# Streamlabs Desktop review (2026)

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

Streamlabs Desktop is a free live streaming app for Windows and Mac that also records your screen, games and webcam. It suits streamers who want overlays and alerts in the same app.

## At a glance

- Score: 8.3/10 as a game recorder
- Best for: You stream games or live shows and want to record them in the same app, with overlays and alerts.
- Works on: Windows, Mac
- Free recording: No time limit
- Watermark when free: No
- Price: From $27/mo (Ultra, for multistreaming, premium overlays and Pro creator tools. Recording itself is free with no watermark or time limit. Prices from streamlabs.com/ultra, 6 Oct 2026.)
- Made by: Logitech (Streamlabs) (https://streamlabs.com)
- Last checked: October 2026

## Plans

- Free: free, free. Recording with no watermark or time limit; 1 GB cloud storage
- Ultra: $27/month, $189/year. Multistreaming, full overlay library, Pro creator tools, 10 GB storage
- Ultra+: n/a, n/a. Adds success calls and a dedicated contact; price not listed

## Subscores

- Sharing: 2.0/10
- Recording features: 8.0/10
- Editing: 0.0/10
- Free plan: 10.0/10
- Value for money: 10.0/10
- Ease of use: 8.5/10
- Platforms: 4.0/10

## What we like

- Recording is free, with no watermark or time limit
- No account needed if you only record
- Selective Recording keeps stream-only overlays out of the recording

## What to watch

- Mac computer audio needs the BlackHole driver
- No editor inside Streamlabs Desktop
- Recordings are saved as local files only, with no share link


## Our verdict

Streamlabs Desktop is a streaming app first, and recording comes free with it. Local recordings have no watermark and no time limit, and you don't need an account to record. Selective Recording is useful if you stream: alerts and chat can show on stream but stay out of the saved video.

For plain screen recording it has gaps. There is no editor in the app, recordings stay on your computer, and Mac users need the third-party BlackHole driver to capture computer audio. Ultra ($189 a year) is about streaming and creator tools, not about recording.

If you only record, [OBS Studio](/reviews/obs-studio/) covers the same ground and also runs on Linux. If you want a share link when you stop, try [ScreenRec](/reviews/screenrec/) or [Loom](/reviews/loom/). For game recording with a trimmer built in, look at [Bandicam](/reviews/bandicam/).