In short
- Restream is built for live shows sent to many platforms at once. StreamOps is built for always-on channels from pre-recorded video.
- Restream's pre-recorded streaming is a separate add-on, from $39 a month; looping needs the $79 Marathon plan.
- A looped Restream stream runs for at most 40 hours, and a playlist for at most 24. A StreamOps stream runs until you stop it.
- StreamOps Cloud runs one non-stop stream for $15 a month; on your own PC it is free.
Introduction
People often reach for Restream when they want a channel that is always live, because it is the best-known name in multistreaming. It can stream uploaded videos, but it was built for something else: getting a live show onto many platforms at once.
We make StreamOps, so this is not a neutral review. What follows about Restream comes from its pricing page and its help centre articles on looping and playlists, as they read on 9 October 2026. Check them before you decide — limits and prices change.
The Real Difference
- Restream takes a stream you send it, from its browser studio, OBS or another encoder, and copies it to many destinations. Its pre-recorded streaming plays uploaded videos as scheduled events.
- StreamOps plays your video library as a live stream that never ends: it loops playlists, restarts itself after a crash and recovers the YouTube broadcast if it ends.
- StreamOps runs on your own Windows or Linux machine, or on StreamOps Cloud, where we run it for you. Restream runs in its cloud.
Side by Side
| Restream | StreamOps on your PC | StreamOps Cloud | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Multistreaming live shows | Always-on streams | Always-on streams |
| Pre-recorded streaming | Upload & Stream add-on, from $39 / month | Every plan, including Free | Every plan |
| Looping | Marathon add-on ($79) and above, up to 10 loops | Every plan, no limit | Every plan, no limit |
| Longest continuous stream | 40 hours (looped) | No limit | No limit |
| Video library | 2, 4 or 12 hours by add-on | Your own disk, no cap | 25 GB per stream |
| Live studio with guests | Yes | No | No |
| A computer left on | No | Yes | No |
Can Restream Run 24/7?
Not as one continuous stream. Restream's help centre sets three limits on pre-recorded streaming:
- A video can loop up to 10 times, and a looped stream can last at most 40 hours.
- A playlist holds up to 40 videos and can be up to 24 hours long.
- Playlists can be scheduled back to back, with a 2-minute gap between one and the next.
Restream itself suggests looping for things like a 24-hour radio or DJ stream, and that works. For a channel that should stay live for weeks, though, you would be scheduling a new event every day or two, and each gap between events can end the broadcast on YouTube.
StreamOps keeps one stream going around the clock. If the stream process crashes it restarts itself, and if YouTube ends the broadcast it can create a new one on the same stream key. See why a 24/7 stream keeps ending.
Pricing
Restream lists its streaming plans and its Upload & Stream add-ons separately.
| Restream | Monthly | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plan | $19 | 3 channels at once, 720p |
| Professional plan | $49 | 5 channels at once, 1080p |
| Business plan | $239 | 8 channels at once |
| Upload & Stream Premier | $39 | 2-hour video library |
| Upload & Stream Marathon | $79 | 4-hour library, playlists, looping |
| Upload & Stream Media | $239 | 12-hour library, 4K videos |
For StreamOps, an always-on stream is the base product. StreamOps Cloud 1 is ₹1,499 a month ($15), Cloud 5 ₹6,999 (about $84) for five streams, and a year costs ten months. On your own PC, one stream is free and Creator covers up to 5 for ₹999 a month (about $12). StreamOps is billed in rupees, and the dollar figures are approximate; see StreamOps pricing.
Video library: hours against gigabytes
Restream measures its library in hours of video. StreamOps Cloud gives 25 GB per stream, which at its HD bitrate of 4.5 Mbps is about 12 hours of video — three times Marathon's four. On your own PC the library is whatever fits on your disk.
Multistreaming
Multistreaming is Restream's core, and it does it well: its plans send a stream to 3, 5 or 8 channels at once, from a browser studio that can bring guests on screen. StreamOps also sends one stream to several places — YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Kick and any custom RTMP address — on Creator and above, and on every StreamOps Cloud plan. It has no studio or guests; it plays your videos.
When to Choose Restream
- You host live shows, with guests, and want them on many platforms at once.
- You stream pre-recorded videos now and then, as scheduled events rather than an always-on channel.
- You want Restream's browser studio, with guests on screen, rather than a playlist.
When to Choose StreamOps
- The channel should stay live around the clock, for weeks or months, without scheduling new events.
- Your video library is larger than a few hours.
- You want to pay for streams, not for a multistreaming plan plus an add-on.
- You have a machine that can stay on: run it there, free for one stream. If not, StreamOps Cloud runs it from $15 a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Restream and StreamOps?
Restream is mainly a multistreaming service for live shows: you stream from its studio, OBS or another encoder, and it sends the stream to many platforms at once. It can also stream uploaded videos as scheduled events. StreamOps is built for always-on streams from pre-recorded video, running on your own PC or on StreamOps Cloud.
Can Restream stream 24/7?
Not continuously. On 9 October 2026 Restream's help centre said a looped pre-recorded stream can run for at most 40 hours (up to 10 loops), and a playlist can be up to 24 hours long. You can schedule playlists back to back, with a 2-minute gap between them. StreamOps runs a stream around the clock with no time limit.
How much does Restream's pre-recorded streaming cost?
Restream sells it as Upload & Stream add-on plans: Premier at $39 a month with a 2-hour video library, Marathon at $79 with 4 hours plus playlists and looping, and Media at $239 with 12 hours and 4K. Looping needs Marathon or Media.
Which is cheaper for an always-on channel?
StreamOps. Looping on Restream starts with the $79 Marathon add-on and still stops after 40 hours. StreamOps Cloud 1 is ₹1,499 a month ($15) for one stream running non-stop, and StreamOps on your own PC is free for one stream.
Can I use Restream and StreamOps together?
Yes. Restream accepts a stream from any RTMP encoder, so StreamOps can send your always-on stream to Restream, which then fans it out to its destinations. StreamOps can also multistream by itself to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Kick and custom RTMP addresses, on Creator and above and every Cloud plan.
Conclusion
Restream is the right tool for live shows on many platforms, and it can play recorded videos as events of up to 40 hours. For a channel that is always live, StreamOps does the job it was built for: one stream that never stops, from $15 a month on StreamOps Cloud or free on your own PC.
For the wider field, see the best 24/7 live streaming software.
