StreamYard vs Restream: Complete Comparison for Live Streamers

Both StreamYard and Restream are browser-based live streaming platforms that let you multistream to multiple platforms simultaneously. They're competing for the same market: podcasters, content creators, and businesses who want professional-looking streams without dealing with OBS complexity.

But they're not interchangeable. After digging into both platforms, here's the honest breakdown of which one you should choose and why.

Quick Verdict

Pick Restream if you want to maximize platform reach at a lower price point. Their $16/month Standard plan gets you multistreaming to 3 channels with no watermark.

Pick StreamYard if you prioritize ease of use, better guest management, and a more polished studio experience. Reviewers consistently find StreamYard easier to use, set up, and administer.

Pricing Breakdown

Let's cut to the numbers. Both platforms have changed their pricing recently, and the gap between them is notable.

Restream Pricing

• Free: 2 channels, 720p HD, Restream watermark
• Standard: $16/month (annual) or $19/month (monthly) – 3 channels, no watermark, custom graphics
• Professional: $39/month (annual) or $49/month (monthly) – 5 channels, 1080p Full HD, split recordings, team access
• Business: $199/month (annual) or $239/month (monthly) – 8 channels, SRT ingest, web player, priority support

StreamYard Pricing

• Free: 2 destinations, 720p, StreamYard branding, 6 on-screen participants
• Core: $44.99/month (or $35.99/month annual) – 3 destinations, Full HD 1080p, no branding, unlimited local recordings
• Advanced: $88.99/month (or $68.99/month annual) – 8 destinations, 4K local recordings, webinars, transcripts
• Teams: $298.99/month (or $238.99/month annual) – 10 seats, 1000-viewer webinars, 700+ hours storage

The price difference is significant. Restream's entry-level paid plan costs $16/month compared to StreamYard's $44.99/month. That's almost 3x more expensive for StreamYard at the lowest tier.

For more detail on StreamYard's pricing structure, check out our StreamYard pricing breakdown.

Multistreaming Capabilities

This is where Restream historically has had the edge. Restream supports over 30 platforms and lets you stream to multiple destinations based on your plan. StreamYard supports fewer platforms overall but covers all the major ones: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, and X.

Here's what you actually get:

Both platforms now cap out at 8 simultaneous destinations on their highest self-serve plans. Restream just gets you there for less money.

Studio and Production Features

This is where StreamYard pulls ahead. StreamYard's browser-based studio is genuinely easier to navigate, and the production quality feels more polished out of the box.

Guest Management

Both platforms allow up to 10 on-screen participants to join via link without needing an account. But there are differences:

• StreamYard lets guests broadcast to up to 2 of their own channels, with a total limit of 6 guest destinations
• Restream supports guests streaming to 3 of their own channels for free, with a much higher limit of up to 100 guest channel destinations

If you're running collaborative streams where guests need to rebroadcast, Restream's more generous here.

Pre-recorded Content

Restream has a clear advantage for pre-recorded content. You can upload multiple videos and have them automatically combined and scheduled to stream as a live event. StreamYard only allows scheduling one video per session, requiring editing work if you want to feature multiple files.

Chat Management

Restream supports viewing comments from 10 different platforms and responding to 6 of them. You can also overlay the entire chat on your screen and use their relay feature to repost messages across platforms. StreamYard's unified chat shows comments from 7 platforms with response capability on 3 of them. Both let you display individual comments on-screen.

Video Quality and Recording

Both platforms support HD streaming, but the specifics matter:

• Restream: Free and Standard plans cap at 720p. You need the Professional plan ($39/month) for 1080p Full HD.
• StreamYard: Core plan ($44.99/month) includes 1080p streaming. Advanced plan adds 4K local recordings.

StreamYard's Advanced plan also includes 1080p screen sharing (upgraded from 720p), which matters if you're doing demos or presentations.

For recording, StreamYard offers unlimited local recordings on paid plans with separate audio/video tracks for each participant. Both platforms store recordings in the cloud, though storage limits vary by plan.

Analytics and Insights

Restream's analytics are significantly ahead of StreamYard's. You get stream health monitoring, viewer counts, and engagement metrics built into the platform. However, some users with advanced streaming needs have questioned the accuracy of Restream's analytics.

StreamYard doesn't offer built-in analytics for live streams. Their approach is to focus on helping you broadcast effectively while relying on the analytics dashboards provided by YouTube, Facebook, and other destination platforms.

If having everything in one dashboard matters to you, Restream wins here.

AI Features

Both platforms now offer AI-powered clip creation, but they approach it differently:

• StreamYard: Constrained, vertical-only, non-editable AI clips designed for quick output without overthinking
• Restream: Richer editing controls and more format options, but requires more decisions and has an additional metered cost

For most creators who just want a few good vertical shorts without spending hours on post-production, StreamYard's constraints can actually be an advantage.

Ease of Use

This is where user reviews consistently favor StreamYard. According to G2 reviewers, StreamYard is easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also prefer doing business with StreamYard overall and felt it meets their business needs better than Restream.

Restream has more features, but that also means more complexity. The interface can feel overwhelming at first with all the options available.

StreamYard runs entirely in your browser with a clean, intuitive interface. There's a shallow learning curve, and most users can start streaming within minutes of signing up. Restream works the same way technically, but has a steeper learning curve due to its broader feature set.

Customer Support

Restream offers 24/7 live chat support available to all users, which is a significant advantage if you're streaming outside typical business hours.

StreamYard has a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first charge and lets you cancel anytime. Their support is responsive, but the 24/7 chat availability gives Restream an edge here.

Mobile Apps

Restream offers dedicated live streaming apps for iOS and Android, giving you the flexibility to stream on the go. StreamYard works in mobile browsers but lacks dedicated mobile apps, which can make for a less smooth experience.

The Downsides

StreamYard Pain Points

• Price is significantly higher than Restream for comparable features
• No built-in analytics – you're dependent on platform dashboards
• Limited pre-recorded content options (one video per session)
• No mobile app
• Some users report that support has become less responsive since the platform grew

Restream Pain Points

• Free plan restricts streaming to Facebook profiles only – pages and groups require paid plans
• More complex interface can be overwhelming
• Some essential features like streaming to Facebook pages are locked behind paywalls
• Occasional connection issues reported by users
• Analytics accuracy has been questioned by power users

Who Should Choose What

Choose Restream If:

• Budget is a primary concern (starts at $16/month vs $44.99)
• You need to stream to the maximum number of platforms
• You want built-in analytics
• You stream pre-recorded content frequently
• You need 24/7 support availability
• Mobile streaming is important to you

Choose StreamYard If:

• Ease of use is your top priority
• You value a polished, simple studio experience
• You host interviews or shows with multiple guests
• You want 4K local recordings (Advanced plan)
• You're running webinars (Advanced/Teams plans include StreamYard On-Air)
• You prefer to rely on native platform analytics

Bottom Line

These are both solid platforms, and honestly, you can't go too wrong with either one. The choice mostly comes down to: do you want to save money (Restream) or save time learning the interface (StreamYard)?

If you're just getting started with multistreaming and don't want to spend $45/month right away, Restream's $16/month Standard plan is hard to beat. You get 3 channels, no watermark, and custom graphics for less than half of StreamYard's entry price.

But if user experience matters to you and budget isn't the deciding factor, StreamYard's cleaner interface and more focused feature set make it easier to just get streaming. G2 reviewers prefer StreamYard for a reason.

Ready to try StreamYard? Get started with StreamYard here and see if it's the right fit for your live streaming needs.

Looking for other ways to create video content? Check out our guides on best video editing software, free screen recording software, and Descript pricing for post-production tools that pair well with either streaming platform.