Meld Studio review

Meld Studio is the closest rival to OBS Studio for streamers who pay nothing, and it ships more of the modern streaming toolkit in the box. The vendor describes it as free live streaming and recording software for Windows and macOS, with multistreaming, Multi Canvas, Multi Chat, Stream Manager, multitrack recording and audio per scene built in with no plugins. Free multistreaming covers unlimited destinations, so one stream can reach Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick and X at once, and Multi Canvas sends a portrait layout for TikTok or Shorts alongside the horizontal one. Recording goes up to 4K with up to 8 audio tracks, including a VOD track for Twitch. The paid tiers, Meld Pro at $17 per month and Meld Max at $50 per month billed annually, add more Meld Spark AI requests for building overlays and alerts, not streaming capacity. The limits are platform and maturity: there is no Linux build, and the plugin and tutorial base is smaller than OBS Studio's.

Who it is for

streamers who want free multistreaming without plugins

Price

Meld Studio is free; Meld Pro (Spark AI overlays) from $17 per month billed $200 annually.

Meld Pro $17 $17 / per month Billed $200 annually
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Multistream to unlimited destinations at once, including Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, X and custom destinations
• Multi Canvas sends a horizontal and a portrait layout from the same scene
• Multi Chat merges Twitch, YouTube, Kick, X and TikTok chat in one feed
• Stream Manager edits title, category and tags for every platform
• Multitrack recording with up to 8 audio tracks, including a dedicated VOD track

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The free plan includes multistreaming, 4K recording and one click clipping
• Strength: No plugins needed for vertical output or combined chat
• Strength: Paid plans only add Meld Spark AI overlay requests, not streaming features
• Weakness: Windows and macOS only: no Linux, Chromebook, phone or tablet version
• Weakness: Meld Spark AI requests on the free plan are limited
• Weakness: A younger ecosystem than OBS Studio, which has years of plugins and guides

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, free forever, no card
• Platforms: Windows, macOS
• Multistreaming: Unlimited destinations
• Paid plan: Meld Pro, $17 per month billed annually

Where it ranks

Meld Studio is No. 1 in our Best Free Live Streaming Software verdict.