Elgato Stream Deck Mobile vs OBS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile
Control your desktop applications and tools with customizable virtual keys on your mobile device. Streamline content creation, productivity, and more with powerful features and extensive plugin support.
- Virtual key press control
- Customizable profiles and layouts
- Extensive plugin support
- Multi-action key triggers
- Voice command integration
- Personalized icons and animations
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CONTROL APPS AND TOOLS WITH A VIRTUAL KEY PRESS Stream Deck Mobile is a full-fledged recreation of our iconic Stream Deck keypad. Now with an all-new design, more freedom to customize, and powerful features exclusive to iPhone and iPad. WORKS WITH WHAT YOU LOVE Stream Deck Mobile puts your setup at your fingertips, so you can control apps and tools without touching your mouse or keyboard. Perfect for content creation, productivity, video calls, conversations, lighting, audio, music, social media, and much more. ALL THE BEST OF STREAM DECK Profiles: Create specialized keypads, each with their own role Plugins: Get more actions to control your favorite apps and tools Icons: Personalize your keys with colorful images and animations Multi actions: String together a series of actions — all triggered by a single key Folders: Organize and group your actions for easy access Pages: Store even more actions on up to 10 additional pages -------------------------- STAY FREE Get 6 keys and unlimited actions — forever. OR GO PRO Get up to 64 keys — that’s double the number of our largest device, Stream Deck XL. Personalize your background — choose from our faceplate library or upload your own. Customize your layout — 5X3 or 8X8 keys? One big button? Your keypad, your choice. GETTING STARTED IS EASY Open Stream Deck on your computer, then connect wirelessly from your mobile device. Don't have the desktop app yet? Get it free for macOS or Windows. -------------------------- STREAM DECK ON IPHONE AND IPAD "Hey Siri" Hands tied? Across the room? Create custom voice commands and control your setup with a quick shoutout. Go dark or light Swap modes on the fly — or automatically. Some faceplates even change their look based on your appearance! Multitasking magic With iPad multitasking, use Stream Deck Mobile alongside your favorite apps or websites. You can even run two Stream Deck Mobile keypads at the same time! Power in numbers Pair Stream Deck Mobile with multiple computers or run Stream Deck Mobile on multiple devices — simultaneously. -------------------------- SO MUCH TO PERSONALIZE Discover community plugins, profiles, and icons you’ll love — then install them instantly. PLUGINS GALORE OBS Studio, Streamlabs, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Discord, Spotify, VoiceMod, Philips Hue, Zoom, Teams, PowerPoint, and lots more. Thanks to Stream Deck SDK, new plugins keep coming. Stream Deck Mobile keeps getting better. And with everyone in on the action, anything is possible. -------------------------- INSTANTLY YOURS Accessing the legendary power of Stream Deck has never been easier. Go on, get started now with the device you already have!
OBS
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a high-quality webcam for OBS Studio. Connects instantly over your local network with no drivers or complex setup needed. Ideal for streamers, professionals, and presenters seeking stable video.
- Use iPhone/iPad as webcam for OBS
- High quality, low latency video
- Instant one-tap connection
- Simple OBS integration
- Works on macOS and Windows
- No login or ads
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Use your iPhone or iPad as a camera for OBS. Camera Studio is built for live streams, recordings, classes, and presentations when you want a stable camera source from the device you already have. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Start a live camera with one tap • Switch front and rear cameras • Adjust focus, exposure, zoom, and torch • Capture microphone audio and mute when needed • Use a grid overlay to frame your shot • Follow the built-in USB setup guide for macOS, Windows, and Linux An In-App Purchase is required before you can use the app. After purchase, connect a USB cable, tap Start Camera, and add your device in OBS as a Video Capture Device. No account and no extra computer driver required. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open Camera Studio, complete Get Started, and unlock the app with an In-App Purchase or Restore Purchases. 2. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer with a genuine Lightning or USB-C cable. 3. Tap Start Camera. Allow Camera and Microphone access when asked. 4. In OBS Studio, add a Video Capture Device source and select your device. Video and audio stay on your device and the computer you connect. This app does not upload your camera feed to a developer server. WHO IT IS FOR Creators, presenters, teachers, and anyone who uses OBS Studio to stream or record and wants a simple wired camera from iPhone or iPad. OBS Studio is independent software from the OBS Project. Camera Studio is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the OBS Project. IN-APP PURCHASES An In-App Purchase is required to use Camera Studio. The camera, USB source, and in-app controls are available only after you unlock Pro. Unlock options: • Auto-renewable weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription • One-time lifetime purchase Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in Settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple. PRIVACY POLICY https://sites.google.com/view/cam-obs-privacy TERMS OF USE https://sites.google.com/view/cam-obs-terms STANDARD EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Download Camera Studio and use your iPhone or iPad as a wired camera for OBS.
Screenshots
Verdict
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile and OBS both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 42% of Elgato Stream Deck Mobile's written reviews are positive against 11% of OBS's. Elgato Stream Deck Mobile also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (5.7K vs 435). OBS's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Elgato Stream Deck Mobile sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and OBS sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elgato Stream Deck Mobile has 5.7K ratings behind it against 435, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Elgato Stream Deck Mobile's written reviews are positive against 11% of OBS's.
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile ships an update every 2 months, OBS every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Elgato Stream Deck Mobile | OBS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (5.7K ratings) — better | 4.4 (435 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.2% of reviews — better | 10.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.7K — better | 435 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 182 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Corsair Memory, Inc. | DREAMEE STUDIO COMPANY LIMITED |
Customer experience
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile
OBS
Bugs and requests
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile
Reported bugs
5 issues- Fails to detect/connect to computer
- Profiles don't switch properly
- Shortcuts don't work
- Crashes OBS
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
6 requests- More buttons/customization options
- Native iPad app support
- Wired connection option
- Siri Shortcuts integration
- Volume control for external devices
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- Universal remote control support
OBS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile
- Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- 1 Month$2.991 Month
- Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year
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- 12 Months1 Month trial$24.991 Year
- Lifetime$49.99
OBS
- Weekly camera access$4.997 Days
- Monthly camera access$9.991 Month
- Yearly camera access$14.991 Year
- Lifetime camera access$17.99
Questions
Is Elgato Stream Deck Mobile free?
Is OBS free?
Which has better reviews, Elgato Stream Deck Mobile or OBS?
Do Elgato Stream Deck Mobile or OBS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Elgato Stream Deck Mobile or OBS?
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