This is our review of the best live streaming software for Mac in 2025 after testing all the leading options we’ll share the top Mac live streaming apps right now so that you can learn how to go live like a pro.
Prism Live Studio
Prism Live Studio is an amazing free option. It’s easy to use yet feature-rich, with both Windows and mobile versions available. The platform makes it incredibly simple to get started.
Prism Live Studio Overview & Features
You can go live on all major platforms and even multi-stream to multiple destinations simultaneously.
Prism Live can also be used to record your live streams or even to record videos as if you were live, you can monitor your comments from within the app while you’re live and also add onscreen widgets to showcase the chat feed on your stream as well you can also easily do stuff like add in gifts or stickers or music and there’s even a drawing mode where you can draw live on the screen.
If you’re going to be running some sort of live training you also have the opportunities in here like other professional software. You create different scenes or different presets and templates to switch between when you’re live, so you could customize up a scene where it’s full-screen you on camera or maybe another one where you’re off to the side but you’re sharing your computer screen and you can have any number of these for different types of content you’re going to be creating.
You can even do things like enable Studio mode on Prism, which is more from traditional live streaming software where you can make adjustments to things and configure stuff up while you’re live, and then when you’re ready you can push it live or send it to the live feed.
I think it’s cool that you’ve got that option in there because in some basic software, you’re kind of just configuring It Up live and your viewers are seeing that while it’s happening. There’s even a feature on Prism that allows you to remotely control the app from your phone and also bring your phone in as an additional webcam.
I also absolutely love that they’ve got a built-in virtual camera too so your Prism Live software will also show up as a webcam to other software apps meaning that whatever you’re doing in Prism Live you can actually push through to other apps and tools as well if you’ve ever wanted to add text or Graphics or customize up things like a zoom meeting you can use the virtual camera tool to help you do that.
Overall, I think it’s great for anyone, from absolute beginners to advanced intermediate users. It offers a good mix of simplicity while also including professional tools for those who need them.
Ecamm Live
I would say it is probably a little more intuitive and a little easier to navigate than Prism Live but overall it’s got more professional features too.
Overall Ecamm Live Overview & Features
The interface is more customizable with a more floating window layout so you can hide what you don’t need or move stuff out of the way to allow you to be focused on what it is you need to do.
But there’s also a lot of overlap with this tool and the others that I’m going to mention with things like multi-streaming with recording that’s built-in and having the ability to configure up and switch between different scenes or different layouts while you’re live.
Ecamm Live also has a built-in virtual camera as well which I use almost every day and you also have the ability again to bring in all of your live comments into one place so that if you are live on Facebook and YouTube then what you see as the host running this is a combined list of all the comments across the different platforms making it easy for you to feature to engage without need to open up the YouTube comments on YouTube and the Facebook comments on Facebook.
Ecamm Live’s also got some more advanced functionality like having the ability to bring guests into your live stream ecamm was actually one of the first tools to make this easy back in the day with direct Skype integration but now it’s evolved so much from there they have a dedicated tool to do that too where you can enable the feature you can send out a link to whoever it is that you want to join and they show up as a video source that you can then add into your stream.
Combining this with different scenes and layouts, you can customize everything before you even join. Ecamm Live also features built-in ISO video recording, which I find absolutely amazing. This feature allows you to record not just your overall completed live stream or recording but also isolated video tracks. That means separate video files for each of your video sources. For example, if you’re hosting a stream with three guests, you can have three individual files one for each guest—along with your combined recording.
This capability is incredibly useful for re-editing. You can import these files into your editing software and make adjustments without modifying the finished product. Essentially, you can re-edit the content from scratch, giving you full control over who appears on screen, when, and at what size. This makes Ecamm Live ideal not only for live streaming but also for content recording, interviews, and other similar use cases.
I also appreciate how user-friendly Ecamm Live is. You can use its basic functionality to go live quickly, but for those looking for more, it offers extensive customization options.
As someone who has been using Ecamm Live since its early days, I’m impressed by how much the platform has grown. The Ecamm team stays connected to their community, listens to feedback, and uses it to shape the direction of the software. Their customer support is also top-notch.
One limitation worth mentioning is that Ecamm Live doesn’t offer as many effects or widgets—like on-screen chat, GIFs, and stickers—as Prism does. However, Ecamm provides greater control, more customization options, and advanced features within a more intuitive interface, in my opinion.
Pricing
Ecamm Live offers a 14-day free trial, so you can explore its features before committing. After that, you have two main options:
- Standard Plan: $20 per month or $16 per month when billed annually. This plan is ideal for those new to live video and looking to create custom-branded live content.
- Pro Plan: $40 per month or $32 per month when billed annually. This plan unlocks advanced features like a virtual camera, 4K live streaming, ISO video recording for both video and audio and more.
StreamYard
This is another one that has been spoken about quite a bit by all top streamers, and that’s because it is an amazing option, too. This one is a little bit different from the other options that we’ve mentioned in this article because it isn’t software that you download and install on your Mac.
StreamYard runs directly in your web browser and boasts one of the simplest, most intuitive, and easiest-to-use interfaces. While it may lack some of the more advanced or professional features, it still packs a punch.
One standout feature is how StreamYard minimizes the need for complex scene management, which is common in other tools. Instead, it offers a variety of preset templates that users can easily apply without extensive customization. This makes switching between layouts essentially “scenes” effortless. With just a click of a button, located conveniently below the main preview monitor, you can transition between different layouts seamlessly.
For users who prefer more control, StreamYard also allows customization of these templates. However, right out of the box, most of the default settings are highly functional and ready to use, making it an excellent choice for newbies and those who value simplicity.
StreamYard Pricing
In terms of pricing, there are a few different options there is a free plan that does put a watermark on your stream but it’s a great place where you can dive in and start to get used to how StreamYard Works, below is their basic plan which removes that watermark and give you access to a lot more features for $25 a month or $20 if you bill annually.
So you can see that’s going to give you three multi-stream destinations 10 onscreen guests at once and even enable pre-recorded live streams as well but to unlock all the features and all the functionality of StreamYard that’s where you want to jump on their professional plan which is $49 a month or $39 if you’re billing annually that’s going to unlock things like full HD 1080p live streams the ability to add in an additional camera but also access the on-air webinar feature.
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OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)
OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is probably one of the most popular free options out there. It’s also considered the OG in this space, especially when you look at the overall interface, the way camera inputs work, and the advanced settings. There are many similarities between OBS and Prism Live, but the interface, in my opinion, isn’t as intuitive or polished as Prism’s. OBS can feel overwhelming, particularly for absolute beginners trying to get up to speed and configure everything.
Prism Live has an extra level of polish and simplicity, so I’d position OBS more for intermediate to advanced users. Among all the options mentioned, OBS likely has the most settings and customization options. It works on Mac, Windows, and even Linux. Plus, there’s a huge community of users and developers creating plugins and add-ons to expand its features and usability.
Like Prism Live, OBS doesn’t have a built-in guest feature straight out of the box. However, you can find workarounds and plugins from the community to enable this functionality. In essence, you can think of OBS as Prism Live on steroids. If you’re looking for granular control and enjoy dialing in every detail, OBS could be the right choice for you. That said, it lacks many of the bells and whistles Prism Live offers, like built-in effects, so it’s aimed at users who want to build everything from the ground up.
OBS is often recommended as the go-to option because it’s free and feature-rich. However, for many people, it can be overwhelming, and there may be better options depending on their needs.
Summary of the Best Live Streaming Software
- Prism Live: A great all-rounder. It’s easy to use, offers cool features, and is perfect for those who want simplicity with functionality.
- StreamYard: Ideal for its web-based approach, intuitive interface, and simple guest management features.
- Ecamm Live: My top recommendation. It strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and advanced features. Its built-in guest feature is a big plus.
- OBS: Best suited for advanced users who want full control and customization. However, it has a steep learning curve and may be too much for some users.
Personally, I use Ecamm Live for live streaming and even for recording many of my YouTube videos directly on my computer. For live streams with guests or webinars, I rely on StreamYard. I’m also keeping a close eye on Prism Live, which has made significant progress and is an excellent free option.
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best choice depends on your needs, whether that’s ease of use or advanced features. These are my current top picks. For more help with live streaming, check out my articles on involvematrix.com.