Honest review
Upstream logo

Upstream Review

YouTube Verified 24/7 streaming with a Stream Designer and multistreaming

Updated June 5, 2026
Starting priceFrom $24/mo yearly / $30/mo monthly1080p/30fps Lite plan ($24/mo yearly, $30 monthly). Pricing scales with stream slots, resolution, and frame rate; 4K from $63/mo yearly ($70 monthly). Includes stream designer, scheduler, Live Studio, and multistreaming to 10 platforms.
Best forDesigned 24/7 streams with overlays and multistream reach
Websiteupstream.so
Strengths & limitations

What Upstream does well, and where it falls short

An honest breakdown based on published features, third-party reviews, and their own disclosures.

What's good
  • YouTube Verified software encoder
  • Stream Designer: overlays, embedded websites, widgets, custom fonts
  • Multistream to up to 10 destinations
  • Well-reviewed, responsive chat support
  • Up to 100GB storage on higher plans (65GB on Lite)
Where it falls short
  • Subscription pricing adds up versus pay-as-you-go
  • The Stream Designer has a learning curve
  • Some quality and storage limits sit on higher tiers
Feature breakdown

Upstream feature checklist

Every feature we've verified against Upstream's published materials, organized by category.

FeatureUpstream logoUpstream
1Pricing & access
Pay-as-you-go, no subscription
Free trial (no card)Free, 24h/mo
Starting priceFrom $24/mo yr / $30 mo
720p 30-day price$24/mo yr / $30 mo
1080p 30-day price$24/mo yr / $30 mo
1440p / 2K 30-day price$63/mo yr / $70 mo
2160p / 4K 30-day price$63/mo yr / $70 mo
2Streaming quality
720p / 30fps
1080p / Full HD
60fps
Up to 4K @ 60fps
Vertical / portrait streaming
HDR streaming publicly documented
3Production & design
Stream designer / layout builder
Image, video & logo overlays
Embed live websites & graphs
Interactive alerts & widgets
Custom fonts in overlays
Browser Live Studio (camera)
4Sources & inputs
MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload
Separate audio track (music / voiceover)
Import from Google Drive / Dropbox
Playlists with custom ordering
Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)
Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)
5Destinations
YouTube (one-click OAuth)
Custom RTMP (any platform)
Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok
Multistream to several destinations
One-click YouTube (no stream key)
SRT ingest
6Lifecycle & automation
True 24/7 continuous loop
YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation
Scheduling
MCP / agent integration
YouTube ad cue points
Edit title / description / thumbnail live
Public API
Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling
7Limits & inclusions
Storage included100GB
Concurrent streams / slots1
Max multistream destinations10
Videos per playlist
Max upload size / length
Team / multi-user access
No watermark
8Reliability & support
Automatic monitoring & recovery
Backup streams
Chat / email support
Uptime guarantee / compensation
In-app viewer analytics
9Trust & account
Trustpilot rating4.7 (200)
YouTube-Verified encoder
Two-factor authentication
Considering an alternative?

Streamloop is built for 24/7 looping

If you want a 24/7 channel with flexible billing and no designer to learn, Streamloop loops your uploaded video or playlist to YouTube and any RTMP destination at up to 4K. Choose pay-as-you-go credits or an optional monthly credit plan, with automatic recovery.

FAQ

Upstream FAQ

Common questions about Upstream's features, pricing, and fit

What is Upstream?

Upstream is a YouTube Verified software encoder for 24/7 streams, with a Stream Designer for overlays and multistreaming to several destinations.

How much does Upstream cost?

Upstream uses subscription tiers starting around $15/mo, with a free plan that includes 24 hours of streaming per month.

Does Upstream have a free tier?

Yes, a free plan with 24 hours per month and no card required.

What are the best Upstream alternatives?

Streamloop for pay-as-you-go 24/7 looping, plus Castr, Restream and Runnel.live depending on your needs.

Your 24/7 channel is one upload away

Stop leaving a PC running. Upload a video, point it at YouTube or any RTMP destination, and Streamloop loops it live around the clock.

r/lofi · 24/7
🔴 LIVE · lofi beats to study/relax to
YouTube · LIVE
Your highlight reel, looping all day
Twitch · LIVE
Marathon replay — no PC, no OBS
Kick · LIVE
Ambient channel running 24/7