Tool profile
Wirecast: cost, fit and limits
Wirecast is live production software made by Telestream 2 LLC for Mac and Windows that mixes camera, screen and web sources and streams them, with a Studio edition and a Pro edition adding cloud multistreaming and ISO recording.
What to know first
Wirecast comes in two editions, billed monthly or yearly. Studio is $59 a month monthly or $34 a month billed yearly, and Pro is $79 monthly or $42 yearly. The page says yearly saves $300 on Studio and $444 on Pro. A free trial is offered. Studio has no cloud multistreaming, ISO recording or NDI output, so most production features sit on Pro.
Wirecast at a glance
| Maker | Telestream 2 LLC, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | $34 per month billed yearly (Studio) |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Live Streaming Software in 2026, rank 8 of 13 |
| Website | wirecast.io |
Who Wirecast is best for
Mixed Mac and Windows teams
The license covers both systems, so a crew with a Mac in the church and a PC in the studio uses the same software.
Producers who record every camera
Pro adds ISO recording of each source, which gives editors separate files per camera for post-production after the event is over.
Shows with remote contributors
Pro includes seven Rendezvous remote guests, so interviews and panels can run inside the same mixer without a separate conferencing tool.
Wirecast plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Wirecast Studio | $59 per month, or $34 per month billed yearly | Mac and Windows, unlimited live camera sources, NDI input only, screen capture, IP cameras and web stream input. |
| Wirecast Pro | $79 per month, or $42 per month billed yearly | Everything in Studio plus NDI output, cloud multistreaming, 7 Rendezvous remote guests, a 1 to 17 slot multi-viewer, ISO recording, PTZ control and sports production tools. |
| Free trial | Free trial offered | A free trial is offered on the pricing page; its length and the edition it covers were not stated in the text we read. |
| Studio and Pro annual saving | $300 and $444 a year | The page says yearly billing saves $300 a year on Studio and $444 a year on Pro against paying month to month. |
Checked November 2026.
What Wirecast does
- Chroma key and screen capture
- Both are in the Studio edition, so presenters can sit over a keyed background and show slides or software without moving up to the more expensive Pro edition.
- Cloud multistreaming
- Pro sends the show to several destinations through the cloud instead of from your own upload line, which saves bandwidth for crews on a limited connection.
- ISO recording
- Each source is recorded as a separate file on Pro, a standard need for post-production teams that want to re-cut a show after the live broadcast.
- Rendezvous guests
- Seven remote guests can join a Pro show, with a 1 to 17 slot multi-viewer for monitoring the sources in the mixer window during a production.
- PTZ control
- Pro can drive PTZ cameras from inside the mixer, which suits venues with fixed pan-tilt-zoom cameras and a single operator for the whole production. One operator can run camera moves during the show.
How Wirecast handles your data
We opened only the Wirecast homepage and pricing page. Neither states whether customer content trains AI models, how long data is kept, where data is hosted or which certifications apply, so the vendor's policy was not checked for this. Both pages show Telestream 2 LLC as the copyright holder with no address. The pages we read leave AI out entirely. A buyer who handles regulated footage should request the data and privacy terms, and ask how remote guest sessions are routed.
Where Wirecast falls short in practice
- Studio omits key tools. Cloud multistreaming, ISO recording and NDI output are Pro only, and Studio takes NDI as input only, so many production features sit behind the higher price.
- Price gap between billing styles. Studio costs $59 monthly against $34 billed yearly, so month-to-month flexibility costs nearly double what an annual commitment does for the same software. Choose the billing cycle before the first event.
- No data policy read. Neither page we opened covers retention or hosting, so privacy questions about guest sessions and cloud multistreaming remain open until the vendor answers them. Ask the vendor before using cloud features for private events.
Works with
Alternatives to Wirecast
Wirecast: common questions
How much does Wirecast cost per month?
Studio is $59 a month billed monthly or $34 a month billed yearly. Pro is $79 monthly or $42 yearly. The page says the annual plan saves $300 a year on Studio and $444 on Pro. A free trial is offered, but its length was not stated in the text we read.
Does Wirecast run on Mac and Windows?
Yes. The Studio edition is listed for Mac and Windows. That makes it the choice here for mixed shops, since vMix is described for Windows PCs and Ecamm Live is Mac only. Check the system requirements for your hardware, because multi-camera work is demanding.
What is missing from Wirecast Studio?
Studio does not include cloud multistreaming, ISO recording or NDI output, and its NDI support is input only. Those arrive with Pro, along with 7 Rendezvous remote guests, a 1 to 17 slot multi-viewer, PTZ camera control and sports production tools.
How many remote guests can join a Wirecast show?
Pro lists 7 Rendezvous remote guests. The Studio edition does not list remote guests in the text we read. Teams that run larger panels should compare vMix Call, which supports 8 guests, or a browser studio such as StreamYard. Larger panels need more planning.
Does Wirecast have AI features?
The vendor names no AI tool in the text we read. Wirecast stresses production tools such as chroma key, screen capture, multi-track audio and ISO recording. Buyers who want AI captions or backgrounds should look at XSplit Broadcaster, and those who want AI clips at StreamYard.