Also, StreamElements saves videos in the MKV format while Streamlabs in MP4. There was a difference of 2 MB of storage, but it could be because of the scenes in the game. After recording gameplay for about 50 seconds, I did not see significant differences in the video file size. In the recording test, we record a game in both programs and see the storage space the videos take. While recording, I did not see any significant difference in CPU usage. The average increase in CPU usage while opening Streamlabs was 20%, whereas the impact was 10% while opening OBS.Live.
On start-up, there was an increase in CPU utilization, but compared to Streamlabs, it was minimal in StreamElements. In the second test, we check the performance impact on our computer while opening and recording both programs. Winner: StreamElements Performance test Streamlabs StreamElements and Impact on Performance
The power usage of OBS before and during the recording was low, but in the case of Streamlabs, the power usage before starting was moderate, while it was very high while recording. StreamElements uses OBS, which uses minimal power. In this test, I checked the power usage of both while recording gameplay. While broadcasting on a laptop, it is essential to check the apps draining your device’s power. Power test Streamlabs and StreamElements Power Usage Test I did the same tests while comparing Streamlabs with OBS, and because StreamElements is just a plugin, I don’t see much changing here. Tests are an essential part of this Streamlabs vs. Finally, you can use custom third-party widgets created by the community. Streamlabs OBS desktop program comes with lots of widgets, while StreamElements offers an overlays editor where you can see and add all StreamElements widgets.Įach theme on both programs comes with specific overlays so that you can focus on your stream. So, overlays are custom scenes that get filled with widgets. Overlays contain titles, images, videos, and other types of data, and each of those is a widget.
#STREAM ELEMENTS OBS DOWNLOAD FREE#
Both offer free overlays, while you can create your overlay and use it in your stream. The banners, messages, webcam, and other stuff you see on the stream are overlays. It supports credit cards and local currencies, and according to the official post, the processing fee is less than standard payment providers. StreamElements, on the other hand, supports PayPal out of the box, but you can use their tipping service called SE.Play which is available in 15 countries.
Once set, users can use any method to support the creator. Streamlabs OBS offers to create a tip page first where you can connect your PayPal, credit cards, and Skrill payment methods. With the growing industry, both offer to request and process tips. According to the developers, it can increase engagement by 60%. Mercury: Mercury by StreamElements is a program that adds dynamic video descriptions on YouTube. Low CPU usage: In the tests I took, the OBS and StreamElements combined consumed fewer resources than Streamlabs.įree merch Store: Their merch store is free, while Streamlabs merch store is available in the premium plan.Ĭompletely free: StreamElements is entirely free as of writing this article. Browser-based: The tool is browser-based, saving CPU resources on your machine.