What each one is built for
LiveReacting
Pre-recorded and 24/7 live streams: upload a video and go live, or build a playlist for non-stop streaming. The same account also does live shows from a browser studio with cameras, guests and a shared screen, multistreaming to several platforms at once, trivia, polls and giveaways with a chat overlay, YouTube ad breaks, ready-made templates, and control by an AI agent or your own code.
Upstream
A 24/7 stream of pre-recorded videos from the cloud, and in the same account scheduled pre-recorded streams, a browser studio with guests, and multistreaming to several platforms.
LiveReacting vs Upstream, side by side
How we compared
LiveReacting figures come from our pricing page. Upstream figures come from Upstream's own pages and from YouTube's list of verified encoders; the number beside each Upstream cell names its source below. "Not documented" means we found no public Upstream page that says so.
- Upstream pricing page, every option and FAQ open, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream free plan page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream pre-recorded live streaming page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream 24/7 live streaming page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream YouTube live streaming page and its FAQ, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream live streaming API page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream Live Studio page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream Help Center, Live Studio: combine live and pre-recorded content, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream Stream Designer page (overlays and widgets), read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream multistreaming page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream homepage and its FAQ, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream Help Center, 24/7 YouTube stream with YouTube Connect, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream stings, jingles and ad inserts page, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream platforms directory, read on September 24, 2026
- YouTube Help, YouTube Live verified encoders, read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream release notes, HEVC and MOV uploads and re-encoding (Aug 20, 2026), read on September 24, 2026
- Upstream Enterprise page, read on September 24, 2026
| LiveReacting | Upstream | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| New-customer offer | $21.99/mo for the first 5 months, then $39.99. Or $287.93 for the first year billed yearly ($23.99/mo), then $396 a year. Code KICKSTART2026. The offer ends Oct 31, 2026. | None on its pricing page. Yearly billing is 20% less at 1080p and 30 FPS, 10% less for 60 FPS or 4K. [1] |
| Cheapest paid 24/7 plan | $39.99/mo, or $33/mo billed yearly. Playlists and scheduling included. | $30/mo for 1 stream at 1080p and 30 FPS, every feature included. $24/mo billed yearly. [1] |
| Free option | Free plan: 3 streams a month, 720p, 30 minutes each, LiveReacting watermark | Free plan: 24 hours of streaming a month, 1 stream, 1080p at 30 FPS, no watermark, every feature. [2] |
| Storage | 100 GB for each stream, files up to 10 GB | 100 GB for each stream, 150 GB for a 4K stream [3] |
| Programming | ||
| Limit on stream length | No limit set by the service; platform limits apply | No limit set by the service on paid plans; platform limits apply. The free plan stops at 24 hours a month. [1] |
| Playlists | Yes, on every plan, the Free plan included: set the order, or shuffle it into a new order each time it loops | Yes, on every plan: looping playlists with shuffle, and separate audio and video playlists [4] |
| Scheduling | Yes, Advanced Scheduling: several dates, or a repeat every set number of minutes, hours or days | Yes, on every plan: a start and end time, repeated every day or every week [5] |
| Bring videos in from YouTube, Google Drive or Dropbox | Yes, on every paid plan: paste a YouTube channel, playlist or video link, or a Google Drive or Dropbox link | Not documented on Upstream's pages we checked. Its API can queue an external MP4 link [6] |
| Templates to start from | Yes, 100+, of them 16 for 24/7 streams | Layout templates in Live Studio. None named for 24/7 streams on the pages we checked [7] |
| Change the stream while it is on air | Yes, on the fly, without stopping the stream | Yes, changes apply without stopping the stream [4] |
| Cut to a live camera or a guest | Yes, Live Studio in the browser: cameras, guests who join from a link and a shared screen, placed anywhere beside your videos and switched with scenes, while the stream stays on air | Yes, Live Studio: a webcam, OBS or guests over the playlist, which keeps playing [8] |
| What viewers see | ||
| Trivia, polls and giveaways in the live chat | Yes, all three. Up to 150 viewers play trivia or a poll at once | No trivia, polls or giveaways of its own documented. Its Stream Designer embeds third-party widgets, such as StreamElements alerts [9] |
| Live chat shown on the stream | Yes, a chat overlay with comments from every platform you connect with a login | Yes, a unified chat overlay across platforms [10] |
| Where it goes | ||
| Platforms | YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Instagram; on every paid plan, also any platform that accepts RTMP, such as Kick, TikTok or LinkedIn, and several at once | YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, Mixcloud, TikTok and any RTMP or SRT server, several at once [11] |
| Connect your YouTube channel by signing in | Yes | Yes, YouTube Connect: sign in with Google [12] |
| Stream into an event already scheduled in YouTube Studio | Yes | Yes, with a stream key from an event set up in YouTube Studio [5] |
| Choose where YouTube ad breaks fall | Yes, Ad Slots Manager | Yes, YouTube ad cue points between videos, every so many videos or minutes, or at a set time inside a file [13] |
| HLS, SRT and SCTE-35 ad markers | By request, on a custom plan | SRT to any SRT server. Its Live Studio page mentions HLS streaming with no detail. SCTE-35 markers not documented on the pages we checked [14] |
| YouTube Live verified encoder | Not on the list. Streams through YouTube's official API; the app passed YouTube's API compliance audit and Google's verification | Yes [15] |
| Uploads, scale and automation | ||
| Video encoding | Yes, free, on our servers, for a file the platform does not accept as it is | Yes, a file can be re-encoded inside Upstream, within the re-encoding time paid plans include; more time is for sale [16] |
| Many streams at once | Yes, up to 20 at checkout, up to 1,000 on request | Yes, 10, 50 or 100+ streams in one dashboard, team roles, and Enterprise plans with custom volumes and an SLA [17] |
| API to create and control streams | Yes, on every paid plan | Yes, on every plan, the free plan included [1] |
| AI agents over MCP | Yes, on every paid plan: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other MCP clients | Yes, an MCP server, on every plan, the free plan included [1] |
On the Free plan you can build the whole stream and go live for a short test before you pay for the 24/7 plan.
Where is each one ahead?
LiveReacting is ahead on
- The same few steps as Upstream to start: upload your videos, put them in a playlist, go live. Everything below is there when you need it, in the same stream.
- Trivia, polls and giveaways viewers play by typing in the live chat. Upstream's pages show third-party widgets, such as StreamElements alerts.
- Ready-made templates for 24/7 streams: 16 of them, such as a lofi radio with its live chat on screen or a video playlist, to open and go live.
- Advanced Scheduling: several dates set at once, or a repeat every set number of minutes, hours or days.
- Videos pulled in from a YouTube channel or playlist link, or a Google Drive or Dropbox folder, and a playlist built from a spreadsheet.
- Advanced automation: scenes that change by themselves, and a client's YouTube channel connected with an invite link that grants streaming access only.
- SCTE-35 ad markers in an HLS or SRT stream, by request on a custom plan.
Choose LiveReacting if you want the same straightforward setup as Upstream, plus ready-made 24/7 templates, a whole YouTube channel imported in one go, and more room to grow: interactive games, layouts, automation and features for agencies and large networks.
Upstream is ahead on
- Listed as a YouTube Live verified encoder. LiveReacting is not on that list.
- A lower standard price: one stream for $30 a month, on Upstream's pricing page on September 24, 2026. LiveReacting charges $39.99. LiveReacting's new-customer offer costs less for the first 5 months: $21.99 a month.
- A free plan with 24 hours of streaming a month in 1080p, with no watermark and every feature. LiveReacting's Free plan is for a short test: 30 minutes a stream in 720p, with a watermark.
Choose Upstream if you want the lowest standard price for one stream ($30 a month), or a free plan with 24 hours of streaming a month.
How do you start a 24/7 stream on each?
LiveReacting
- Create a free account and open a 24/7 template, or start from scratch.
- Upload your videos, or on any paid plan paste a link to a YouTube channel, playlist or video, or to a Google Drive or Dropbox file.
- Put them in a playlist: set the order, shuffle it or loop one file.
- Connect your YouTube channel by signing in, or paste a stream key.
- Click Go Live, or set the dates and times it should run.
How To Stream 24/7 on YouTube Using Pre Recorded Videos without OBS, our tutorial.
Upstream
- Upload your video and audio files and add them to playlists.
- Set the playlist rules in the Stream Builder: shuffle and looping, and overlays, widgets or inserts such as stings and ads.
- Connect YouTube with one click through YouTube Connect, or paste an RTMP stream key for any platform, and go live.
From Upstream's own 24/7 streaming page, "How to Make a 24/7 Live Stream on Youtube", read on September 24, 2026.
What does LiveReacting add to a 24/7 stream?
A playlist is enough to go live. Each feature below joins the same stream when you want it, and we found none of them on Upstream's pages.
-
Trivia, polls and giveaways
Upstream's overlays embed third-party alerts. On LiveReacting, viewers answer a trivia question, vote in a poll or enter a giveaway by typing in the live chat, and the result shows on the stream. See interactive live streaming and why that matters on YouTube.
-
Bring in your YouTube channel
We found no import by link on Upstream's pages. Here you paste a link to your YouTube channel, a playlist or one video, pick the videos, and they arrive in your media library. On every paid plan. Help Center guide.
-
Several dates, or any gap you choose
Upstream repeats a stream every day or every week. Here you set several dates in one go, or repeat the stream every set number of minutes, hours or days, and each run starts on its own. Help Center guide.
-
Advanced automation
Put a countdown, a show and a playlist in one stream as scenes, and set when each hands over to the next. The stream moves through them with no one at the controls. Help Center guide.
-
Build the playlist in a spreadsheet
Keep the running order of a large library in a spreadsheet: upload a CSV of file names and the playlist is built from it. Export it back to edit it later.
-
Connect a client's YouTube channel
Running streams for other channels? Send the owner an invite link. They sign in to Google on a page with your logo and grant streaming access only, with no password shared. Help Center guide.
Can you start from a ready-made 24/7 stream?
Yes, and Upstream names no templates for a 24/7 stream on the pages we checked. Open a finished project, such as a lofi radio with its live chat on screen, put your own videos or music in it, and go live.
-
Playlist of pre-recorded videos
Playlist of video files that play one after another in sequence for continuous streaming.
-
24/7 LoFi + chat overlay
24/7 lofi music live stream with audio playlist, animated background, and live chat overlay display.
-
24/7 synthwave
24/7 synthwave music radio channel with retro audio playlist and 80s-style animated visualizer.
-
24/7 horror stories
24/7 horror stories radio stream with audio narration playlist and animated spooky background graphics.
-
24/7 fitness live stream
24/7 workout live stream with fitness video playlist or pre-recorded exercise videos playing continuously.
-
24/7 minimalistic LoFi
24/7 minimalist lofi beats stream with a minimal audio visualizer and clean aesthetic background design.
How much does a 24/7 stream cost on each?
On LiveReacting, one 24/7 stream costs $39.99/mo, or $33/mo billed yearly, with Video Playlists and Advanced Scheduling in the plan. On Upstream, one stream costs $30 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly, with every feature on every plan (Upstream's pricing page, September 24, 2026).
The LiveReacting plan adds trivia, polls and giveaways in the live chat, a schedule set on several dates at once, and ready-made templates for 24/7 streams. We found none of these on Upstream's pages.
New customers get 45% off the first 5 months month to month ($21.99 a month, then $39.99), or 40% off 12 months at $39.99 billed yearly ($287.93 for the first year, then $396 a year), on the 24/7 plan at 1080p 30 FPS with the code KICKSTART2026 until Oct 31, 2026. The offer comes on top of the volume discount.
How do you move a 24/7 stream from Upstream to LiveReacting?
- Bring your videos: upload them from your computer, or on any paid plan paste a link to your YouTube channel or playlist, or a Google Drive or Dropbox folder, and LiveReacting fetches the files.
- Rebuild the order: add the videos to a playlist, or upload a CSV of the file names in order.
- Connect your YouTube channel and go live, or stream into an event you already scheduled in YouTube Studio.
If the platform does not accept a file as it is, LiveReacting converts it for free. Nothing is imported from Upstream directly.
LiveReacting vs Upstream: questions
Is LiveReacting a good alternative to Upstream?
Yes, for a 24/7 live stream of pre-recorded videos that viewers take part in. LiveReacting runs the stream from its servers on YouTube, or on any other platform that allows one, and adds trivia, polls and giveaways viewers play by typing in the live chat, which Upstream does not document as of September 24, 2026. Upstream costs less at the standard price and is on YouTube's list of verified encoders.
Is LiveReacting harder to set up than Upstream?
No. Upload your videos, put them in a playlist, connect YouTube or another platform, and go live. Upstream's own guide lists the same kind of steps: upload, set up the playlist, connect the platform. Scheduling, trivia and a live camera are there when you want them, not steps you take first.
Which is cheaper for a 24/7 stream?
For the first 5 months, LiveReacting: new customers pay $21.99 a month for one stream, against $30 on Upstream. The offer ends Oct 31, 2026. At the standard price, Upstream costs less. One stream costs $30 a month on Upstream, or $24 a month billed yearly, and $39.99 a month on LiveReacting, or $33 a month billed yearly. Upstream prices checked September 24, 2026.
Do Upstream and LiveReacting have a free plan?
Yes, both, with different limits. Upstream's free plan gives 24 hours of streaming a month on one stream, in 1080p at 30 FPS, with no watermark. LiveReacting's Free plan gives 3 streams a month of 30 minutes each in 720p, with a watermark, for a test before the 24/7 plan. Upstream figures checked September 24, 2026.
Can a 24/7 stream have polls or trivia?
On LiveReacting, yes: trivia, polls and giveaways run in the 24/7 stream, and viewers take part by typing in the live chat, with up to 150 in a trivia game or a poll at once. Upstream's overlay editor embeds third-party widgets such as StreamElements alerts, and we found no Upstream page that documents trivia, polls or giveaways, as of September 24, 2026.
Will YouTube treat a 24/7 stream on LiveReacting or Upstream as repetitive content?
With either tool, the risky case is one short video looping with nothing else on screen. A playlist shuffled into a new order each time it loops, a chat overlay with viewers' comments, and trivia or polls in the live chat make each hour different, and LiveReacting has all of these, the 24/7 plan included. Our guide to looping a video on YouTube Live explains the policy.
Can I change the playlist or go on camera while a 24/7 stream is live?
Yes, on both. Each applies playlist changes without stopping the stream, and each lets you bring in a camera or guests. LiveReacting does it with Live Studio: cameras, guests who join from a link and a shared screen, placed beside the videos while the stream stays on air. Upstream's Live Studio brings a camera or guests in over the playlist, which keeps playing, checked September 24, 2026.
Is LiveReacting a YouTube Live verified encoder?
It is not on YouTube's list of verified encoders, as of September 24, 2026. LiveReacting streams to YouTube through YouTube's official API, and the app passed YouTube's API Services compliance audit and Google's verification. Sign in with your YouTube channel and LiveReacting creates the live stream there for you.
How do I move my 24/7 stream from Upstream to LiveReacting?
Upload the same videos from your computer, or on any paid plan paste a link to your YouTube channel or playlist, or a Google Drive or Dropbox folder, and LiveReacting fetches the files. Put them in a playlist, connect your channel and go live. If the platform does not accept a file as it is, LiveReacting converts it for free.
Do I need to keep my computer on?
No, with either one. Both stream from their own servers, so your computer can be off while the 24/7 stream runs.