Upstream alternatives

4 Best Upstream Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Updated August 5, 2026

We compared every major Upstream alternative for 2026 and ranked them honestly. Upstream is a strong, YouTube Verified 24/7 streaming tool, but its subscription pricing and designer-heavy workflow are not everyone’s fit.

Every tool below is judged on what matters for an always-on channel: pricing, streaming quality, destinations and how hands-off it runs, not just a feature checklist.

Start with Streamloop Jump to list

Best alternatives

1
Streamloop
Creators who want flexible-duration playlists to one managed YouTube or compatible RTMP destination without running an encoder
1Streamloop — Creators who want flexible-duration playlists to one managed YouTube or compatible RTMP destination without running an encoder
2
Castr
Pre-recorded 24/7 plus broader streaming
2Castr — Pre-recorded 24/7 plus broader streaming
3
Restream
Live multistreaming with a browser studio
3Restream — Live multistreaming with a browser studio
4
Runnel.live
A bare-bones, budget 24/7 loop
4Runnel.live — A bare-bones, budget 24/7 loop

★ Our pick

Streamloop

Creators who want flexible-duration playlists to one managed YouTube or compatible RTMP destination without running an encoder

Starts at

From $4.02 per 30 live days at 720p/24fps

Best for

Creators who want flexible-duration playlists to one managed YouTube or compatible RTMP destination without running an encoder

Streamloop turns prerecorded video and audio playlists into cloud streams at up to 4K60, including HDR where supported. Each stream sends to one managed YouTube connection or compatible RTMP destination; reaching several platforms requires separate streams rather than one-to-many fan-out.

What's good

Usage billing with exact resolution/frame-rate rates and no charge while idle
Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and rule-based custom playlists
Published playlist edits take effect at the next clip boundary without restarting
Managed YouTube OAuth plus arbitrary compatible RTMP endpoints
Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-URL imports
Documented REST, GraphQL, and OAuth-protected MCP interfaces

Where it's not a fit

Built for pre-recorded loops, not live webcam input
No simultaneous multi-destination streaming; run separate streams for each platform

Eligible new accounts may receive starter credits without a card; no guaranteed public amount or duration

Start with Streamloop

Castr

Pre-recorded 24/7 plus broader streaming

Starts at

Core plans from $19.99/month; infinite looping from $199.99/month

Best for

Pre-recorded 24/7 plus broader streaming

Castr is a broad live-video platform rather than a focused looper. Premium and higher can run infinitely looping MP4 playlists through Pre-Recorded Live, while TV Playout offers structured scheduling, live inputs, EPG, and larger playlists but limits loops to 15 or 30 days.

What's good

Broad multistreaming, hosted VOD, player, monetization, and API stack
Documented infinite Pre-Recorded Live looping on Premium and above
Account-wide delivery to 6–30 destinations depending on plan
TV Playout adds scheduling, live inputs, breaks, and EPG on higher tiers
Cloud Production provides browser-based switching and external URL overlays

Where it's not a fit

The valid infinite-loop entry price is $199.99/month, not $19.99/month
Starter and Standard can schedule prerecorded content but cannot loop indefinitely
Cloud prerecorded playback has no current documented 4K guarantee
Pre-Recorded Live and TV Playout have separate storage, file, quality, and loop rules
Cloud Production is a 720p switcher, not a full Restream-style guest studio

Free trial available; Trial TV Playout output is branded

Restream

Live multistreaming with a browser studio

Starts at

Free core plan; prerecorded looping from $79/month

Best for

Live multistreaming with a browser studio

Restream is primarily a live multistreaming platform and browser Studio. Upload & Stream can schedule prerecorded videos and playlists, but it is not a perpetual 24/7 looper: an individual event is capped at 10 loops and 40 hours, while playlists cannot loop and are capped at 40 entries and 24 hours.

What's good

Mature one-to-many distribution to 30 integrated platforms plus custom endpoints
Full browser Studio with guests, scenes, graphics, screen sharing, and chat
Scheduled prerecorded events are available through dedicated add-ons
Marathon supports 1080p looping and Media supports 4K
Business and Enterprise add stronger production and reliability controls

Where it's not a fit

Looping starts at $79/month, not the $39 Premier tier
No documented tier supports a continuous 30-day prerecorded event
Individual videos stop after 10 loops or 40 hours
Playlists cannot loop and cannot be reordered after playback starts
Custom RTMP loses Restream chat, analytics, and automatic destination-title updates

Permanent Free plan; not a time-limited free trial

Runnel.live

A bare-bones, budget 24/7 loop

Starts at

$6 per stream per 30 days

Best for

A bare-bones, budget 24/7 loop

Runnel.live runs looping or shuffled video queues, primarily to YouTube, at a low per-stream usage price. Unlimited stream creation means separately billed stream objects, not unlimited streams for one $6 payment or one-feed fan-out; account limits and server capacity still apply.

What's good

Very low per-stream playout price with minute-level proration
Up to 4K60 in horizontal or vertical orientation
Queue looping, shuffle, bulk upload, and one-time scheduled starts
Additional videos can be uploaded while a stream is running

Where it's not a fit

Uploads cost extra and 4K uploads carry the highest per-GB charge
YouTube is the primary target; Twitch and Rumble are only partially supported
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are unsupported, while Kick support is conflicting
Account limits can require support approval and launches can wait for server capacity
Inactive streams containing media are purged after two months

No general free trial found

Real cost

What a 24/7 stream actually costs, by quality

Streamloop bills by the minute — pick a resolution and frame rate and pay only while you're live. Optional monthly credit plans are also available. Below is the cost of a stream running nonstop for a full 30 days.

Quality	30 fps / mo	60 fps / mo
720p	$5	$8
1080pMost popular	$10	$15
1440p (2K)	$20	$30
4K (2160p)	$30	$45

720p

30 fps: $5
60 fps: $8

1080p

1440p (2K)

30 fps: $20
60 fps: $30

4K (2160p)

30 fps: $30
60 fps: $45

Metered by the minute, so a week of streaming costs about a quarter of these figures, and a day about a thirtieth. Plus a one-time ~$0.005 per minute of video to encode it once. Uploads, storage, and idle loops are free.

A 1080p stream running 24/7 on Streamloop is about $10/month — and you only pay while it's live. Upstream charges a flat From $24/mo yearly / $30/mo monthly whether you stream all month or not.

Start with free credits

Comparison

Upstream compared to the others

All the features that matter, side by side.

Feature	Streamloop	Upstream	Castr	Restream	Runnel.live
1Pricing & access
Pay-as-you-go, no subscription	Pay as you go is available; official pages also reference optional monthly credit plans	✕	✕	✕	Prepaid credit and minute-prorated usage; no lock-in
Free trial (no card)	Eligible accounts may receive starter credits; no guaranteed public amount or duration	Free, 24h/mo	Free trial available; Trial TV Playout is branded	Permanent Free plan, not a trial	No general free trial found
Starting price	720p24: $4.02 per 30 live days; usage billed, not a subscription	From $24/mo yr / $30 mo	Core $19.99/mo; infinite Pre-Recorded Live loop from Premium $199.99/mo	Free core; paid core $19/mo; Upload & Stream $39/mo; looping $79/mo	$6 per separate stream per 30 days, prorated by minute
720p 30-day price	$4.02 at 24fps; $5.01 at 30fps	$24/mo yr / $30 mo	TV Playout starts at $19.99/mo but Starter cannot loop indefinitely	$39/mo yr (looping tier)	$6/mo + upload fees
1080p 30-day price	$9.98 at 30fps	$24/mo yr / $30 mo	TV Playout 1080p starts on Ultra $349.99/mo; max 30-day loop	No 30-day prerecorded tier; 1080p looping starts at $79/mo and stops by 40 h	$6 streaming plus HD upload charges of $0.07/GB
1440p / 2K 30-day price	$20.00 at 30fps	$63/mo yr / $70 mo	$17/mo yr / $20 mo	$39/mo yr (looping tier)	$6/mo + uploads
2160p / 4K 30-day price	$29.98 at 30fps; $45.01 at 60fps	$63/mo yr / $70 mo	No current 4K guarantee for cloud prerecorded playout	4K requires $239/mo Media but still cannot run 30 days continuously	$6 streaming plus 4K upload charges of $0.50/GB
2Streaming quality
720p / 30fps	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
1080p / Full HD	✓	✓	TV Playout 1080p on Ultra/Events; lower plans are fixed 720p30	✓	✓
60fps	24, 25, 30, or 60fps	✓	TV Playout 50/60fps on Ultra and Events	Official prerecorded requirements recommend 30 or 60fps	Up to 60fps
Up to 4K @ 60fps	Up to 2160p/4K	✓	4K cloud prerecorded output is not established by current official sources	4K requires the $239/mo Media Upload & Stream tier	Up to 4K
Vertical / portrait streaming	Portrait and landscape output	✓	✓	✓	Horizontal and vertical output
HDR streaming publicly documented	HDR supported where destination and playback device support it	✕	✕	HDR prerecorded output is not publicly documented	HDR output is not publicly documented
3Production & design
Stream designer / layout builder	No general-purpose live scene/layout builder	✓	Cloud Production supports positioning, scaling, transitions, and slates	Scenes, custom layouts, portrait/landscape, branding, and media	✕
Image, video & logo overlays	No general-purpose overlay designer is documented	✓	Images, tickers, lower thirds, alerts, and external URL overlays	Logos, overlays, lower thirds, captions, tickers, QR codes, and backgrounds	Overlays are not supported
Embed live websites & graphs	✕	✓	Hosted HTML5 player and video hosting	Embed player only	✕
Interactive alerts & widgets	No live games, polls, alerts, or audience widgets	✓	External URL widgets are supported; built-in interactive show tools are limited	Unified chat and on-screen cross-platform comments	✕
Custom fonts in overlays	✕	✓	✕	✓	✕
Browser Live Studio (camera)	No webcam, guest, screen, or gaming production studio	✓	720p Cloud Production switcher; not a full multi-guest studio	Full browser Studio with up to 10 on-screen participants	No browser production studio
4Sources & inputs
MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload	Docs list MP4, MOV, MKV with AV1/HEVC/H.264; homepage file-limit copy conflicts	✓	Pre-Recorded Live documents MP4 only	MP4, MOV, M4V, MKV with H.264/AAC; AVI is not documented	MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM; H.264; AVI is not documented
Separate audio track (music / voiceover)	Separate audio and audio playlists: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Opus	✓	✕	Separate Studio recording tracks do not provide a separate prerecorded audio playlist	✕
Import from Google Drive / Dropbox	Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-download URL imports	✕	✓	Current Upload & Stream pages reviewed do not verify Drive or Dropbox import	✕
Playlists with custom ordering	Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and natural-language custom order	✓	Ordered playlists with per-item enable/disable controls	Marathon/Media; 40 videos, 24 hours, no playlist looping	Bulk-uploaded queue can loop and shuffle
Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)	Ordered playback, shuffle without repeats, and rule-based sequencing	✓	✕	✕	✓
Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)	Publish playlist edits live; changes apply after the current clip	✓	Items can be managed, but the playing TV item should not be moved or replaced live	Playlist items cannot be added, removed, or reordered after playback starts	New videos can be uploaded while live; broader live reordering is not clearly documented
5Destinations
YouTube (one-click OAuth)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Custom RTMP (any platform)	Any compatible RTMP destination	✓	Custom RTMP and SRT endpoints consume destination allowance	Paid core plan required; no Restream chat, analytics, or title control	Alternate RTMP/RTMPS URLs accepted; query-string URLs rejected
Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok	Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok, and others through compatible RTMP endpoints	✓	30+ platform catalog with native and custom endpoints	30 integrated destinations plus custom RTMP/SRT/HLS/WHIP options	YouTube-first; Twitch/Rumble partial; Facebook/Instagram/TikTok unsupported; Kick conflicting
Multistream to several destinations	No one-to-many fan-out; create separate streams for several destinations	✓	One source can distribute to several account-wide destinations	One live source can distribute to several enabled channels	Each destination requires a separate stream and key
One-click YouTube (no stream key)	Official Google OAuth connection; manual stream-key option also available	✓	Native YouTube destination integration	Native YouTube integration	Users create a YouTube event and stream key separately
SRT ingest	✕	✕	✓	✓	✕
6Lifecycle & automation
True 24/7 continuous loop	Continuous cloud loop while active and funded	✓	Infinite Pre-Recorded Live looping on Premium+; TV Playout loops are time-limited	Maximum 10 loops and 40 hours per video event	Queues can loop continuously
YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation	Can create and synchronize broadcast metadata, privacy, thumbnail, latency, DVR, recording, and schedule	✓	Native YouTube destination and scheduling; complete lifecycle automation not established	Scheduled event creation/attachment and advance posts; not full lifecycle ownership	Managed YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation is not documented
Scheduling	Immediate/future start; duration, end time, or open-ended	✓	One-time prerecorded schedules and TV-style timetables	Scheduled prerecorded events and playlists	One-time future start; no recurring schedule found
MCP / agent integration	OAuth-protected hosted MCP for streams, playlists, uploads, destinations, usage, and billing	✕	✕	✕	✕
YouTube ad cue points	✕	✓	✕	✓	✕
Edit title / description / thumbnail live	✓	✕	✕	✓	✕
Public API	Public OpenAPI REST interface plus documented GraphQL	✕	API access begins on Premium	✓	No public API is documented
Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling	Can run indefinitely until stopped, credit is exhausted, or destination action is required	✓	Yes for Premium+ Pre-Recorded Live; no for TV Playout	No perpetual prerecorded loop; playlists cannot loop	Continuous queue loop; inactive streams are purged after two months
7Limits & inclusions
Storage included	Uploads and storage are free; no published hard total quota	100GB	Pre-recorded: 4/4/10/20/20 GB; hosted VOD storage is separate	Upload & Stream publishes 2-, 4-, and 12-hour libraries rather than GB quotas	No monthly quota published; uploads are charged and inactive media is purged
Concurrent streams / slots	Multiple separate streams are supported; no public account hard cap is documented	1	Created workflows, including inactive ones, count; prerecorded streams are 1/1/2/3/3	Published numbers are active destination channels, not independent program jobs	Unlimited creation is marketed, but support-set account limits and finite capacity apply
Max multistream destinations	One destination per stream	10	6 Starter; 10 Standard; 20 Premium; 30 Ultra/Events, account-wide	2 Free; 3 Standard; 5 Professional; 8 Business; Enterprise custom	One destination per separately created stream
Videos per playlist	No published limit	No published limit	Pre-recorded: 2/2/10/15/15; TV Playout: 5/10/30/30/50 files	40 videos per playlist	No published limit (bulk-upload as many videos as you like)
Max upload size / length	Current docs say 10 GB/file; homepage still says 1.5 GB free and 5 GB paid	✕	Pre-recorded max 240 min/file Premium+; TV caps range 500 MB–10 GB and 30–240 min	2/4/12-hour libraries; playlists max 40 items and 24 hours	100 MB–100 GB and 20 seconds–4 days per file
Team / multi-user access	Shared workspaces with separate sign-ins; no public RBAC or seat limit	✓	3 members (Premium), 5 (Ultra)	✓	✓
No watermark	No Streamloop output watermark documented	✓	Trial, Starter, and Standard TV Playout output is branded	Free carries Restream branding; paid plans remove it	✓
8Reliability & support
Automatic monitoring & recovery	Reports over 99.9% uptime with automatic monitoring, restart, and reconnection	✓	✓	✓	✕
Backup streams	Standby capacity is reported; zero downtime and recovery time are not guaranteed	✓	Failover ingest begins on Ultra and Events	Disconnect protection on Business; true backup encoder ingest on Enterprise	✕
Chat / email support	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Uptime guarantee / compensation	No contractual uptime compensation or recovery-time SLA published	✓	No standard public compensation-backed SLA found	No public compensation-backed uptime SLA found	✓
In-app viewer analytics	✓	✕	✓	✓	✕
9Trust & account
Trustpilot rating	No profile yet	4.7 (200)	~4.0 (54)	4.5 (~471)	4.1 (~5-10 reviews)
YouTube-Verified encoder	✓	✓	Not listed as verified encoder	✓	Not listed as verified encoder
Two-factor authentication	Passkeys	✓	✓	✓	✕

Streamloop stays fixed. Open a tool to compare its full feature set.

StreamloopVS

Upstream

Pricing & access

Pay-as-you-go, no subscription

Streamloop: Pay as you go is available; official pages also reference optional monthly credit plans
Upstream: ✕

Free trial (no card)

Streamloop: Eligible accounts may receive starter credits; no guaranteed public amount or duration
Upstream: Free, 24h/mo

Starting price

Streamloop: 720p24: $4.02 per 30 live days; usage billed, not a subscription
Upstream: From $24/mo yr / $30 mo

720p 30-day price

Streamloop: $4.02 at 24fps; $5.01 at 30fps
Upstream: $24/mo yr / $30 mo

1080p 30-day price

Streamloop: $9.98 at 30fps
Upstream: $24/mo yr / $30 mo

1440p / 2K 30-day price

Streamloop: $20.00 at 30fps
Upstream: $63/mo yr / $70 mo

2160p / 4K 30-day price

Streamloop: $29.98 at 30fps; $45.01 at 60fps
Upstream: $63/mo yr / $70 mo

Streaming quality

720p / 30fps

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✓

1080p / Full HD

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✓

60fps

Streamloop: 24, 25, 30, or 60fps
Upstream: ✓

Up to 4K @ 60fps

Streamloop: Up to 2160p/4K
Upstream: ✓

Vertical / portrait streaming

Streamloop: Portrait and landscape output
Upstream: ✓

HDR streaming publicly documented

Streamloop: HDR supported where destination and playback device support it
Upstream: ✕

Production & design

Stream designer / layout builder

Streamloop: No general-purpose live scene/layout builder
Upstream: ✓

Image, video & logo overlays

Streamloop: No general-purpose overlay designer is documented
Upstream: ✓

Embed live websites & graphs

Streamloop: ✕
Upstream: ✓

Interactive alerts & widgets

Streamloop: No live games, polls, alerts, or audience widgets
Upstream: ✓

Custom fonts in overlays

Streamloop: ✕
Upstream: ✓

Browser Live Studio (camera)

Streamloop: No webcam, guest, screen, or gaming production studio
Upstream: ✓

Sources & inputs

MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload

Streamloop: Docs list MP4, MOV, MKV with AV1/HEVC/H.264; homepage file-limit copy conflicts
Upstream: ✓

Separate audio track (music / voiceover)

Streamloop: Separate audio and audio playlists: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Opus
Upstream: ✓

Import from Google Drive / Dropbox

Streamloop: Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-download URL imports
Upstream: ✕

Playlists with custom ordering

Streamloop: Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and natural-language custom order
Upstream: ✓

Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)

Streamloop: Ordered playback, shuffle without repeats, and rule-based sequencing
Upstream: ✓

Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)

Streamloop: Publish playlist edits live; changes apply after the current clip
Upstream: ✓

Destinations

YouTube (one-click OAuth)

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✓

Custom RTMP (any platform)

Streamloop: Any compatible RTMP destination
Upstream: ✓

Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok

Streamloop: Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok, and others through compatible RTMP endpoints
Upstream: ✓

Multistream to several destinations

Streamloop: No one-to-many fan-out; create separate streams for several destinations
Upstream: ✓

One-click YouTube (no stream key)

Streamloop: Official Google OAuth connection; manual stream-key option also available
Upstream: ✓

SRT ingest

Streamloop: ✕
Upstream: ✕

Lifecycle & automation

True 24/7 continuous loop

Streamloop: Continuous cloud loop while active and funded
Upstream: ✓

YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation

Streamloop: Can create and synchronize broadcast metadata, privacy, thumbnail, latency, DVR, recording, and schedule
Upstream: ✓

Scheduling

Streamloop: Immediate/future start; duration, end time, or open-ended
Upstream: ✓

MCP / agent integration

Streamloop: OAuth-protected hosted MCP for streams, playlists, uploads, destinations, usage, and billing
Upstream: ✕

YouTube ad cue points

Streamloop: ✕
Upstream: ✓

Edit title / description / thumbnail live

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✕

Public API

Streamloop: Public OpenAPI REST interface plus documented GraphQL
Upstream: ✕

Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling

Streamloop: Can run indefinitely until stopped, credit is exhausted, or destination action is required
Upstream: ✓

Limits & inclusions

Storage included

Streamloop: Uploads and storage are free; no published hard total quota
Upstream: 100GB

Concurrent streams / slots

Streamloop: Multiple separate streams are supported; no public account hard cap is documented
Upstream: 1

Max multistream destinations

Streamloop: One destination per stream
Upstream: 10

Videos per playlist

Streamloop: No published limit
Upstream: No published limit

Max upload size / length

Streamloop: Current docs say 10 GB/file; homepage still says 1.5 GB free and 5 GB paid
Upstream: ✕

Team / multi-user access

Streamloop: Shared workspaces with separate sign-ins; no public RBAC or seat limit
Upstream: ✓

No watermark

Streamloop: No Streamloop output watermark documented
Upstream: ✓

Reliability & support

Automatic monitoring & recovery

Streamloop: Reports over 99.9% uptime with automatic monitoring, restart, and reconnection
Upstream: ✓

Backup streams

Streamloop: Standby capacity is reported; zero downtime and recovery time are not guaranteed
Upstream: ✓

Chat / email support

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✓

Uptime guarantee / compensation

Streamloop: No contractual uptime compensation or recovery-time SLA published
Upstream: ✓

In-app viewer analytics

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✕

Trust & account

Trustpilot rating

Streamloop: No profile yet
Upstream: 4.7 (200)

YouTube-Verified encoder

Streamloop: ✓
Upstream: ✓

Two-factor authentication

Streamloop: Passkeys
Upstream: ✓

StreamloopVS

Castr

Pricing & access

Pay-as-you-go, no subscription

Streamloop: Pay as you go is available; official pages also reference optional monthly credit plans
Castr: ✕

Free trial (no card)

Streamloop: Eligible accounts may receive starter credits; no guaranteed public amount or duration
Castr: Free trial available; Trial TV Playout is branded

Starting price

Streamloop: 720p24: $4.02 per 30 live days; usage billed, not a subscription
Castr: Core $19.99/mo; infinite Pre-Recorded Live loop from Premium $199.99/mo

720p 30-day price

Streamloop: $4.02 at 24fps; $5.01 at 30fps
Castr: TV Playout starts at $19.99/mo but Starter cannot loop indefinitely

1080p 30-day price

Streamloop: $9.98 at 30fps
Castr: TV Playout 1080p starts on Ultra $349.99/mo; max 30-day loop

1440p / 2K 30-day price

Streamloop: $20.00 at 30fps
Castr: $17/mo yr / $20 mo

2160p / 4K 30-day price

Streamloop: $29.98 at 30fps; $45.01 at 60fps
Castr: No current 4K guarantee for cloud prerecorded playout

Streaming quality

720p / 30fps

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: ✓

1080p / Full HD

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: TV Playout 1080p on Ultra/Events; lower plans are fixed 720p30

60fps

Streamloop: 24, 25, 30, or 60fps
Castr: TV Playout 50/60fps on Ultra and Events

Up to 4K @ 60fps

Streamloop: Up to 2160p/4K
Castr: 4K cloud prerecorded output is not established by current official sources

Vertical / portrait streaming

Streamloop: Portrait and landscape output
Castr: ✓

HDR streaming publicly documented

Streamloop: HDR supported where destination and playback device support it
Castr: ✕

Production & design

Stream designer / layout builder

Streamloop: No general-purpose live scene/layout builder
Castr: Cloud Production supports positioning, scaling, transitions, and slates

Image, video & logo overlays

Streamloop: No general-purpose overlay designer is documented
Castr: Images, tickers, lower thirds, alerts, and external URL overlays

Embed live websites & graphs

Streamloop: ✕
Castr: Hosted HTML5 player and video hosting

Interactive alerts & widgets

Streamloop: No live games, polls, alerts, or audience widgets
Castr: External URL widgets are supported; built-in interactive show tools are limited

Custom fonts in overlays

Streamloop: ✕
Castr: ✕

Browser Live Studio (camera)

Streamloop: No webcam, guest, screen, or gaming production studio
Castr: 720p Cloud Production switcher; not a full multi-guest studio

Sources & inputs

MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload

Streamloop: Docs list MP4, MOV, MKV with AV1/HEVC/H.264; homepage file-limit copy conflicts
Castr: Pre-Recorded Live documents MP4 only

Separate audio track (music / voiceover)

Streamloop: Separate audio and audio playlists: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Opus
Castr: ✕

Import from Google Drive / Dropbox

Streamloop: Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-download URL imports
Castr: ✓

Playlists with custom ordering

Streamloop: Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and natural-language custom order
Castr: Ordered playlists with per-item enable/disable controls

Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)

Streamloop: Ordered playback, shuffle without repeats, and rule-based sequencing
Castr: ✕

Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)

Streamloop: Publish playlist edits live; changes apply after the current clip
Castr: Items can be managed, but the playing TV item should not be moved or replaced live

Destinations

YouTube (one-click OAuth)

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: ✓

Custom RTMP (any platform)

Streamloop: Any compatible RTMP destination
Castr: Custom RTMP and SRT endpoints consume destination allowance

Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok

Streamloop: Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok, and others through compatible RTMP endpoints
Castr: 30+ platform catalog with native and custom endpoints

Multistream to several destinations

Streamloop: No one-to-many fan-out; create separate streams for several destinations
Castr: One source can distribute to several account-wide destinations

One-click YouTube (no stream key)

Streamloop: Official Google OAuth connection; manual stream-key option also available
Castr: Native YouTube destination integration

SRT ingest

Streamloop: ✕
Castr: ✓

Lifecycle & automation

True 24/7 continuous loop

Streamloop: Continuous cloud loop while active and funded
Castr: Infinite Pre-Recorded Live looping on Premium+; TV Playout loops are time-limited

YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation

Streamloop: Can create and synchronize broadcast metadata, privacy, thumbnail, latency, DVR, recording, and schedule
Castr: Native YouTube destination and scheduling; complete lifecycle automation not established

Scheduling

Streamloop: Immediate/future start; duration, end time, or open-ended
Castr: One-time prerecorded schedules and TV-style timetables

MCP / agent integration

Streamloop: OAuth-protected hosted MCP for streams, playlists, uploads, destinations, usage, and billing
Castr: ✕

YouTube ad cue points

Streamloop: ✕
Castr: ✕

Edit title / description / thumbnail live

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: ✕

Public API

Streamloop: Public OpenAPI REST interface plus documented GraphQL
Castr: API access begins on Premium

Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling

Streamloop: Can run indefinitely until stopped, credit is exhausted, or destination action is required
Castr: Yes for Premium+ Pre-Recorded Live; no for TV Playout

Limits & inclusions

Storage included

Streamloop: Uploads and storage are free; no published hard total quota
Castr: Pre-recorded: 4/4/10/20/20 GB; hosted VOD storage is separate

Concurrent streams / slots

Streamloop: Multiple separate streams are supported; no public account hard cap is documented
Castr: Created workflows, including inactive ones, count; prerecorded streams are 1/1/2/3/3

Max multistream destinations

Streamloop: One destination per stream
Castr: 6 Starter; 10 Standard; 20 Premium; 30 Ultra/Events, account-wide

Videos per playlist

Streamloop: No published limit
Castr: Pre-recorded: 2/2/10/15/15; TV Playout: 5/10/30/30/50 files

Max upload size / length

Streamloop: Current docs say 10 GB/file; homepage still says 1.5 GB free and 5 GB paid
Castr: Pre-recorded max 240 min/file Premium+; TV caps range 500 MB–10 GB and 30–240 min

Team / multi-user access

Streamloop: Shared workspaces with separate sign-ins; no public RBAC or seat limit
Castr: 3 members (Premium), 5 (Ultra)

No watermark

Streamloop: No Streamloop output watermark documented
Castr: Trial, Starter, and Standard TV Playout output is branded

Reliability & support

Automatic monitoring & recovery

Streamloop: Reports over 99.9% uptime with automatic monitoring, restart, and reconnection
Castr: ✓

Backup streams

Streamloop: Standby capacity is reported; zero downtime and recovery time are not guaranteed
Castr: Failover ingest begins on Ultra and Events

Chat / email support

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: ✓

Uptime guarantee / compensation

Streamloop: No contractual uptime compensation or recovery-time SLA published
Castr: No standard public compensation-backed SLA found

In-app viewer analytics

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: ✓

Trust & account

Trustpilot rating

Streamloop: No profile yet
Castr: ~4.0 (54)

YouTube-Verified encoder

Streamloop: ✓
Castr: Not listed as verified encoder

Two-factor authentication

Streamloop: Passkeys
Castr: ✓

StreamloopVS

Restream

Pricing & access

Pay-as-you-go, no subscription

Streamloop: Pay as you go is available; official pages also reference optional monthly credit plans
Restream: ✕

Free trial (no card)

Streamloop: Eligible accounts may receive starter credits; no guaranteed public amount or duration
Restream: Permanent Free plan, not a trial

Starting price

Streamloop: 720p24: $4.02 per 30 live days; usage billed, not a subscription
Restream: Free core; paid core $19/mo; Upload & Stream $39/mo; looping $79/mo

720p 30-day price

Streamloop: $4.02 at 24fps; $5.01 at 30fps
Restream: $39/mo yr (looping tier)

1080p 30-day price

Streamloop: $9.98 at 30fps
Restream: No 30-day prerecorded tier; 1080p looping starts at $79/mo and stops by 40 h

1440p / 2K 30-day price

Streamloop: $20.00 at 30fps
Restream: $39/mo yr (looping tier)

2160p / 4K 30-day price

Streamloop: $29.98 at 30fps; $45.01 at 60fps
Restream: 4K requires $239/mo Media but still cannot run 30 days continuously

Streaming quality

720p / 30fps

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

1080p / Full HD

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

60fps

Streamloop: 24, 25, 30, or 60fps
Restream: Official prerecorded requirements recommend 30 or 60fps

Up to 4K @ 60fps

Streamloop: Up to 2160p/4K
Restream: 4K requires the $239/mo Media Upload & Stream tier

Vertical / portrait streaming

Streamloop: Portrait and landscape output
Restream: ✓

HDR streaming publicly documented

Streamloop: HDR supported where destination and playback device support it
Restream: HDR prerecorded output is not publicly documented

Production & design

Stream designer / layout builder

Streamloop: No general-purpose live scene/layout builder
Restream: Scenes, custom layouts, portrait/landscape, branding, and media

Image, video & logo overlays

Streamloop: No general-purpose overlay designer is documented
Restream: Logos, overlays, lower thirds, captions, tickers, QR codes, and backgrounds

Embed live websites & graphs

Streamloop: ✕
Restream: Embed player only

Interactive alerts & widgets

Streamloop: No live games, polls, alerts, or audience widgets
Restream: Unified chat and on-screen cross-platform comments

Custom fonts in overlays

Streamloop: ✕
Restream: ✓

Browser Live Studio (camera)

Streamloop: No webcam, guest, screen, or gaming production studio
Restream: Full browser Studio with up to 10 on-screen participants

Sources & inputs

MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload

Streamloop: Docs list MP4, MOV, MKV with AV1/HEVC/H.264; homepage file-limit copy conflicts
Restream: MP4, MOV, M4V, MKV with H.264/AAC; AVI is not documented

Separate audio track (music / voiceover)

Streamloop: Separate audio and audio playlists: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Opus
Restream: Separate Studio recording tracks do not provide a separate prerecorded audio playlist

Import from Google Drive / Dropbox

Streamloop: Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-download URL imports
Restream: Current Upload & Stream pages reviewed do not verify Drive or Dropbox import

Playlists with custom ordering

Streamloop: Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and natural-language custom order
Restream: Marathon/Media; 40 videos, 24 hours, no playlist looping

Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)

Streamloop: Ordered playback, shuffle without repeats, and rule-based sequencing
Restream: ✕

Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)

Streamloop: Publish playlist edits live; changes apply after the current clip
Restream: Playlist items cannot be added, removed, or reordered after playback starts

Destinations

YouTube (one-click OAuth)

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

Custom RTMP (any platform)

Streamloop: Any compatible RTMP destination
Restream: Paid core plan required; no Restream chat, analytics, or title control

Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok

Streamloop: Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok, and others through compatible RTMP endpoints
Restream: 30 integrated destinations plus custom RTMP/SRT/HLS/WHIP options

Multistream to several destinations

Streamloop: No one-to-many fan-out; create separate streams for several destinations
Restream: One live source can distribute to several enabled channels

One-click YouTube (no stream key)

Streamloop: Official Google OAuth connection; manual stream-key option also available
Restream: Native YouTube integration

SRT ingest

Streamloop: ✕
Restream: ✓

Lifecycle & automation

True 24/7 continuous loop

Streamloop: Continuous cloud loop while active and funded
Restream: Maximum 10 loops and 40 hours per video event

YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation

Streamloop: Can create and synchronize broadcast metadata, privacy, thumbnail, latency, DVR, recording, and schedule
Restream: Scheduled event creation/attachment and advance posts; not full lifecycle ownership

Scheduling

Streamloop: Immediate/future start; duration, end time, or open-ended
Restream: Scheduled prerecorded events and playlists

MCP / agent integration

Streamloop: OAuth-protected hosted MCP for streams, playlists, uploads, destinations, usage, and billing
Restream: ✕

YouTube ad cue points

Streamloop: ✕
Restream: ✓

Edit title / description / thumbnail live

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

Public API

Streamloop: Public OpenAPI REST interface plus documented GraphQL
Restream: ✓

Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling

Streamloop: Can run indefinitely until stopped, credit is exhausted, or destination action is required
Restream: No perpetual prerecorded loop; playlists cannot loop

Limits & inclusions

Storage included

Streamloop: Uploads and storage are free; no published hard total quota
Restream: Upload & Stream publishes 2-, 4-, and 12-hour libraries rather than GB quotas

Concurrent streams / slots

Streamloop: Multiple separate streams are supported; no public account hard cap is documented
Restream: Published numbers are active destination channels, not independent program jobs

Max multistream destinations

Streamloop: One destination per stream
Restream: 2 Free; 3 Standard; 5 Professional; 8 Business; Enterprise custom

Videos per playlist

Streamloop: No published limit
Restream: 40 videos per playlist

Max upload size / length

Streamloop: Current docs say 10 GB/file; homepage still says 1.5 GB free and 5 GB paid
Restream: 2/4/12-hour libraries; playlists max 40 items and 24 hours

Team / multi-user access

Streamloop: Shared workspaces with separate sign-ins; no public RBAC or seat limit
Restream: ✓

No watermark

Streamloop: No Streamloop output watermark documented
Restream: Free carries Restream branding; paid plans remove it

Reliability & support

Automatic monitoring & recovery

Streamloop: Reports over 99.9% uptime with automatic monitoring, restart, and reconnection
Restream: ✓

Backup streams

Streamloop: Standby capacity is reported; zero downtime and recovery time are not guaranteed
Restream: Disconnect protection on Business; true backup encoder ingest on Enterprise

Chat / email support

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

Uptime guarantee / compensation

Streamloop: No contractual uptime compensation or recovery-time SLA published
Restream: No public compensation-backed uptime SLA found

In-app viewer analytics

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

Trust & account

Trustpilot rating

Streamloop: No profile yet
Restream: 4.5 (~471)

YouTube-Verified encoder

Streamloop: ✓
Restream: ✓

Two-factor authentication

Streamloop: Passkeys
Restream: ✓

StreamloopVS

Runnel.live

Pricing & access

Pay-as-you-go, no subscription

Streamloop: Pay as you go is available; official pages also reference optional monthly credit plans
Runnel.live: Prepaid credit and minute-prorated usage; no lock-in

Free trial (no card)

Streamloop: Eligible accounts may receive starter credits; no guaranteed public amount or duration
Runnel.live: No general free trial found

Starting price

Streamloop: 720p24: $4.02 per 30 live days; usage billed, not a subscription
Runnel.live: $6 per separate stream per 30 days, prorated by minute

720p 30-day price

Streamloop: $4.02 at 24fps; $5.01 at 30fps
Runnel.live: $6/mo + upload fees

1080p 30-day price

Streamloop: $9.98 at 30fps
Runnel.live: $6 streaming plus HD upload charges of $0.07/GB

1440p / 2K 30-day price

Streamloop: $20.00 at 30fps
Runnel.live: $6/mo + uploads

2160p / 4K 30-day price

Streamloop: $29.98 at 30fps; $45.01 at 60fps
Runnel.live: $6 streaming plus 4K upload charges of $0.50/GB

Streaming quality

720p / 30fps

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✓

1080p / Full HD

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✓

60fps

Streamloop: 24, 25, 30, or 60fps
Runnel.live: Up to 60fps

Up to 4K @ 60fps

Streamloop: Up to 2160p/4K
Runnel.live: Up to 4K

Vertical / portrait streaming

Streamloop: Portrait and landscape output
Runnel.live: Horizontal and vertical output

HDR streaming publicly documented

Streamloop: HDR supported where destination and playback device support it
Runnel.live: HDR output is not publicly documented

Production & design

Stream designer / layout builder

Streamloop: No general-purpose live scene/layout builder
Runnel.live: ✕

Image, video & logo overlays

Streamloop: No general-purpose overlay designer is documented
Runnel.live: Overlays are not supported

Embed live websites & graphs

Streamloop: ✕
Runnel.live: ✕

Interactive alerts & widgets

Streamloop: No live games, polls, alerts, or audience widgets
Runnel.live: ✕

Custom fonts in overlays

Streamloop: ✕
Runnel.live: ✕

Browser Live Studio (camera)

Streamloop: No webcam, guest, screen, or gaming production studio
Runnel.live: No browser production studio

Sources & inputs

MP4 / MKV / AVI / MOV upload

Streamloop: Docs list MP4, MOV, MKV with AV1/HEVC/H.264; homepage file-limit copy conflicts
Runnel.live: MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM; H.264; AVI is not documented

Separate audio track (music / voiceover)

Streamloop: Separate audio and audio playlists: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Opus
Runnel.live: ✕

Import from Google Drive / Dropbox

Streamloop: Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, and direct-download URL imports
Runnel.live: ✕

Playlists with custom ordering

Streamloop: Ordered, non-repeating shuffle, and natural-language custom order
Runnel.live: Bulk-uploaded queue can loop and shuffle

Custom loop logic (shuffle, loop counts)

Streamloop: Ordered playback, shuffle without repeats, and rule-based sequencing
Runnel.live: ✓

Edit the stream live (swap / skip / reorder)

Streamloop: Publish playlist edits live; changes apply after the current clip
Runnel.live: New videos can be uploaded while live; broader live reordering is not clearly documented

Destinations

YouTube (one-click OAuth)

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✓

Custom RTMP (any platform)

Streamloop: Any compatible RTMP destination
Runnel.live: Alternate RTMP/RTMPS URLs accepted; query-string URLs rejected

Twitch / Facebook / Kick / TikTok

Streamloop: Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok, and others through compatible RTMP endpoints
Runnel.live: YouTube-first; Twitch/Rumble partial; Facebook/Instagram/TikTok unsupported; Kick conflicting

Multistream to several destinations

Streamloop: No one-to-many fan-out; create separate streams for several destinations
Runnel.live: Each destination requires a separate stream and key

One-click YouTube (no stream key)

Streamloop: Official Google OAuth connection; manual stream-key option also available
Runnel.live: Users create a YouTube event and stream key separately

SRT ingest

Streamloop: ✕
Runnel.live: ✕

Lifecycle & automation

True 24/7 continuous loop

Streamloop: Continuous cloud loop while active and funded
Runnel.live: Queues can loop continuously

YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation

Streamloop: Can create and synchronize broadcast metadata, privacy, thumbnail, latency, DVR, recording, and schedule
Runnel.live: Managed YouTube broadcast lifecycle automation is not documented

Scheduling

Streamloop: Immediate/future start; duration, end time, or open-ended
Runnel.live: One-time future start; no recurring schedule found

MCP / agent integration

Streamloop: OAuth-protected hosted MCP for streams, playlists, uploads, destinations, usage, and billing
Runnel.live: ✕

YouTube ad cue points

Streamloop: ✕
Runnel.live: ✕

Edit title / description / thumbnail live

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✕

Public API

Streamloop: Public OpenAPI REST interface plus documented GraphQL
Runnel.live: No public API is documented

Unlimited loop without manual rescheduling

Streamloop: Can run indefinitely until stopped, credit is exhausted, or destination action is required
Runnel.live: Continuous queue loop; inactive streams are purged after two months

Limits & inclusions

Storage included

Streamloop: Uploads and storage are free; no published hard total quota
Runnel.live: No monthly quota published; uploads are charged and inactive media is purged

Concurrent streams / slots

Streamloop: Multiple separate streams are supported; no public account hard cap is documented
Runnel.live: Unlimited creation is marketed, but support-set account limits and finite capacity apply

Max multistream destinations

Streamloop: One destination per stream
Runnel.live: One destination per separately created stream

Videos per playlist

Streamloop: No published limit
Runnel.live: No published limit (bulk-upload as many videos as you like)

Max upload size / length

Streamloop: Current docs say 10 GB/file; homepage still says 1.5 GB free and 5 GB paid
Runnel.live: 100 MB–100 GB and 20 seconds–4 days per file

Team / multi-user access

Streamloop: Shared workspaces with separate sign-ins; no public RBAC or seat limit
Runnel.live: ✓

No watermark

Streamloop: No Streamloop output watermark documented
Runnel.live: ✓

Reliability & support

Automatic monitoring & recovery

Streamloop: Reports over 99.9% uptime with automatic monitoring, restart, and reconnection
Runnel.live: ✕

Backup streams

Streamloop: Standby capacity is reported; zero downtime and recovery time are not guaranteed
Runnel.live: ✕

Chat / email support

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✓

Uptime guarantee / compensation

Streamloop: No contractual uptime compensation or recovery-time SLA published
Runnel.live: ✓

In-app viewer analytics

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: ✕

Trust & account

Trustpilot rating

Streamloop: No profile yet
Runnel.live: 4.1 (~5-10 reviews)

YouTube-Verified encoder

Streamloop: ✓
Runnel.live: Not listed as verified encoder

Two-factor authentication

Streamloop: Passkeys
Runnel.live: ✕

★ Key differentiator✓ Feature included✕ Not included– Not publicly documented

Decision guide

Which one should you choose?

A quick decision framework based on what you actually need.

You want a focused 24/7 loop with pay-as-you-go or an optional monthly planStreamloop · Pay as you go or choose an optional monthly credit plan; free trial credits

You need pro, TV-style playout or OTT deliveryCastr · Broader broadcast and hosting toolset

You mostly run live multistream showsRestream · Browser-based multistream studio

You want the cheapest barebones YouTube loopRunnel.live · Budget, pay-as-you-go

FAQ

Upstream alternatives: FAQ

The questions people actually ask before switching

What is the best Upstream alternative?

For flexible 24/7 looping, Streamloop is our pick: use pay-as-you-go credits or an optional monthly credit plan. Castr and Restream suit broader streaming needs; Runnel.live is a budget option.

Is there a free Upstream alternative?

Streamloop offers free trial credits with no card, and Restream has a free plan. Most full 24/7 looping happens on paid usage.

Which Upstream alternative is cheapest?

Pay-as-you-go pricing on Streamloop is usually cheapest for an always-on channel because you only pay for what you stream.

Explore next

More 24/7 streaming research

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