XSplit has a cleaner and
more polished interface but
you’ll have to pay to access
many of its best features.streaming accounts to the software to live
stream quickly. After the first setup, it’s as
simple as hitting a button, so efficiency is
solid for both applications.
To test out the usability of both
applications, we tried to create the same
simple layout in each—a game recording,
with a facecam in the corner and a custom
border around it. This is an easy way to
make your layout more appealing and to
have a nice contrast from your gameplay
to your camera. On both platforms, you
can create scenes, in which you can edit
a design and layout. Then you can create
another scene to focus on something else.
For example, we created three separate
scenes on each application. The first
scene contained gameplay, facecam,
and a border around the facecam. The
second scene contained the gameplay,
and the third scene contained a facecam
for closeups and when you are talking to
your audience in between games. This is a
fairly simple setup and we easily managed
to replicate it in both programs. XSplit was
slightly more intuitive than OBS again, due
to its more simplistic user interface. So, for
creating a scene and a layout, XSplit takes
another point in this battle.
As for features, both are competitive.
There is one initial difference between
the two though—OBS Studio is free.
Unfortunately, to use XSplit Broadcaster
properly, you will need the premium
version, which has three options. You
can pay monthly at $15, annually for $60,which makes it a more affordable option
at $5 a month, or you can buy a lifetime
subscription for a one-off payment of $200.
Either way, there is still a big cost difference
when compared with OBS. There is a free
version of XSplit, however, your videos will
be watermarked if you don’t pay, and you’re
limited to a maximum of four scenes. As
you’d expect, most of the best features are
hidden behind a paywall—the premium
version offers a much richer program,
including multi-streaming, unlimited
resolution, unlimited scenes, source
transitions, projector mode, and more.
As for what OBS offers for free, there
is no watermark and you can achieve the
same outcome, it just takes slightly longer
and isn’t as clear-cut as XSplit. The question
is then, is XSplit worth paying monthly for
over OBS? This depends on what level you
are as a streamer. If you stream for fun and
games and see the activity as a hobby, then
OBS is all you’ll need. It’s still a capable and
powerful program, and for the most part,
is fairly simple to use.
On the flip side, the outdated and
raw design hinders the application and
means it’s not as user-friendly as XSplit
Broadcaster. If you’re using this program
frequently and taking live streaming down
a more commercial route on Twitch or
YouTube, then XSplit would be our choice.
As you’ll be using it more frequently, the
easier-to-use application will certainly
help with efficiency and reward you in the
© XSPLIT BROADCASTER long run.
OBS Studio
OBYES Open-source
community; simultaneous
recording and streaming; free.
OBNO Raw design style;
overwhelming at first.
Free, w ww. obsproject.comXSplit Broadcast
XCELLENT User friendly
interface; stream delay feature;
clean design; appropriate for both gaming
and business.
SPLIT OPINIONS Watermarked and only
four scenes (free version); most of the best
features hidden behind paywall.
XSplit Broadcast, free. XSplit Broadcast
Premium, $15/month, $20/annually or a
one off payment of $200. http://www.xsplit.com8
7
VERDICTVERDICTSo which one is the winner? The short
answer is OBS, although it is marginal. We
aren’t fans of the application’s basic design
but it offers many of the same features as
XSplit, only without the cost. XSplit won’t
break the bank, but why have yet another
subscription service taking a monthly bite
out of your bank balance when there’s a
free alternative? Both apps have powerful
editing tools, can create high-resolution
streams, and broadcast to a multitude of
services. It just depends on what type of
streamer you are. –SAM LEWISJUN 2022 MAXIMU MPC 93