OBS Studio

Record and stream your screen for free.

ReplacesCamtasia

LicenseGPL-2.0

GitHub stars77.4k

Last code update10 October 2026

SetupBeginner about 10 minOur estimate

Paid version costs aboutnot verified

New to this? What open source means and how to read this page.

What it is

The standard free tool for screen recording and live streaming, with scenes, sources and plugins.

Good for

Screen recordings, tutorials, demos and streams, with full control over layout and audio.

The catch

It records, it does not edit. Pair it with an editor. The setup is more technical than a one-click recorder.

OBS Studio versus Camtasia

OBS StudioCamtasia

PriceFreePrice not verified

LicenseGPL-2.0Commercial license

Source codePublic, you can read and check itNot public

SetupBeginner, about 10 minSign up and pay

Where it runsOn your own computerThe vendor's app or service, under their terms

The paid product's own plans and terms change. Check its site before you decide.

Install it with an AI assistant

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT or another assistant that can work on your computer (Claude Code or Claude Desktop, for example). It is written from the project's official repository and tells the assistant to show you every command first. Setup time is our estimate: about 10 min.

I want to install and try OBS Studio on my own computer.

Official repository: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio
Official site: https://obsproject.com
License: GPL-2.0

Before you do anything:
1. Read the README and install notes in the official repository above, and nothing else. Do not follow third-party tutorials or mirrors.
2. Tell me in plain words what will be installed, what it needs (operating system, memory, graphics card, disk space, accounts) and what it will cost me, if anything.
3. Check my computer against those needs and tell me honestly if it will not work well.

Install it as a regular desktop app: download the latest release for my operating system from the official releases page or the official site, install it, and open it with me.

Rules:
- Show me each command before you run it, and say what it does.
- Ask before anything that deletes files, changes system settings, opens a network port or needs an administrator password.
- Never put my passwords or keys on a command line, or in a file I did not choose.
- When it is installed, help me check it with one small test, and tell me how to start and stop it.
- If something goes wrong, explain it in plain words and do not guess your way around it.

Good to know before you start: It records, it does not edit. Pair it with an editor. The setup is more technical than a one-click recorder.

We have not run this prompt ourselves yet. Read what the assistant plans to do before you say yes.

Official site Source code

Facts checked on 12 October 2026. We have not yet run a hands-on test of this tool. When we do, it gets a "Tested" mark here. Approximate US list prices for an individual plan, from third-party price trackers checked on 12 Oct 2026. Monthly billing where it exists. Regions, taxes and promotions change them. Confirm at the vendor before you decide.

OBS Studio

What it is

Good for

The catch

OBS Studio versus Camtasia

Install it with an AI assistant

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