Owncast
Self-hosted livestreaming server you control completely
- Also known as
- owncast
What is Owncast?
An open source streaming server that runs on your infrastructure using standard protocols, featuring built-in chat, moderation, custom branding, and no subscription fees or viewer limits.
Owncast pricing
We don't have Owncast's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
Free and open source
What Owncast does
The capabilities that matter for live streaming, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Architecture model
- Open source local encoder
- Simulcast multi destination rtmp output hub
- -
- Remote guest browser invites for interviews webrtc
- -
- Custom lower thirds graphics and brand overlays
- -
- ISO track recording for isolated guest audio video
- -
- Hardware encoding acceleration nvenc quicksync
- -
- Srt secure reliable transport protocol support
- -
- Multi network unified aggregated chat feed
- -
- Chroma key green screen and virtual backgrounds
- -
- Ndi network device interface feed ingestion
- -
- SOC2 type ii
- -
- Gpl or permissive oss license
- ✓
- Pricing model
- Free open source
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- Web
- Cloud / SaaS
- Self-hosted
Integrations (3)
Independently observed- Mastodon⇄•
- ActivityPub⇄•
- Webhooks→•
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 5 (0 in the last 12 months), max severity CRITICAL sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
Owncast FAQ
Common questions about Owncast, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is Owncast?
An open source streaming server that runs on your infrastructure using standard protocols, featuring built-in chat, moderation, custom branding, and no subscription fees or viewer limits. It is indexed under Live Streaming.
Source: https://owncast.online
Is Owncast free to use?
Owncast is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://owncast.online
What platforms does Owncast support?
Owncast supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://owncast.online
Can Owncast be self-hosted?
Yes. Owncast can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://owncast.online
Is Owncast open source?
Yes. Owncast is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.
Owncast alternatives
Other live streaming we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- CastrCloud-based live streaming platform with multistreaming, hosting, and OTT service capabilitiesmedium · 59%
- LightstreamCloud streaming software built for console broadcastershigh · 78%
- StreamYardWeb-based platform for producing and distributing live streams and recorded video contenthigh · 79%
- vMixProfessional live video production and streaming software for Windows computershigh · 78%
- MediaMTXAn open-source media server that routes and converts live video and audio streams across multiple transmission protocolsmedium · 56%
- MelonStream and record from your browser in minutes with guests and custom brandinghigh · 76%
Compare Owncast
Side by side against other live streaming, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Owncast, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development activity | 53 | 0.09 | 5.0 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 42 | 0.05 | 2.2 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 29 | 0.07 | 2.0 | ✓ |
| Stars | 77 | 0.03 | 2.0 | ✓ |
| Security score | 47 | 0.04 | 2.0 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 17 | 0.08 | 1.4 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 5 | 0.06 | 0.3 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 5 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 48 | mediumsource · 2026-10-12 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 5 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 67% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Pricing model: free_open_source · Architecture model: open_source_local_encoder · Gpl or permissive oss license: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-12 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 3 | mediumsource · 2026-10-12 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Go | highsource · 2026-10-12 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | MIT | highsource · 2026-10-12 · 95% |
Pricing
Release
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure policy | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-10-12 · 60% |
| Trust center | https://owncast.online/security | mediumsource · 2026-10-12 · 60% |
| Scorecard | 4.7 | highsource · 2026-10-12 · 90% |
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 5 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fowncast%2Fowncast&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 · Max severity: CRITICAL | highsource · 2026-10-12 · 90% |
Is Owncast the right choice for you?
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