StreamLive Pro

Free live streaming software for Mac: what costs nothing

Free live streaming software for Mac in 2026: OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, a browser studio in Safari, Ecamm Live's trial, and StreamLive Pro Studio (free, coming).

Updated November 5, 2026 · 6 min read

The free live streaming software for Mac you can download today is OBS Studio, free and open source for macOS 13.0 or newer, and Streamlabs Desktop, a free app for macOS 12 or newer with paid Ultra plans. Ecamm Live is a paid Mac app with a free trial, and vMix does not run on macOS at all. StreamLive Pro Studio, a desktop app for Mac from StreamLive Pro, is free software too, but today its Mac build is still being tested and there is no public download.

On a Mac the choice is narrower than on Windows, and Apple's privacy switches for the camera, microphone and screen trip up most first streams. This guide lists what each option gives you for free on a Mac, what costs money later, and a free setup you can follow tonight. Facts about other companies come from their own pages, checked 5 November 2026 (links in Sources).

The options in one table

OBS Studio on a Mac

OBS is "free and open source software for video recording and live streaming", and its home page says it supports macOS 13.0 or newer (obsproject.com, checked 5 November 2026). On a Mac with Apple silicon it can encode with Apple VideoToolbox, the Mac's hardware encoder (OBS: Hardware encoding, checked 5 November 2026), which keeps a MacBook cooler during a long show.

As on Windows, OBS sends to one service on its own. More than one needs plugins or a relay, and with plugins each destination is another upload from your connection. Details: OBS settings for multistreaming to several networks. If OBS feels heavy on your Mac, see OBS alternative for Mac: the real choices on macOS.

Streamlabs Desktop on a Mac

Streamlabs Desktop is free and supports macOS 12 or newer, one version older than OBS. Its free plan includes Dual Output, one vertical and one horizontal platform at once, and one guest or camera through Collab Cam; multistreaming to several destinations is on Ultra (streamlabs.com/ultra, checked 5 November 2026). It is aimed at gaming and creator streams, with alerts, widgets and tipping.

Ecamm Live: Mac-only, paid, with a trial

Ecamm Live says it is "built for Mac" and "requires macOS 11.2 or newer" (ecamm.com, checked 5 November 2026). It is a polished Mac studio, but not free: after a 14-day trial with no card you choose a Standard or Pro plan (Ecamm pricing, checked 5 November 2026). It runs on older macOS versions than OBS. Full comparison: Ecamm Live alternative for Windows: StreamLive Pro compared.

vMix does not run on a Mac

vMix's requirements list Windows 10 and 11 only (vmix.com, checked 5 November 2026). People who know vMix and move to a Mac usually look for the same Preview and Program layout: vMix for Mac: does it exist, and what can a Mac user do in 2026?.

The StreamLive Pro browser studio in Safari

Nothing to install: open Live stream in StreamLive Pro, choose Browser Studio, allow the camera and microphone, and produce in a Safari or Chrome tab. You get Preview and Program, 8 overlay channels, screen share, green screen, guests by link and an iPhone as a second camera by QR code, and one upload reaches every network you picked. It is not free: there is a 7-day trial with no card, then a paid plan (/pricing?lang=en). Step by step: Live streaming on a Mac without installing software.

StreamLive Pro Studio for Mac (coming)

StreamLive Pro Studio is our desktop app, planned for macOS 13 (Ventura) or later and tested on Apple silicon. Intel Macs are not tested yet, and the 0.5.0 Mac build is still being tested, so there is no download, no date and no Mac App Store listing. It is free software: when it is released you get, at no cost, Preview and Program, 8 overlay channels, titles in Hebrew, English and Arabic, and every camera recorded to its own file, as in the 0.5.0 test version. A StreamLive Pro account adds the platform: AI Shorts, scheduling, managed lives through your connected networks (one upload, our servers send it to each network) and comments, with a 7-day free trial. Overview: StreamLive Pro Studio: free live production software, Windows and Mac.

Steps

A free setup on a Mac that you can follow today:

1. Check your macOS version. Open Apple menu > About This Mac. OBS needs macOS 13.0 or newer.
2. Install OBS Studio. Download it from obsproject.com.
3. Allow the permissions. In System Settings > Privacy & Security, turn on Camera, Microphone and Screen Recording for OBS, then quit and reopen it.
4. Add your sources. Add the camera, the microphone, and a screen or window capture for slides.
5. Choose the encoder. On an Apple silicon Mac, pick the Apple VideoToolbox H.264 encoder.
6. Paste one network's stream key. Put it in the OBS stream settings and go live.
7. Add more networks. When you need several networks, send OBS to StreamLive Pro on a paid plan with Stream from software like OBS (RTMP / SRT), or use the browser studio: Connect OBS to StreamLive Pro and multistream.

Common mistakes

1. Skipping Screen Recording permission. Slides show as a black window until macOS allows it. Fix: Screen sharing does not work on my Mac.
2. Looking for vMix for Mac. There is none on vMix's requirements page.
3. Counting a trial as free. Ecamm's trial ends after 14 days and StreamLive Pro's after 7.
4. Installing from an unofficial site. There is no public StreamLive Pro Studio build for Mac; anything offered under that name is not ours.
5. Running a long show on battery. Plug the MacBook in and close other heavy apps.

Where StreamLive Pro fits

StreamLive Pro takes one stream, from a Safari tab or from OBS, Streamlabs or Ecamm, and sends it to every network, then cuts Shorts with captions and publishes them. The web service is paid, with a 7-day trial; StreamLive Pro Studio, the desktop app, will be free on a Mac when it is released,.

Sources

• OBS Studio home page, checked 5 November 2026: obsproject.com
• OBS hardware encoding article, checked 5 November 2026: obsproject.com/kb/hardware-encoding
• Streamlabs Ultra page and plan comparison, checked 5 November 2026: streamlabs.com/ultra
• Ecamm Live product page, checked 5 November 2026: ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive
• Ecamm pricing plans, checked 5 November 2026: appg2.ecamm.com/users/pricingplans
• vMix system requirements, checked 5 November 2026: vmix.com/software/supported-hardware.aspx

Frequently asked questions

Is there free live streaming software for Mac?

Yes. OBS Studio is free and open source for macOS 13.0 or newer, and Streamlabs Desktop is a free app for macOS 12 or newer with paid plans. StreamLive Pro Studio is free too, but its Mac build is still in testing.

Is Ecamm Live free?

No. It has a 14-day trial with no card, then a Standard or Pro plan, according to its pricing page.

Does vMix work on a Mac?

No. vMix's requirements list Windows 10 and 11 only.

Can I stream from a Mac without installing anything?

Yes, from a browser studio in Safari or Chrome. StreamLive Pro's browser studio works this way, on a 7-day trial and then a paid plan.

Will StreamLive Pro Studio run on my Mac?

It is planned for macOS 13 or later and tested on Apple silicon. Intel Macs are not tested yet, and the Mac build is still in testing, so there is no download today.

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