OBS Studio review: record on your own computer

OBS Studio is a free open-source screen recorder and live streaming program.¹ It is for people who want to capture a screen, a window, or a camera on their own computer. You arrange those pieces into one scene, save a video file locally, or send a live picture to a service you choose. A recording stays in a folder on your computer until you share the file.⁶

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: Free software that records and mixes video and audio, and can stream live.¹

Works on: Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13.0 and newer, and Linux (official Flatpak, plus an Ubuntu PPA for 26.04 and newer).²

Price: Free to download. Optional donations help fund the project.¹³

Licence: GNU General Public License version 2, or any later version.³

Best for: Saving a lesson, a talk, or gameplay on your computer, and going live only when you want to.

Official site: obsproject.com

What OBS Studio does (and how it protects your privacy)

OBS Studio captures, combines, encodes, records, and streams video. The project calls it free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. The current download is version 33.0.0, dated October 23.¹² A scene can include a window, an image, text, a browser window, a webcam, or a capture card. You can keep many scenes and switch between them.¹

You can record while streaming, or record only for offline use. The recording path is a folder on your computer.⁶ A live broadcast is different. The privacy policy says that when you send a broadcast to a third-party service, that information leaves the project’s control and follows that service’s rules.⁴ Record first when the video is private.

Studio Mode lets you preview a scene before viewers see it.¹ On Windows and Linux you can capture one window or the whole display. On macOS the quick start points you to macOS Screen Capture.⁵ A single window keeps the rest of the desktop off camera. Desktop audio and the microphone are captured by default, so check the volume meters before you keep a file.⁵

Key features

Scenes and sources. Mix a window, image, text, browser window, webcam, or capture card in one layout.¹
Scene switching. Keep an unlimited number of scenes and move between them with transitions.¹
Audio mixer. Use a noise gate, noise suppression, or gain on a source, plus VST audio plugins.¹
Studio Mode. Preview the next scene before you send it out.¹
Hotkeys. Start or stop a recording or stream, mute a source, or use push-to-talk.¹
Virtual camera. Send the scene to another app that expects a webcam, such as a meeting program.⁸
Local recording. Save a file for offline use, or record while you stream. Version 32.0 made Hybrid MP4/MOV the default format for new profiles.⁶⁷
Plugins and scripts. Version 32.0 added a plugin manager. Scripts can be written in Lua or Python.¹⁷

Pros and cons

Pros

Free to download, with optional donations if you want to support the project.¹³
Official builds for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13.0 and newer (Intel and Apple silicon), and Linux.²
A recording can stay on your computer, in a folder you set, for offline use.⁶
Studio Mode and the virtual camera let you choose what another person or app sees.¹⁸
The source is public under the GNU GPL version 2 or any later version, and version 33.0.0 is the current download.²³

Cons

The screen is a set of docks you can rearrange, and a setup wizard runs the first time you open the program.¹⁵
Official downloads are for Windows, macOS, and Linux.²
A live stream goes to the service you pick, and that service’s privacy policy applies.⁴
Desktop audio and the microphone are on unless you change them, so a test can include sound you did not mean to keep.⁵
After a crash on Windows or macOS, OBS Studio can offer to upload a crash log. Sending it is opt-in.⁷
On Linux the official options are a Flatpak from Flathub, or a PPA for Ubuntu 26.04 and newer.²

Is OBS Studio safe and private?

OBS Studio comes from the OBS Project. The README says it is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.¹³ The download page offers version 33.0.0 for Windows, Mac, and Linux.²

If you record and never stream, the file is saved at the recording path on your computer. Keep that folder as private as your other personal files.⁶ Wizards of OBS LLC publishes the privacy policy, last updated on 6 August 2025. It covers the websites and the software, and it says the company does not sell or lease personal information.⁴ That policy also describes cookies and Google Analytics for visits to the project’s websites.⁴ Version 32.0 added an opt-in crash-log upload for Windows and macOS. The log is sent only if you agree.⁷

Capture one window when the rest of the desktop should stay off camera.⁵ The virtual camera sends that scene to another app.⁸ Add a browser window only when that page belongs in the recording or the stream.¹

How to get started

Open the official download page. On Windows or Mac, use the installer there. On Linux, use the official Flatpak on Flathub, or the PPA on Ubuntu 26.04 or newer.²
Start OBS Studio. The Auto-Configuration Wizard runs the first time. You can open it again from the Tools menu.⁵
In Sources, click +. Add a display or window on Windows or Linux, macOS Screen Capture on a Mac, or a webcam.⁵
Watch the Audio Mixer. If the meters stay still, open Settings, then Audio, and pick the devices.⁵
Open Settings, then Output, and note the recording path, the folder where the file is saved. Version 32.0 set Hybrid MP4/MOV as the default format for new profiles.⁶⁷
Click Start Recording, keep a short test, and play it back before you stream.⁵
For a meeting, click Start Virtual Camera, then pick that camera in the other app. Click the same button again to stop.⁸

Who should use OBS Studio (and who might prefer something else)

OBS Studio fits a lesson, a talk, or gameplay you want saved on your own computer, including a live show where you arrange the scene and preview the next layout before it goes out.¹

Use a simpler tool when the job is smaller. LosslessCut trims a video you already have. HandBrake makes a smaller copy for another device. Audacity edits the voice. Jitsi Meet is for a conversation with other people, and it can be self-hosted.

Frequently asked questions

Is OBS Studio free?

Yes. The project calls it free and open source software.¹ If you want to help fund it, the README points to Patreon, OpenCollective, and PayPal.³

Is OBS Studio safe for a private recording?

A recording you do not stream is written to a folder you choose on your computer.⁶ Desktop audio and the microphone are on by default, so check the meters.⁵ On Windows and macOS, a crash can offer an opt-in crash-log upload.⁷ The privacy policy says personal information is not sold or leased, and that a broadcast then follows the other service’s rules.⁴

Does OBS Studio work on iPhone?

The official downloads are for Windows, macOS, and Linux.² On a Mac, that release supports macOS 13.0 and newer, with installers for Intel and Apple silicon.²

Can OBS Studio record without streaming?

Yes. You can record only for offline use, or record while a stream is running.⁶ Use Start Recording for a file. Start a stream only when you mean to send the picture out.⁵