Streamloop vs StreamYard
For creators who run a channel while away from the computer, or send an OBS feed to several platforms.
Streamloop turns pre-recorded videos into a 24/7 live stream from the cloud. Your computer can be off, and you need no OBS. It suits lofi channels, music, sermon replays, podcasts and study streams. A 24/7 live stream stays live, so new viewers can find it at any hour. For a live encoder feed, Streamloop Live Scenes adds graphics.
StreamYard is a live studio in your browser. This page compares a stream that runs without you with a show you host.
The short version
Choose Streamloop for a 24/7 loop, a weekly replay or an encoder feed to several platforms. Choose StreamYard for live shows with guests.
Streaming is billed by the minute, only while live: one 24/7 stream at 1080p is about $10 per 30 days. Start with a $1 trial week, which becomes a monthly plan unless you cancel, or top up and pay as you go. See all prices
Published by Streamloop, a competitor.
How are Streamloop and StreamYard different?
Which StreamYard alternative fits your job?
Use StreamYard when you need:
- Live shows with remote guests on screen
- Webinars with sign-ups
- Recordings, AI clips and transcripts of your shows
- Vertical and horizontal video at the same time
- More than 5 platforms at once
- Comments from every platform in one view
- A free start, with limits
Use Streamloop when you need:
- A 24/7 stream or a long loop of pre-recorded video
- A weekly sermon or show replay that runs without you
- Loops in 1440p or 4K on YouTube
- Graphics that an AI assistant builds for you
- A low cost for part-time hours, because you pay only while live
Can StreamYard work with OBS?
Yes, but only as a camera. StreamYard brings OBS into its browser studio through OBS Virtual Camera, so OBS, the studio and your computer run for the whole show. StreamYard lists no RTMP input.
Streamloop Live Scenes takes the OBS feed as an RTMP input instead, adds graphics and sends the show to up to 5 platforms. Live Scenes is billed by the minute, only while live: one 1080p channel at 30 fps, live 24/7, is about $20 per 30 days. Each extra platform adds $6 per 30 days at 1080p. Choose Scene when you create a stream and describe your use case. Access is granted within 24 hours. The $1 trial week is sized for a video loop; a Scene stream spends the same credit about twice as fast. See the Bringing in OBS tab.
What does the same job look like in each tool?
Each tab shows the StreamYard screen above the Streamloop screen. For StreamYard's limits by plan, see the StreamYard review.
StreamYard
StreamYard: you choose one recording for each pre-recorded broadcast. Source: StreamYard Help Center.
Streamloop
Streamloop: a playlist of videos and audio tracks that plays in a loop.
StreamYard
StreamYard: the form for one pre-recorded broadcast. Source: StreamYard Help Center.
Streamloop
Streamloop: a loop set to Weekly, on Sunday from 9 AM to 12 PM.
StreamYard
StreamYard: OBS Virtual Camera in the camera menu of the studio. Source: StreamYard Help Center.
Streamloop
Live Scenes: OBS sends to an RTMP or RTMPS server URL with a key. SRT, RTSP and HLS also work.
StreamYard
StreamYard: you design graphics in a tool such as Canva and upload them, from Core. The studio shows one overlay at a time. Source: StreamYard pricing page and Help Center.
Streamloop
Live Scenes: a finished scene with a camera feed, a lower third and a clock. Describe the show, and the AI assistant builds it and asks before going live. You do not have to edit by hand.
What does each tool cost for your kind of stream?
If your stream is pre-recorded and runs most of the day, Streamloop usually costs less. If you host live shows with guests, StreamYard is the tool for the job.
Streamloop cost = live hours a month × the 30-day price / 720. StreamYard prices come from its pricing page and can change with promotions. All amounts are in US dollars.
A 24/7 lofi loop
Streamloop
$10 /30 days
About $122 for 365 days. To YouTube, Twitch and Kick: $22, which is $10 + 2 × $6.
StreamYard Core
$44.99 /mo
$35.99 a month billed yearly, $431.88 a year. A 24/7 loop needs a live studio session with a looping clip, so your computer and browser stay on all day.
A weekly sermon replay
Streamloop · about 8.7 h × $16 per 720 h
$0.19 /mo
The rate is $10 + $6 for a second platform. The Weekly schedule starts and stops the replay. The minimum top-up is $5.
StreamYard Core
$44.99 /mo
$35.99 a month billed yearly. Core allows 2 hours for each pre-recorded video, so a longer service needs Advanced, at $88.99 or $68.99 billed yearly. A church account may need Business, at $299 or $249.
A live show from an encoder
Streamloop Live Scenes · about 39 h × $32 per 720 h
$1.73 /mo
You pay the 1080p30 Live Scenes price plus 2 extra platforms, only while the show is live.
StreamYard
No encoder input
OBS joins only as a virtual camera in the browser studio, with your computer on. Core sends to 3 platforms, at $44.99 a month or $35.99 billed yearly.
A weekly talk show with 3 remote guests
Streamloop
Not possible
You can still run a Streamloop loop between the shows.
StreamYard Free
$0 /mo
StreamYard wins this job. Free sends to 1 platform; Core sends to 3, at $44.99 a month or $35.99 billed yearly.
A nonstop live feed all month can favour StreamYard billed yearly, if your own computer can run the studio all day. Live Scenes 24/7 to 3 platforms costs $47 per 30 days at 1080p60: $35 + 2 × $6. That is more than Core billed yearly. At 1080p30, it costs $32: $20 + 2 × $6.
Other Streamloop costs: each extra platform costs $3.50 to $12.50 per 30 days, by resolution, only while live. Encoding costs $0.005 per minute of encode time, and playlists over 30 GiB per stream add $0.35 per GiB-month. The minimum top-up is $5. A card top-up can add a fee of up to 5%, at least $0.50, depending on the payment method. The top-up window shows the fee before you pay.
Which features does each one have?
| Feature | StreamYard | Streamloop |
|---|---|---|
| Feature by feature | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Trial | Yes | Paid trial |
| OBS or an encoder | As a virtual camera only | As a live input, in Live Scenes |
| Platforms at once | 1, 3, 8 or 10, by plan | Up to 5 |
| Remote guests | Yes | No |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Vertical and horizontal at once | Yes | No; video loops are 16:9 only |
| Records your stream | Yes, on paid plans | No; with YouTube sign-in, YouTube can save it |
| File size | Set by plan | 15 GiB per file |
| Add video from | An upload or a past broadcast | An upload, Google Drive, YouTube or a link |
StreamYard facts come from its pricing page and help center. The StreamYard review lists its limits by plan.
How do you switch from StreamYard to Streamloop?
Five steps move a pre-recorded channel to Streamloop. Keep StreamYard for live shows with guests.
Download your recordings
Keep your original video files. Download any live broadcast recordings that you want to keep, before you cancel the plan. StreamYard does not save pre-recorded streams to its library.
Create a loop
Create a loop in Streamloop and choose the resolution and frame rate. Upload your videos, or import them from a link.
Add your destinations
Connect YouTube with Google sign-in, or add a YouTube stream key. Add Twitch and Kick with a stream key from each platform. Add other platforms with their server URL and key.
Set a schedule if the stream repeats
If you replay the stream each day or week, set a Daily or Weekly schedule. Choose the days and the time window. You enter the times in your local time.
Start with the $1 trial
Start the stream and check it on each platform. Make the first YouTube test unlisted. Then delete the old scheduled StreamYard broadcasts.
Frequently asked questions
Can StreamYard run a 24/7 looping stream?
Not on its own. A StreamYard pre-recorded stream plays once and ends, and a looping clip needs a live studio session on your computer. See how the two tools differ.
Are Streamloop and StreamYard direct competitors?
Only in part. StreamYard is a live studio where you host the show, often with guests. Streamloop streams pre-recorded video for you while you are away, and its Live Scenes add graphics to a live feed. They meet on pre-recorded streams and on encoder feeds to several platforms. See which tool fits your job.
Which is cheaper for continuous streaming?
If your stream is pre-recorded and runs most of the day, Streamloop usually costs less, because you pay only while the stream is live. If you run a nonstop live feed from your own computer, StreamYard billed yearly can cost less. See the cost cards for four worked cases.
Can I use both together?
Yes. You can host live shows with guests in StreamYard and run a Streamloop loop between the shows. For example, a channel can stream a live interview each week and a 24/7 music loop the rest of the time. See how to switch for the Streamloop setup.
What is the best StreamYard alternative for a 24/7 stream?
For pre-recorded video that streams 24/7, Streamloop fits, because the playlist loops until you stop it. We publish Streamloop, so check the facts on this page. For live shows with guests, look at browser studios such as Restream Studio or Riverside. For other 24/7 tools, see the best 24/7 streaming software.
Can StreamYard take an OBS or RTMP feed?
OBS joins StreamYard as a virtual camera, and StreamYard lists no RTMP input. See Can StreamYard work with OBS?
Is there a free StreamYard alternative?
OBS Studio is free software, but it runs on your own computer for the whole stream. Streamloop has no free plan; you pay only for the time that you stream. StreamYard itself has a Free plan, with limits that the StreamYard review lists. See which tool fits your job.
Sources
Checked on October 15, 2026 against StreamYard's pricing page and help center, and the Streamloop dashboard. We did not test a paid StreamYard account.
StreamYard pricing page, Individuals and Business tabs, billed monthly and yearly
StreamYard Help Center: Pre-recorded Streaming, which says that pre-recorded streams are no longer saved to the library automatically
StreamYard Help Center: How to Use OBS Virtual Camera with StreamYard; How Do I Make Overlays
Streamloop prices are per 30 days, or 720 hours of streaming
Questions or a correction? Contact us
Changes
October 15, 2026. Rebuilt the page. Corrected Streamloop prices, destinations, upload limits and Live Scenes. Added StreamYard's current plans and the pre-recorded rules.
September 1, 2026. First published.