Whether you want to start your own news channel, run a sports channel, or stream pre-recorded video live around the clock, the right tool depends entirely on how you want to run it. Here are nine, compared fairly, with who each one is really for.
Nine playout and TV channel software tools, assessed on how they run a 24/7 channel. Competitor details from public pricing and product pages, July 2026. FastPix is the publisher; every other tool is described on its own terms.
Starting a channel has never been easier to say and harder to choose a tool for. Search for playout software, TV channel software, or how to make your own channel and you get a wall of products that all promise the same thing and mean wildly different things by it. Some are free apps that run on your laptop. Some are enterprise broadcast platforms with a sales team attached. The differences that matter are not in the feature lists, which all look alike, but in how you are expected to run the channel: by hand in a browser, off a machine you own, inside a full branded product, or from code. Get that match right and the rest is easy.
What playout software actually is
Playout software is the thing that turns a pile of content into a channel. It takes your video, live feeds and pre-recorded files alike, arranges it into a continuous stream, and broadcasts that stream out to your viewers the way a television channel does. Good video playout software lets you loop a set of content or schedule a full timeline with a programme guide, stream pre-recorded video as a live channel, mix live and pre-recorded in one lineup, drop in ad markers, and deliver over a multi-CDN network so it plays smoothly everywhere. That is the job. The nine tools below all do some version of it; where they differ is everything around it.
How to choose: the trade-off nobody names
Every option on the market sits in a corner, and the corners are the whole story.
The cheap, no-code apps are quick to start but cap you, on files, on hours, on channels. The do-it-yourself software gives you control but ties the channel to a computer that has to stay on. The full OTT platforms hand you a branded product with television apps, but they are heavy and expensive. The enterprise playout suites are broadcast-grade and can run hundreds of channels, but they come with a sales cycle and a custom contract. The corner most people actually want, broadcast-grade capability you can drive from code, per channel, without caps or a sales call, is the one that has stayed mostly empty, and it is the one worth knowing about before you sign up for a compromise you did not need to make.
The nine tools, scored the same way
Each tool below is described against the same seven things, so you can read straight down and compare like for like. Anything both a tool and FastPix do, such as multistreaming or delivering to Roku, is table stakes; the differences are in how you run it, what it caps, and what it costs.
1. FastPix Cloud Playout
Pick it if you want to run channels inside your own product and push new content as fast as you make it.
| Axis | FastPix Cloud Playout |
|---|---|
| Run it via | API and a drag-and-drop dashboard; ingest content via API at your production rate, built for programmatic and AI-generated content at velocity |
| Channels & limits | Unlimited channels; no file, duration or loop caps |
| Content & graphics | Loop or schedule; mix live and pre-recorded in one timeline; overlays, watermarks, L-bands, slates, intro/outro, SCTE-35 ad markers, your own ad inventory |
| Broadcast to | Your app and website, YouTube / Facebook / Twitch / Roku via RTMP, Samsung / LG and any HLS-supported surface, FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) platforms |
| Analytics | Server-side, per channel (who, where, how many, quality) |
| Monetization | Ad markers plus your own ad inventory, 0% revenue cut (dynamic server-side ad insertion, SSAI, is partial today) |
| Pricing | Transparent $99 per channel per month plus usage |
2. Castr
Pick it if you want one simple looping channel up fast, with no code.
| Axis | Castr |
|---|---|
| Run it via | No-code browser interface; upload files one at a time |
| Channels & limits | One playout per plan; 50 files, 240 min per file, 30-day loop, so no deep catalogue and no second channel without a custom deal |
| Content & graphics | Loop or schedule; limited graphics |
| Broadcast to | Your app and website, social platforms, HLS |
| Analytics | Player-level |
| Monetization | Paywall; 5 to 9 percent revenue commission |
| Pricing | $20 to $750 a month |
3. Dacast
Pick it if you want a hosted channel with a paywall built in and do not need an API.
| Axis | Dacast |
|---|---|
| Run it via | Hosted console; limited API |
| Channels & limits | Plan-based, with bandwidth caps |
| Content & graphics | Streams pre-recorded video as a live channel; scheduling; basic graphics |
| Broadcast to | Your app and website over HLS, multi-CDN |
| Analytics | Yes, platform-level |
| Monetization | Paywall (subscriptions, pay-per-view) built in |
| Pricing | From around $39 a month, higher for business tiers |
4. Restream
Pick it if your goal is multistreaming one feed to many social platforms at once.
| Axis | Restream |
|---|---|
| Run it via | No-code interface; limited API |
| Channels & limits | Pre-recorded looping capped at roughly 10 loops / 40 hours, so not a true 24/7 channel |
| Content & graphics | No channel scheduling or programme guide; built for one-off live broadcasts, not a continuous channel |
| Broadcast to | 30-plus social / RTMP destinations |
| Analytics | Basic |
| Monetization | No built-in paywall; you monetize on the destination platform (for example YouTube) |
| Pricing | $16 to $239 a month |
5. OBS Studio / vMix
Pick it if you produce a live show and want hands-on control on your own machine.
| Axis | OBS Studio / vMix |
|---|---|
| Run it via | A desktop app you run yourself; no API |
| Channels & limits | One channel per machine, limited by your hardware, and it must stay on 24/7 |
| Content & graphics | Full live production: scenes, graphics, overlays |
| Broadcast to | RTMP to any destination you configure |
| Analytics | None |
| Monetization | None built in |
| Pricing | OBS free; vMix roughly $60 to $1,200 one-time |
6. Muvi
Pick it if you want a whole branded OTT service with its own TV apps, no code.
| Axis | Muvi |
|---|---|
| Run it via | No-code platform console; some API |
| Channels & limits | Platform-managed; FAST and linear channels inside the product |
| Content & graphics | Video-on-demand and linear scheduling |
| Broadcast to | Builds the actual Roku / Fire TV / Apple TV apps (the storefront) plus web. FastPix delivers the channel those apps play, but does not build the app |
| Analytics | Yes, platform-level |
| Monetization | A subscription, pay-per-view and ad-supported (SVOD / TVOD / AVOD) storefront with payment gateways |
| Pricing | From $399 a month plus infrastructure |
7. Amagi
Pick it if you are a media company running FAST channels at broadcast scale.
| Axis | Amagi |
|---|---|
| Run it via | Enterprise console plus API; managed service |
| Channels & limits | Broadcast-grade, built for large channel portfolios; enterprise |
| Content & graphics | Full broadcast playout, graphics, ad markers |
| Broadcast to | Direct to Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Pluto, Xumo and others |
| Analytics | Yes, enterprise |
| Monetization | FAST ad monetization plus server-side ad insertion |
| Pricing | Custom / enterprise |
8. Brightcove
Pick it if you want a full enterprise video suite with mature ad monetization.
| Axis | Brightcove |
|---|---|
| Run it via | Enterprise console plus API |
| Channels & limits | Enterprise; linear and FAST |
| Content & graphics | Full suite; ad insertion |
| Broadcast to | Web, apps, FAST platforms |
| Analytics | Yes, enterprise |
| Monetization | Mature ad monetization and server-side ad insertion, its real edge in this group |
| Pricing | Custom / enterprise |
9. Wowza
Pick it if you want a streaming server to build your own channel setup on, not a turnkey product.
| Axis | Wowza |
|---|---|
| Run it via | API plus console; low-level control |
| Channels & limits | Channels scale with your plan; no hard file or loop caps, but you configure, host and maintain the setup rather than getting a turnkey channel |
| Content & graphics | A streaming server, not a finished channel product: it handles ingest, transcoding and delivery, but scheduling, graphics and overlays are yours to wire up |
| Broadcast to | Multi-platform, HLS and RTMP |
| Analytics | Yes, platform-level |
| Monetization | Through integrations |
| Pricing | From around $99 a month, scaling to enterprise |
The nine at a glance
| Tool | Run it via | Channels & caps | Analytics | Monetization | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FastPix | API + dashboard | Unlimited, no caps | Server-side, per channel | Ad markers + own ads, 0% cut | $99/ch + usage |
| Castr | No-code UI | 1 ch; 50 files / 30-day | Player-level | Paywall; 5–9% cut | $20–$750/mo |
| Dacast | Hosted console | Plan / bandwidth caps | Platform-level | Paywall built in | from ~$39/mo |
| Restream | No-code UI | Loop capped (~40 hr) | Basic | No paywall | $16–$239/mo |
| OBS / vMix | Desktop app | 1 / machine, your hardware | None | None | Free / one-time |
| Muvi | Platform console | FAST + linear, platform | Platform | Sub/PPV/ad storefront | $399+/mo |
| Amagi | Enterprise + API | Broadcast portfolios | Enterprise | FAST ads + SSAI | Custom |
| Brightcove | Enterprise + API | Enterprise | Yes | Mature SSAI | Custom |
| Wowza | API + console | Scalable, plan | Yes | Integrations | from ~$99/mo |
Which one for your channel?
The fastest way to choose is to start from what you are building, not the feature grid.
If you want to start your own news channel or a sports channel and run it inside an app you already have, you want a playout layer you can drive from code, which is FastPix, or an enterprise suite like Amagi or Brightcove if you are at broadcast scale. If you want to start your own Roku channel as a full branded service with its own television apps, an OTT builder like Muvi gives you the app and the storefront, with a playout layer underneath. If you just want to stream pre-recorded video live, automated, around the clock, and keep it simple, Castr or Dacast will get a single channel going quickly, as long as their caps fit you. And if you want maximum control on your own machine and do not mind babysitting it, OBS or vMix are free-to-cheap and battle-tested. Match the tool to the way you want to run the channel, and none of them is wrong; they are just built for different people.
The feature lists all look the same. The real question is how you want to run the channel: by hand, off a machine, inside a whole product, or from code. Answer that and the shortlist writes itself.
How we assessed these
To be straight about it: FastPix publishes this guide, so we put ourselves first and told you exactly where we do not lead, which is programmatic ad insertion, where Brightcove is stronger today. Every other tool is described on its own terms and for the buyer it truly suits. There is no single best playout software, only the best one for how you intend to run your channel, and a fair few of these are excellent at the job they were built for.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is playout software?
Playout software assembles live and pre-recorded video into a continuous streaming channel, similar to a traditional television broadcast. It allows you to schedule or loop content, combine live and recorded programming, insert graphics and ad markers, and deliver the channel over a multi-CDN network.
How do I start my own TV or news channel?
Start by gathering content you have the rights to broadcast, choose a playout platform that fits your workflow, create a scheduled or looping lineup, and distribute the channel to your website, app, or connected TV platforms. API-first playout platforms such as FastPix are well suited for adding channels to existing products, while OTT platforms like Muvi also provide branded applications.
How do I start my own Roku channel?
A Roku channel requires both a Roku application and a video source. Platforms such as Muvi or Roku Direct Publisher can provide the application, while a cloud playout service like FastPix supplies the 24/7 channel and HLS stream that the Roku app plays. The playout platform manages video delivery, while the OTT platform handles the Roku application.
Can I stream pre-recorded video live, 24/7?
Yes. Streaming pre-recorded content as a continuously scheduled live channel is one of the primary functions of playout software. Platforms such as FastPix, Castr, and Dacast support continuous scheduled playback, while some services may impose limits on loop duration or automation capabilities.
How do I record a live stream?
FastPix can automatically record live broadcasts as video-on-demand assets while they are streaming, preserving playback and analytics without requiring manual transfers or re-encoding. Many hosted streaming platforms also offer automatic live-to-VOD recording, while self-managed workflows typically use software such as OBS or vMix for local recording.
Is a Vimeo channel the same as a playout channel?
No. A Vimeo channel organizes and showcases on-demand videos within a collection, but it does not function as a continuously scheduled 24/7 linear channel. A true playout channel requires playout software that manages scheduled playback of live and recorded programming.
