OBS plugins
My plugin list from a few years back, checked one by one. Many aren't needed any more because OBS ships them, and a famous one is abandoned: better to know before installing.
Install them with the installer from their page (or the zip into the OBS folder) with OBS closed. Only install what you'll use: every plugin is one more thing that can break when OBS updates.
If you only look at three
- Advanced Scene SwitcherMacros: when this happens, do that. Switch scenes when a game opens, when you go quiet, at a set time…
- Source RecordRecords one source or scene separately, like a clean camera feed for editing later.
- Move TransitionSources glide to their new place when scenes change, plus a thousand other motion effects.
Production
Switching scenes automatically, recording sources separately, replays and streaming to several places.
Macros: when this happens, do that. Switch scenes when a game opens, when you go quiet, at a set time…
Very active. If you install just one plugin, make it this one.
Stream to Twitch, YouTube or anywhere at once, each with its own quality.
Still maintained. Aitum Multistream does the same and also handles the vertical canvas.
Instant replays: keeps the last seconds and plays them back, in slow motion if you like.
Copy and paste sources, filters and scenes between collections or to a file.
Puts a source (camera, a video) in an OBS panel to watch or control it.
Records one source or scene separately, like a clean camera feed for editing later.
One source that cycles through several: on a timer, randomly or with a hotkey.
Aitum Multistream
AliveModern multistreaming: several destinations from one panel, vertical canvas included.
Aitum Vertical
AliveA second, vertical canvas for TikTok, Shorts or Reels while you stream landscape.
Needs OBS 31.1 or newer. Note: Streamer.bot and other remote tools can't see its scenes.
Marks moments while you record or stream so you can find them when editing.
The handiest way to pull clips out of a long stream.
Downstream Keyer
AliveLayers that stay on top of every scene: logo, alerts, watermark.
Dynamic Delay
AliveDelays a source then speeds it up to catch back up: slow motion and back to live.
Unchanged since 2022. Probably works, but nobody confirms it on OBS 32.
Freeze Filter
AliveFreezes a source's picture with a key, say your camera for a moment.
InfoWriter
AliveLogs to a file the moments you switch scenes or press a hotkey, for editing later.
For recordings, OBS now adds chapter markers to hybrid MP4.
Media Controls
AliveA panel with play, pause and a timeline for the videos in your scenes.
Scene Tree Folder
AliveFolders in the scene list, for when you have thirty.
The original (Scene Tree View) stopped at OBS 31. For OBS 32 and later, use this fork.
Transition Table
RenamedPick which transition to use between each pair of scenes.
Formerly Transition Matrix.
It was the star plugin: blurs, shadows, masks, 3D sources.
Its author made it Patreon-only and the free version doesn't run on OBS 30 or newer. Use Composite Blur, Stroke Glow Shadow, Move Transition and obs-shaderfilter instead.
Use insteadComposite Blur →Stroke Glow Shadow →Move Transition →obs-shaderfilter →
Audio
What I used most, for the music sessions: monitoring, VST effects and visualisers.
Sends any audio source to your headphones or another output, with its own volume.
Reaper's effects free as VSTs: EQ, compressor, gate, de-esser.
Old but works in OBS's «VST 2.x» filter. Windows only.
LSP Plugins
AlivePro audio effects (compressor, EQ, gate) loaded in OBS through the VST filter.
Free and open source on Linux; official Windows builds are paid.
NowPlaying Widget
Alive«Now playing» widget as a browser source, for Spotify, YouTube or SoundCloud.
Tuna
AliveShows the song playing (Spotify, VLC, browser…) on screen with its cover.
Waveform
AliveAudio visualiser: bars or a curve that move with the music or your voice.
obs-vst
Built into OBSLoading VST effects in OBS.
Built in: the «VST 2.x Plug-in» filter. No VST3.
win-capture-audio
Built into OBSCapturing one program's sound (the game without Discord, say).
Built in since OBS 28 as «Application Audio Capture», on Windows 10 and 11.
Audio spectrum visualiser.
Its author stopped and recommends Waveform.
Use insteadWaveform →
OBSCurrentSong
AbandonedWrote the Spotify song to a file to show on screen.
It read the Spotify window title, which isn't reliable with the current app.
Use insteadTuna →NowPlaying Widget →
Graphics and transitions
Vectorscope, waveform and histogram: to grade your camera like a pro.
Shows the keys, mouse or gamepad you press on screen.
No new release since 2024; not confirmed on OBS 32.
Sources glide to their new place when scenes change, plus a thousand other motion effects.
Essential. Also replaces Motion Effect.
Live captions of what you say, using Google speech recognition.
If you'd rather your voice never left the computer, LocalVocal does it locally with Whisper.
Advanced Masks
AliveCrops sources into shapes (circle, rounded corners…) for camera frames without editing images.
With OBS 32, download the file marked «Legacy»: the regular one is for OBS 33.
Composite Blur
AliveBlurs a whole source or just part of it: the background, a private area, frosted glass.
With OBS 32, download the file marked «Legacy»: the regular one is for OBS 33.
Stopwatch and countdown script, with hotkeys.
Countdown Timer
AliveOn-screen countdown, for «starting in 5 minutes».
Live Weather Overlay
AliveCurrent weather on screen. Needs a free OpenWeather key.
LocalVocal
AliveLive captions and translation with no cloud: all on your computer with Whisper.
obs-shaderfilter
AliveShader-made filters: glow, CRT, distortion, edges… ships with plenty of examples.
Retro Effects
AliveOld-TV filters: CRT lines, VHS, chunky pixels, signal glitches, old console colours.
With OBS 32, download the file marked «Legacy»: the regular one is for OBS 33.
Scale to Sound
AliveAn image (your avatar, a logo) grows with your voice or the music.
The classic «talking» PNG avatar trick. Needs OBS 31.1 or newer.
Stroke Glow Shadow
AliveOutline, glow or shadow for your cut-out camera, a text or any image.
With Background Removal, your silhouette stands out over the game.
Animated name or topic captions, controlled from an OBS panel.
Unchanged since 2021, but it's HTML: it usually still works as a browser dock.
Custom shaders on sources, with access to audio.
Last release 2021. Use obs-shaderfilter.
Use insteadobs-shaderfilter →
Motion Effect
AbandonedMoving sources with animations.
Doesn't work on OBS 32. Use Move Transition.
Use insteadMove Transition →
Weather on screen.
Removed from the forum. Use Live Weather Overlay.
Use insteadLive Weather Overlay →
Camera and video
Removes or blurs your camera background without a green screen.
With an NVIDIA RTX card, OBS's built-in NVIDIA filter is cleaner.
DroidCam OBS
AliveYour phone as an OBS camera, over wifi or USB.
Face Tracker
AliveFrames the camera by following your face, as if someone were operating it.
PTZ Controls
AlivePan, tilt and zoom motorised (PTZ) cameras from an OBS panel.
Use this one, the original. Mazecreator's «Portable PTZ» was a 2021 fork.
Video and audio over your local network with NDI: another PC, a phone or an NDI camera.
Formerly obs-ndi. Needs NDI Runtime 6 installed.
OBS Virtualcam
Built into OBSUsing OBS's output as a camera in Discord, Zoom or Meet.
Built in since OBS 26: the «Start Virtual Camera» button.
LiveVisionKit
AbandonedStabilising and enhancing camera footage.
Archived in 2024.
Remote control and utilities
OBSliveTally
AliveHome-made «on air» tally light with an ESP8266 board: lights up when that camera is live.
Replaces the Tally Light I had noted, which no longer exists.
SE.Live
AliveStreamElements inside OBS: alerts, chat and activity in panels.
Windows only, OBS 31 or newer. No plugin needed: the same panels as browser docks.
Source Toggler
AliveScript that switches sources on and off in turn or with a hotkey.
Not confirmed on OBS 32. Advanced Scene Switcher does this and more.
StreamUP
AliveTells you which plugins are out of date and adds shortcuts and panels to tidy scenes.
The plugin is free; some StreamUP packs are paid.
obs-websocket
Built into OBSControlling OBS from outside: Stream Deck, Streamer.bot, your phone.
Built in since OBS 28: Tools › WebSocket Server Settings.
Scrab
AbandonedGrab a piece of the screen and drop it into the scene with a hotkey.
Broken since OBS 28.
Starscape Creator Studio
ClosedManager to install and update OBS plugins.
The address no longer exists and its domain belongs to another company.
Themes
OBS 30.2 changed the theme system: old (.qss) themes don't adapt by themselves and usually look broken. The built-in ones (Yami, Grey, Rachni…) have styles you tweak in Settings › Appearance.
Cooliguay
AliveClean dark theme for OBS.
Updated for the new system (version 2.2).
Darkybobby
UnconfirmedDark theme.
Not sure it was updated for the new system.
Twitchy
UnconfirmedTheme in Twitch colours.
Not sure it was updated. OBS already has a «Twitch» style in Settings › Appearance.
Flat Dark
AbandonedFlat dark theme.
Marked as obsolete.
Use insteadCooliguay →