OBS Studio vs QLab:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, OBS Studio had more branded searches than QLab among live event production software worldwide. OBS Studio had about 4.7 million branded searches, while QLab had 40,500. OBS Studio made up 89.4% of all live event production software searches we track, and QLab accounted for 0.76%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about live event production software, OBS Studio appeared in all five answers and QLab in two. OBS Studio was mentioned before QLab in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
OBS Studio, about 117 searches for every 1 for QLab
Who does AI mention more?
OBS Studio, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
OBS Studio, named ahead of QLab in 4 of 5 answers
Follow OBS Studio vs QLab 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 live event production software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OBS Studio appeared in all five answers. QLab was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. OBS Studio was listed before QLab in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- OBS Studio1st
vMix2nd
Cvent3rd
QLab4th
Resolume5th
Notch–
Vectorworks–- Wysiwyg–
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
- Cvent4 of 5Named in 2 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
- QLab2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Resolume1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Notch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Vectorworks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wysiwyg0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about live event production software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which live event production software should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best live event production software options?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best live event production software for running live events?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“live event production software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“live event software”
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 21, 2026.
Is OBS Studio or QLab more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for OBS Studio and QLab by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight live event production software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for OBS Studio, QLab. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | OBS Studio | Notch | Cvent | Vectorworks | vMix | Wysiwyg | QLab | Resolume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 88.5% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.94% | 0.77% |
| Nov 2025 | 89.5% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.85% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 90.8% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.71% | 0.71% |
| Jan 2026 | 91.3% | 3.4% | 1.3% | 1% | 1% | 0.85% | 0.57% | 0.46% |
| Feb 2026 | 89.5% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Mar 2026 | 89.3% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.94% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Apr 2026 | 90.5% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.71% | 0.58% |
| May 2026 | 89.8% | 3.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.78% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 90.9% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 0.95% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.64% | 0.52% |
| Jul 2026 | 89.5% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 1% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.69% | 0.57% |
| Aug 2026 | 89.3% | 4.2% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.69% | 0.69% |
| Sep 2026 | 89.4% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.93% | 0.76% | 0.62% |
How has the OBS Studio and QLab comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- OBS Studio was ahead of QLab in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OBS Studio’s share of searches among live event production software worldwide moved from 88.5% to 89.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.7M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, QLab’s share of searches among live event production software worldwide moved from 0.94% to 0.76%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for live event production software worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for QLab worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 40.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OBS Studio’s and QLab’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
OBS Studio
3 branded search terms
- obs
- obs studio
- obsstudio
QLab
1 branded search term
- qlab
Other head-to-heads among live event production software
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.