by users who want more advanced technical control.
- Checking Your Numbers: Restream has a very detailed dashboard that shows you a lot of data about your viewers across all platforms. StreamYard relies mostly on the data provided by the websites you stream to, rather than having its own deep analysis tools.
- Help and Support: Restream offers 24/7 live chat support to everyone, including those on the free plan. StreamYard has a help center and offers email and live chat support, but it prioritizes its paying customers.
- Free Plans: Both platforms let you start for free without a credit card.
- StreamYard’s free plan lets you stream for up to 20 hours a month, but puts their logo on your video.
- Restream’s free plan has no time limit on how long you stream, but it limits the number of destinations and adds their branding.
- Video Quality: Restream generally offers higher-quality options across its plans. StreamYard limits you to standard HD (720p) on the free plan; you have to pay to get Full HD (1080p).
- Pricing: Restream has three pricing plans for individuals, starting at around $19 a month to remove the logo and get more features. StreamYard offers several package options, with its paid plans starting at roughly $25 a month.
- Cool Features:
- StreamYard has built-in tools to easily add guests, change backgrounds, and create AI-generated clips.
- Restream connects easily with other software like OBS Studio and Zoom, supports virtual backgrounds, and includes its own AI tools for creating short videos.
- Both platforms let you play background music and see comments from different websites in one place.
- Other Options to Know:
- OBS Studio is free software that lets you customize everything, but you have to install it on your computer.
- Castr is a cheaper option similar to Restream that offers 24/7 support.
- Wirecast is a professional tool for high-quality TV-style production.
- OneStream Live is great for scheduling pre-recorded videos to go live later.
- OnTheFly offers live chat and branding features.
- StreamingVideoProvider helps you monetize your videos with tickets or subscriptions.
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