# OBS Studio review (2026)

Source: https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/obs-studio/
By Sam Fisher, updated October 6, 2026. Part of The Best Screen Recorder (https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/). Method: https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/how-we-test/

OBS Studio is a free, open-source app for recording and live streaming on Windows, Mac and Linux. It suits people who want scenes, multiple sources and full control over settings.

## At a glance

- Score: 8.9/10 as a game recorder
- Best for: You want a free recorder with scenes, multiple sources and game capture, and you don't mind learning the settings.
- Works on: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Free recording: Length not documented
- Watermark when free: No
- Price: Free (Free and open source (GPL-2.0), no paid plans. From obsproject.com, 6 Oct 2026.)
- Made by: OBS Project (https://obsproject.com)
- Last checked: October 2026

## Plans

- OBS Studio: free, free. Free and open source, all features

## Subscores

- Sharing: 2.0/10
- Recording features: 9.0/10
- Editing: 0.0/10
- Free plan: 10.0/10
- Value for money: 10.0/10
- Ease of use: 8.0/10
- Platforms: 6.0/10

## What we like

- Free and open source, with no paid plans and no watermark
- Combine screen, windows, webcam and images in unlimited scenes
- Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux

## What to watch

- No built-in video editor
- Recordings are saved as local files only, with no share link
- Game Capture is Windows only


## Our verdict

OBS Studio is a free recorder built around scenes. You build scenes from screens, windows, webcams and images, switch between them, and record with no watermark on Windows, Mac or Linux. Desktop audio works on Mac without extra drivers on macOS 13 and later.

The catch is everything after you press stop. OBS saves a local file and has no editor and no share link, so you need a separate editor to cut the video and a separate service to send it.

If you want a link the moment you stop, look at [Loom](/reviews/loom/) or [ScreenRec](/reviews/screenrec/). If you mainly stream, [Streamlabs](/reviews/streamlabs/) adds overlays and alerts on top of the same kind of setup. On Windows, [ShareX](/reviews/sharex/) is a lighter free option for quick clips and screenshots.