Streamlabs vs StreamElements: which should you use?
Updated August 17, 2026
Pick Streamlabs if you want an all-in-one desktop app with the most polished onboarding; pick StreamElements if you prefer OBS Studio proper with overlays managed in the cloud, so your scenes follow you to any machine. Tipping is near-even: StreamElements takes no platform cut on tips, Streamlabs waives its 1% only with an Ultra subscription. Both work on Twitch, YouTube and Kick. We build a tip page ourselves, so where that colors anything below, it is flagged.
The one real architectural difference
Streamlabs is a desktop application (a fork of OBS) that bundles overlays, alerts and tipping into one installer; heavier on your machine, easiest to start with. StreamElements is a cloud layer over stock OBS Studio: one browser source, scenes and overlays stored server-side, lighter locally, and your setup survives a new PC. Neither approach is winning; it is a preference about where your production lives.
Head to head
| Streamlabs | StreamElements | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Desktop suite (own OBS fork) | Cloud overlays on stock OBS |
| Tip platform fee | 1%, waived with paid Ultra | 0% |
| Payment processing | PayPal/card fees apply | PayPal or SE.Pay fees apply |
| Machine load | Heavier | Lighter (stock OBS) |
| Setup portability | Local profiles | Cloud, follows your login |
| Kick support | Yes | Yes |
| Paid tier | Ultra (unlocks suite extras) | SE Premium tiers |
Choose by situation
- First stream ever, want one installer: Streamlabs. Its onboarding is still the smoothest in the category.
- Comfortable with OBS Studio: StreamElements. You keep stock OBS performance and gain cloud scenes.
- Multi-PC or streaming from different places: StreamElements, for the cloud setup.
- Deep in the Streamlabs ecosystem already: stay; switching costs outweigh the differences.
The part both leave open
Both platforms treat tipping as a feature of the overlay suite, and both put processing fees on your side of the tip. If you want support income that is not welded to production tooling (a page fans can use from your bio on Twitch, Kick, TikTok or anywhere else), a standalone tip page runs alongside either suite. Disclosure again: that is our product. On Ouish the supporter covers the 6% processing fee, so tips arrive whole, and the same handle carries a wishlist and storefront. Alerts from Streamlabs or StreamElements keep working; the tip link is just a link.
Tips that outlive your overlay choice
Ouish is a tip jar, wishlist and storefront for streamers and creators. Whichever suite you pick, one bio link takes tips in 18 currencies.
Create your free tip pageFrequently asked questions
Do streamers use OBS or Streamlabs?
Both, heavily. Streamlabs is itself built on OBS; the choice is between its bundled desktop suite and stock OBS Studio with cloud tools like StreamElements layered on.
Is StreamElements shutting down?
No. The rumor recycles whenever features get reshuffled; as of August 2026 StreamElements operates normally.
Which is better for Kick streamers?
Both support Kick. StreamElements' lighter footprint suits Kick's DIY tooling culture, but the difference is small; pick by the desktop-versus-cloud preference.
Which takes less from donations?
StreamElements takes no platform cut; Streamlabs takes 1% unless you pay for Ultra. Both put payment processing on the creator's side, which is where a supporter-pays tip page differs.