Playout.video Review

It is a hybrid. Live Channels and Scheduled Streams play prerecorded playlists as persistent or scheduled cloud programming, while Live Studio is an operator-led browser environment for cameras, microphones, guests, screen sharing, layouts, and media clips.

A focused looper can replace the prerecorded-channel portion. A studio-first multistreaming product can replace part of the live-production portion. Neither automatically replaces the complete calendar, takeover, ingest, and embedding workflow.

The official Free plan is permanent, requires no card, and includes one 1080p30 stream, two destinations, 10 GB of storage, one-hour uploads, two Live Studio guests, and a Playout.video watermark.

It cannot run unattended around the clock. Each Live Channel, Scheduled Stream, or Live Studio session stops after five continuous hours. Another session can start immediately, but the restart is manual.

The flexible monthly price was unresolved when checked on August 4, 2026. The homepage cards displayed Creator at $39, Channel at $79, and Business at $199 per seat per month. The official Help Center pricing guide and July plan announcement instead listed $29, $49, and $149.

The annual equivalents agreed at $19 for Creator, $39 for Channel, and $119 for Business per seat per month when billed annually. Confirm the live checkout price before subscribing.

The Help Center defines one paid seat as one concurrent live channel. A second channel running at the same time requires another seat. Free includes one stream.

Destination limits are fan-out slots for that channel: 2 on Free, 5 on Creator, 8 on Channel, and 10 on Business. The separate claim that Playout.video supports more than 20 platforms describes the types of platforms available, not simultaneous outputs on a standard plan.

Creator is the first watermark-free tier with a persistent channel. It lists five destinations, eight Studio guests, 100 GB of storage, and uploads up to four hours. Users can build a calendar, but the calendar cannot execute the broadcast automatically.

Channel is the automation tier. It can start and stop on schedule, change playlists at set times, and repeat programming blocks daily, weekly, or monthly. It raises the limits to eight destinations, ten guests, 150 GB of storage, and eight-hour uploads, and it becomes eligible for the paid 60 FPS upgrade.

According to the July 28, 2026 changelog, yes. A scheduled or manual Live Studio takeover can temporarily replace the channel output while the audience remains on the continuing broadcast.

The background playlist or schedule continues advancing during the live segment. When the takeover ends, the channel returns to the playlist at its current position. This review did not independently test the transition.

The documented base output on every plan is 1080p30. Channel and Business can add 1080p60 for $10 per month. Business can add 4K for $40 per month and can combine both upgrades for 4K60.

These are paid, tier-restricted add-ons rather than quality levels included in the base subscription.

For autonomous prerecorded channels, Streamloop and Gyre are direct, narrower alternatives. Castr is a broader TV-style playout alternative. Restream primarily overlaps with browser production and multistreaming, while OneStream Live overlaps with both prerecorded scheduling and a browser studio without mirroring Playout.video's full calendar-driven workflow.