OBS Studio review

OBS Studio is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. Instead of a single record button, you build scenes from sources such as window captures, webcams, browser windows, images, text and capture cards, then switch between scenes with custom transitions. The audio mixer applies per-source filters like noise gate, noise suppression and gain, and supports VST plugins. Studio Mode lets you preview a scene before it goes live, Multiview monitors 8 scenes at once, and hotkeys cover nearly every action. Plugins and Lua or Python scripts extend it further. OBS runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or newer and Linux. The trade-off is that it only records and streams: there is no editor, no hosting, no captions and no comment threads, and the first setup asks more of you than Loom or ScreenPal. For a teacher recording the same lecture layout every week, that setup pays off.

Who it is for

Educators and technical teams who want unlimited free recording with full control over scenes and audio.

Price

Free and open source; no paid plan.

Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Scenes built from window captures, webcams, browser windows, images, text and capture cards
• Unlimited scenes with custom transitions
• Audio mixer with noise gate, noise suppression and VST plugin support
• Hotkeys for scene switching, recording and push to talk
• Plugins and Lua or Python scripts through the OBS API

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Completely free with no watermark or time limit
• Strength: Runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 and Linux
• Strength: Records and live streams from the same setup
• Weakness: Setup takes more effort than one-click recorders
• Weakness: No built-in video editor or hosting
• Weakness: No transcription, captions or comments

Key facts

• Price: Free, open source
• Latest release: 33.0.1, October 29
• Platforms: Windows, macOS and Linux

Where it ranks

OBS Studio is No. 9 in our Best Screen Recording Software verdict.