Comparison

Streamlabs vs Backbone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Streamlabs

This app enables creators to broadcast live video from their mobile devices to various platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. Stream mobile games or your camera feed, customize your stream with themes and widgets, and engage with viewers through alerts. Monetize your content with tips and ensure stream stability with advanced features.

Highlights
  • Stream to multiple platforms
  • Live stream mobile games
  • IRL camera streaming
  • Stream customization with themes
  • Add alerts and widgets
  • Collect viewer tips
  • Disconnect protection
Features
Read full description

Streamlabs is the best free video live streaming app for creators. Stream mobile games or your camera to platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Facebook, Instagram, and more! STREAM OR MULTISTREAM TO ANY PLATFORM Connect your channels to live stream to the most popular platforms or your custom RTMP destination. With an Ultra subscription you can broadcast video to multiple platforms at the same time, maximizing your growth potential. LIVE STREAM GAMES Share your mobile game skills! Whether it’s Monopoly Go, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Among Us, Clash Royale, Rocket League Sideswipe, Pokemon GO, World of Tanks, or any other mobile game, the app makes it easy to go live and share gameplay with your fans. IRL STREAM Swap between front and rear cameras to stream high quality video to your community. Whether you’re a travel vlogger, musician, podcaster, or just chatting, the app lets you take your audience with you on the go. PERSONALIZE YOUR STREAM Customize your stream’s look with themes in a few easy taps. You can also add your logo, images, and text to your stream. ADD ALERTS & WIDGETS Interact with your viewers and drive audience engagement with Alert Box, Chat Box, Event List, Goals, and more. DISCONNECT PROTECTION With Streamlabs Ultra, your stream won’t go offline even if you lose connection, so you don’t lose your viewers. GET PAID WITH TIPS Set up a Streamlabs Tip Page to start collecting tips directly from your viewers. Plus, thank your tippers with fully-integrated on screen tip alerts. Your fans are waiting! Privacy Policy: https://streamlabs.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://streamlabs.com/terms

About

Backbone

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful gaming console. Play a wide range of games and services, record and share epic gameplay moments, and connect with friends for seamless multiplayer experiences. Discover and launch your favorite controller-supported games from a single app.

Highlights
  • Play any game or service supporting controllers
  • Record, edit, and share gameplay clips
  • Automatic highlight detection
  • Friend notifications and in-app voice chat
  • Centralized game launcher
Features
Read full description

Backbone turns your iPhone and iPad Mini into the ultimate gaming device. ■ Play any game or service that supports game controllers. The Backbone One controller works with services like PS Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass (xCloud), Apple Arcade, Xbox Remote Play, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna. It also works with games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Minecraft and Genshin Impact. Press the Backbone Button to bring up the app and launch into your favorite games that support controllers from one place. ■ Record, edit, and share epic gaming clips Backbone One has a built-in Capture button that allows you to easily screen record or screenshot gameplay and share directly to social platforms like Instagram Stories and iMessage, all directly from your mobile device. ■ Never miss a moment Hold the Capture Button to bookmark a moment when recording. Forgot to bookmark? Once a video is captured, Backbone’s app helps you identify your most action-packed moments automatically, allowing you to show off your best moments and highlights with ease. ■ Party with your friends With Backbone’s Rich Presence feature, you can get push notifications when your friends start playing games on Backbone, making it easy to join the action in real-time. Once you see a friend online, you can link up for voice chat inside the app and move from game to game, seamlessly. To learn more, download the app or visit https://backbone.com/ A Backbone+ subscription is required for some features within the app. Any feedback? Use the in-app feedback tool, ping us at support@playbackbone.com or tweet us @backbone Terms of Use: https://backbone.com/terms/

Screenshots

Streamlabs4 screens
Backbone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backbone at 4.8 against Streamlabs's 3.9. Backbone also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (100K vs 1.2K). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Streamlabs sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Backbone sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backbone holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backbone has 100K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Streamlabs's written reviews are positive against 51% of Backbone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Streamlabs ships an update every 2 weeks, Backbone every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Streamlabs versus Backbone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStreamlabsBackbone
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.2K ratings)4.8 (100K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.2% of reviews51.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K100K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#209#61 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB422 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperStreamlabsBackbone Labs, Inc. (US)

Customer experience

Streamlabs

All ratings1,194 ratings
Positive69.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative24.8%
Written reviews1,965 reviews
Positive29.2%
Neutral15.1%
Negative55.7%

Backbone

All ratings99,957 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews896 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral8.5%
Negative40.5%

User reviews

Streamlabs

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable streaming
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🎨 Customizable overlays
  • 📢 Good for IRL streaming

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes/disconnections
  • 🔇 Audio issues (sync, mute, quality)
  • 📱 Limited mobile functionality (no screen recording, overlays)
  • 🤔 Confusing settings/UI

Backbone

From 100K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great gaming experience
  • 👍 Seamless integration with app
  • 🎮 Feels like a dedicated gaming device
  • 💡 Turns phone into a portable console
  • 🎨 Sleek and premium design

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
  • 🔌 Requires removing phone case
  • 🎮 Ergonomics not ideal for all games
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs

Bugs and requests

Streamlabs

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Attempted to start invalid broadcast session
  • Streaming stops unexpectedly
  • Overlays not working as expected
  • Microphone/audio issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add screen recording support
  • Improve audio settings and quality
  • Allow more customization and overlays for mobile
  • Provide better tutorials and documentation

Backbone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Random disconnections during gameplay
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Issues with controller button mapping
  • Incompatibility with certain games

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow use without subscription
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve compatibility with various phone models
  • Integrate with more cloud gaming services

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Streamlabs

Subscriptions10
  • Monthly Ultra$4.991 Month
  • Monthly Ultra2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Ultra$18.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Monthly Ultra3 Days trial$27.991 Month
  • Yearly Ultra$49.991 Year
  • Monthly Ultra+3 Days trial$79.991 Month
  • Yearly Ultra$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Ultra$119.991 Year
  • Yearly Ultra$149.991 Year
  • Yearly Ultra3 Days trial$189.991 Year
14 purchases

Backbone

Subscriptions14
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+$3.991 Month
  • Backbone+$7.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Backbone+1 Month trial2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Backbone+1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • Backbone+1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+1 Month trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+3 Months trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+14 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+ 41 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Backbone+14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Backbone+7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Streamlabs free?
Streamlabs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backbone free?
Backbone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Streamlabs or Backbone?
Backbone is rated higher. Streamlabs averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Backbone averages 4.8 from 100K ratings.
Do Streamlabs or Backbone have ads?
Streamlabs shows ads; Backbone does not.
Which is updated more often, Streamlabs or Backbone?
Streamlabs ships an update every 2 weeks, and Backbone every 3 weeks. Most recently, Streamlabs was updated on September 24, 2026 and Backbone on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Streamlabs or Backbone?
Streamlabs currently peaks at #209 in the App Store charts, and Backbone at #61. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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