Brandwave

How popular isOBS Studio?

In September 2026, people searched for OBS Studio by name about 4.8 million times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 79.2% of all global broadcast software searches, placing OBS Studio first out of 14 brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about broadcast software, OBS Studio appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the 14.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

OBS Studio is the most searched of 14 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. OBS StudioShare of searches 79.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. StreamlabsShare of searches 7.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. StreamYardShare of searches 6.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. RestreamShare of searches 4.1%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 9th
  5. vMixShare of searches 1.2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

+9 more

OBS Studio website (opens in a new tab)

Follow OBS Studio and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top broadcast software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OBS Studio appeared in all five answers. OBS Studio is the most recommended of the 14.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. OBS Studio1st
  2. vMix2nd
  3. Wirecast3rd
  4. StreamYard4th
  5. Streamlabs5th
  6. Meld Studio6th
  7. Ecamm Live7th
  8. Riverside8th
  9. Restream9th
  10. Grass Valley–
  11. +4 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • OBS Studio5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • StreamYard5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • vMix4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Wirecast4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Streamlabs3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ecamm Live3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Restream2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Meld Studio2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Riverside2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Grass Valley0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+4 more

See every answer about broadcast software

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Which broadcast software compete with OBS Studio?

OBS Studio against broadcast software worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for OBS Studio, Streamlabs, StreamYard, Restream. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthOBS StudioStreamlabsStreamYardRestreamvMixGrass ValleyChyronMeld StudioVizrtWirecastRoss VideoEcamm LiveRiversideAvid
Oct 202578%9.2%6.1%3.4%1.5%0.68%0.3%0.25%0.17%0.17%0.11%0.11%0.04%<0.01%
Nov 202581%7%5.8%3.1%1.4%0.63%0.28%0.23%0.13%0.15%0.1%0.1%0.03%<0.01%
Dec 202581.3%7.1%5.8%3.2%1.2%0.64%0.28%0.23%0.1%0.13%0.08%0.08%0.04%<0.01%
Jan 202683.4%7%4.7%2.6%0.95%0.42%0.28%0.19%0.1%0.1%0.13%0.08%0.04%<0.01%
Feb 202679.3%7.6%6.2%3.4%1.3%0.69%0.69%0.25%0.14%0.14%0.11%0.11%0.04%<0.01%
Mar 202678.9%7.6%6.2%4.1%1.2%0.68%0.37%0.25%0.14%0.14%0.14%0.11%0.04%<0.01%
Apr 202679.6%6.9%6.9%3.8%1.1%0.62%0.28%0.28%0.12%0.1%0.12%0.08%0.03%<0.01%
May 202679.5%7.6%6.3%3.4%1.3%0.84%0.25%0.31%0.14%0.11%0.14%0.09%0.03%<0.01%
Jun 202682.9%6.4%5.3%2.9%1.1%0.71%0.21%0.17%0.12%0.08%0.09%0.06%0.03%<0.01%
Jul 202677.7%8.2%6.7%4.5%1.1%0.9%0.27%0.22%0.12%0.1%0.1%0.07%0.04%<0.01%
Aug 202677.6%8.2%6.7%4.5%1.1%0.9%0.33%0.33%0.12%0.1%0.1%0.07%0.04%<0.01%
Sep 202679.2%7.5%6.2%4.1%1.2%0.68%0.37%0.3%0.11%0.11%0.09%0.06%0.04%<0.01%

  1. 1.OBS Studio

    79.2%

    Held 1st. 4.7M estimated branded searches, +11% vs prior month. Share +1.6 points.

  2. 2.Streamlabs

    7.5%

    Held 2nd. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  3. 3.StreamYard

    6.2%

    Held 3rd. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  4. 4.Restream

    4.1%

    Held 4th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  5. 5.vMix

    1.2%

    Held 5th. 74K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  6. 6.Grass Valley

    0.68%

    Held 6th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  7. 7.Chyron

    0.37%

    Held 7th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, +22.7% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  8. 8.Meld Studio

    0.3%

    Held 8th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  9. 9.Vizrt

    0.11%

    Held 9th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  10. 10.Wirecast

    0.11%

    Moved from 11th to 10th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  11. 11.Ross Video

    0.09%

    Moved from 10th to 11th. 5.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  12. 12.Ecamm Live

    0.06%

    Held 12th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  13. 13.Riverside

    0.04%

    Held 13th. 2.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  14. 14.Avid

    <0.01%

    Held 14th. 20 estimated branded searches, +100% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between OBS Studio and its closest rivals

Every comparison with OBS Studio

39 comparisons

How has branded search demand for OBS Studio changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for OBS Studio worldwide held steady at 4.8M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OBS Studio’s share of searches among broadcast software worldwide increased from 78% to 79.2%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OBS Studio’s share of searches among broadcast software worldwide peaked at 83.4% in January 2026 and was lowest at 77.6% in August 2026.

How did search popularity change for broadcast software worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, OBS Studio gained share of searches among broadcast software worldwide, from 77.6% to 79.2%.

  2. In September 2026, Streamlabs lost share of searches among broadcast software worldwide, from 8.2% to 7.5%.

  3. In September 2026, StreamYard lost share of searches among broadcast software worldwide, from 6.7% to 6.2%.

  4. In September 2026, Wirecast rose from 11th to 10th among broadcast software worldwide.

  5. In September 2026, Ross Video fell from 10th to 11th among broadcast software worldwide.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Avid worldwide rose 100% over 12 measured months, from 10 to 20 in September 2026.

How are OBS Studio’s branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OBS Studio’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • obs
  • obs screen recording
  • obs studio
  • obsstudio

Do you work for OBS Studio? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does OBS Studio compete?

OBS Studio is ranked in seven competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Screen recording software1st of 1270.7%Show ranking
Broadcast software1st of 1479.2%Shown above
Live streaming software1st of 780.3%Show ranking
Stream overlay tools1st of 685.1%Show ranking
Live event production software1st of 889.4%Show ranking
Screen capture tools1st of 1091%Show ranking
Game capture software1st of 496.4%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is OBS Studio your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free