StreamYard vs Wave.video
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Quick verdict: Pick StreamYard for polished live shows and podcast interviews; pick Wave.video if you want editing, hosting, and long streams in one subscription.
Best for: Podcasters recording interviews with remote guests, Creators simulcasting one show to several platforms at once
Read the full StreamYard reviewBest for: Solo creators and small brands publishing short-form video weekly who want editing, thumbnails, and multistreaming without juggling separate subscriptions, Marketers running webinars, launches, and branded shows who need guest invitations, custom scenes, and pre-recorded 'live' broadcasts
Read the full Wave.video reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
StreamYard vs Wave.video: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose StreamYard if
- You host live interviews and guests join by link, no downloads.
- You simulcast one weekly show to several platforms at once.
- You need local recordings that survive a guest's shaky Wi-Fi.
Choose Wave.video if
- You want editing, thumbnails, hosting, and streaming in one tool.
- You need long broadcasts — up to 12 hours on Business.
StreamYard vs Wave.video: pros and cons
StreamYard
StreamYard packs a full live streaming studio into your browser, with link-based guests, multistreaming, and local recordings that survive shaky Wi-Fi. The free plan is genuinely usable, but paid tiers are individual-only and the advertised prices are promotional. Overall, it's an easy, low-risk pick for solo creators and podcasters.
Pros
- Simulcasts one stream to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Twitch from a single browser studio, with custom RTMP destinations available on paid plans
- Local recordings save separate audio and video files on each participant's device, so one guest's weak Wi-Fi doesn't degrade the whole show
- Guests join from a browser link or phone in a few clicks with no downloads, which cuts down on technical no-shows during remote interviews
Cons
- The Free plan burns in a StreamYard logo on your streams and caps local recordings at 2 hours per month with 6 on-screen participants
- Core and Advanced plans are strictly for individual use — companies and organizations must buy the separate business option instead of sharing a seat
- Multistreaming requires you to already hold accounts on every destination platform, and each must be connected separately
Wave.video
Wave.video bundles editing, screen recording, multistreaming, hosting, and thumbnails into one browser platform. Pricing is clear and runs $0 to $48 per month, with a genuinely free plan to test things out. Watermarks stick around until Creator, though, and there's no published refund policy. Overall, it's a smart consolidation pick for weekly publishers who check the caps first.
Pros
- Five tools in one subscription — editor, multistreaming studio, recorder, hosting, and thumbnail maker — starting at $0
- Genuinely usable free plan with unlimited video creation, direct social publishing, and no trial countdown
- Generous streaming ceilings on higher tiers — Business supports 12-hour broadcasts at 1080p with 12 guests across 10 channels
Cons
- Watermarks on edited videos, live streams, and recordings on every plan below Creator ($24/month)
- Hard caps per tier — Streamer edits stop at 5 minutes with 1-hour 720p streams, and even Business edits top out at 2 hours at 60fps
- No published refund policy or money-back guarantee, so an ill-fitting paid plan is a real risk
StreamYard and Wave.video in detail
StreamYard
StreamYard is a live streaming and recording studio that runs entirely in your browser. It's built for creators, podcasters, and teams who want professional-looking shows without production gear or technical know-how. You can broadcast to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitch, and more, record interviews with remote guests, and brand your show with logos, colors, and overlays. The company reports over 12 million creators have used it.
Standout features
- Multistream to every major platform at once
- Studio-quality recordings, even on shaky Wi-Fi
- Guests join in clicks, not downloads
- Brand your show without design skills
- Webinars with StreamYard On-Air
Use cases
- Record podcast interviews with remote guests
- Simulcast one show to every platform
- Run a weekly show without a production crew
- Move webinars to StreamYard On-Air
Wave.video
Wave.video is an online video platform covering five jobs in one place: editing, camera and screen recording, multistreaming to multiple channels, video hosting with embeds and analytics, and thumbnail creation. Everything runs in the browser, supported by a stock library (2M assets on lower tiers, 200M on Creator and above) and AI helpers like text-to-video, auto captions, and background removal. A single project can flow into resized social exports, a branded live broadcast, and an embeddable hosted player.
Standout features
- Edit anything, without the learning curve
- Stream live to every channel your audience uses
- Hosting that puts your videos to work
- Record once, polish it fast
Use cases
- Make one video fit every platform
- Host live events from one studio
- Record podcasts and interviews remotely
- Embed videos people actually watch
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | StreamYard | Wave.video |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $44.99/mo Core | $16/mo Streamer |
| Free plan | Yes StreamYard logo on streams, streaming limits, and limited storage; for individuals only | Yes Videos up to 15 minutes with watermark; 5 embeds; 10GB monthly traffic; 10GB storage; no extra bandwidth or storage purchases |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | 7 days | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Flat price | Flat price |
| Cost for 1 user | Free Free plan, billed annually | Free Free plan, billed annually |
| Cost for 5 users | $44.99/mo Core plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $16/mo Streamer plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 10 users | $44.99/mo Core plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $16/mo Streamer plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 25 users | $44.99/mo Core plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $16/mo Streamer plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Plans | 3 | 4 |
| Prices checked | Vendor page checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 12, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 1 user (billed annually), StreamYard and Wave.video both cost $0/mo.
- Both tools have a free plan.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.