StreamYard Review: Is It Still Worth It After the Price Increase?
StreamYard used to be the darling of the live streaming world—simple, browser-based, and affordable. Then Bending Spoons acquired them in April 2024, jacked up prices by 80%, and everything got complicated.
So is StreamYard still worth it? Let's break it down.
What Is StreamYard?
StreamYard is a browser-based live streaming studio. No downloads, no complex setups—you log in and start streaming. It works directly in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge and lets you broadcast to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, and X (Twitter) simultaneously.
The platform is built for non-technical users. If you've ever looked at OBS and felt overwhelmed, StreamYard is the opposite. It's designed for podcasters, coaches, course creators, and small businesses who want professional-looking streams without the learning curve.
Key things you can do with StreamYard:
- Multistream to up to 8 platforms at once (on higher plans)
- Bring on up to 10 guests via a simple link—no account needed for them
- Add custom branding, overlays, logos, and backgrounds
- Display viewer comments on-screen during your stream
- Record sessions for later use
- Host webinars with their On-Air feature
StreamYard Pricing Breakdown
Here's where things get controversial. StreamYard overhauled their pricing in August 2024, and existing customers weren't happy about it.
The old Basic plan was $25/month. Now the entry-level paid plan (Core) is $44.99/month. That's an 80% increase. Some users on legacy plans saw their annual costs jump from $96 to over $400.
Here's the current pricing structure:
Free Plan
- StreamYard branding on all streams
- 720p streaming quality (standard definition)
- Up to 6 on-screen participants
- 2 hours of local recording per month
- Limited streaming hours
- 1 streaming destination only
The free plan is fine for testing the platform, but the branding and single-destination limit make it impractical for anything serious.
Core Plan - $44.99/month ($35.99/month billed annually)
- No StreamYard branding
- Full HD (1080p) streaming
- Multistream to 3 destinations
- Custom branding and overlays
- Reusable studios
- 1080p screen sharing
- 50 hours of cloud storage
- Unlimited local recordings
Advanced Plan - $88.99/month ($68.99/month billed annually)
- Everything in Core
- Multistream to 8 destinations
- 4K local recordings
- On-Air webinar features
- Downloadable transcripts
- Unlimited cloud storage
Teams Plan - $298.99/month ($238.99/month billed annually)
- Everything in Advanced
- Up to 10 user seats
- Extended pre-recorded streaming
- Team collaboration tools
There's also a Business plan with custom pricing for larger organizations needing SSO, spaces, and additional user roles.
StreamYard offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase. You can cancel anytime and keep access until your billing cycle ends.
For full pricing details, check out our StreamYard pricing breakdown.
What StreamYard Gets Right
Ease of Use
This is StreamYard's killer feature. You sign up, connect your streaming destinations, and you're live in minutes. There's no software to install, no codec settings to tweak, no technical knowledge required. Your grandma could probably figure it out.
The studio interface is clean and intuitive. Everything you need—camera feeds, screen sharing, comments, banners—is accessible from a single dashboard.
Guest Management
Bringing guests onto your stream is dead simple. You send them a link, they click it, and they're in your green room. No accounts, no downloads, no "can you hear me now" troubleshooting. This alone makes StreamYard worth considering for interview-style shows and podcasts.
You can have up to 10 people on-screen simultaneously on paid plans (6 on free).
Branding and Customization
StreamYard's branding tools are genuinely good. You can add custom logos, overlays, backgrounds (images or videos), and lower thirds. The HEX color picker lets you match your exact brand colors. You can save brand assets for quick access across broadcasts.
For anyone doing regular shows or podcasts, having consistent branding without needing design skills is valuable.
Comment Display
The ability to pull comments from all your streaming destinations into one place—and then display selected comments on-screen—is excellent for engagement. Your viewers feel seen, and you don't have to juggle multiple browser tabs.
Pre-Recorded Streaming
You can upload pre-recorded videos and stream them as if they were live. This is useful for scheduled content, encore presentations, or when you want the engagement benefits of "live" without actually being live.
What StreamYard Gets Wrong
The Price Hike
Let's address the elephant in the room. The price increase frustrated a lot of loyal users. Some felt the new features added didn't justify nearly doubling the cost. The Core and Advanced plans are now priced for professionals, not hobbyists or small creators just starting out.
One user put it bluntly: "they increased price by 80% after being bought out by private equity without offering any advantage or reason for the price gouge."
Limited Streaming Destinations
StreamYard integrates with 7 platforms natively. That's fine for most creators, but competitors like Restream support 30+ platforms. If you need to stream to niche platforms, you'll need to use StreamYard's Custom RTMP feature, which requires more technical knowledge.
No Built-in Analytics
StreamYard doesn't have detailed analytics within the platform. You'll need to check each streaming destination separately or use third-party tools to understand your performance. For a platform at this price point, built-in analytics should be standard.
No Mobile App
There's no dedicated StreamYard app for iOS or Android. You can use it in a mobile browser, but it's not ideal. Competitors like Restream have native mobile apps for streaming on the go.
Limited Video Editing
StreamYard is a streaming tool, not an editing suite. While you can do basic trimming and create short clips for repurposing, advanced editing requires exporting to another tool. If you need more editing power, check out our best video editing software guide or our Descript review.
Free Plan Limitations
The free plan includes StreamYard branding, limits you to one destination, caps streaming hours, and restricts video quality to 720p. It's good for testing, but you'll hit walls quickly if you're serious about streaming.
StreamYard vs Restream: Quick Comparison
These are the two big players in browser-based multistreaming. Here's how they stack up:
| Feature | StreamYard | Restream |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms Supported | 7 native + Custom RTMP | 30+ native |
| Max Multistream Destinations | 8 (Advanced plan) | 8 |
| Starting Price (Paid) | $44.99/month | $16/month |
| Mobile App | No | Yes |
| Guest Invites | Up to 10 participants | Up to 10 participants |
| Analytics | No | Yes |
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Good |
Restream is cheaper and supports more platforms. StreamYard is easier to use and has better branding tools. If budget is tight, Restream wins. If you want the smoothest experience possible, StreamYard edges ahead.
For more options, see our StreamYard alternatives guide.
Who Should Use StreamYard?
StreamYard makes sense for:
- Podcasters doing video podcasts - The guest management is unmatched
- Course creators and coaches - Easy webinars with On-Air feature
- Small businesses running regular shows - Brand consistency without design skills
- Anyone intimidated by OBS - If technical streaming software makes your head spin, this is for you
StreamYard probably isn't right for:
- Hobbyists on a budget - The price is hard to justify for casual streaming
- Gamers - Lacks features like scene switching that gaming streamers need
- Anyone needing advanced analytics - You'll need third-party tools
- Mobile-first creators - No native app is a dealbreaker
The Verdict
StreamYard is still one of the best browser-based streaming platforms out there. It's genuinely easy to use, great for guests, and produces professional-looking streams without technical hassle.
But it's not the no-brainer it used to be. The price increase puts it squarely in "professional tool" territory, and you should expect professional results for that investment. If you're streaming regularly and making money from it—through courses, consulting, or sponsorships—StreamYard pays for itself in time saved.
If you're just getting started or streaming as a hobby, the free plan or a cheaper alternative might make more sense until you've proven the ROI.
The platform has a 7-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free. Start with the free plan, test everything out, and upgrade only if you're hitting the limitations.