XSplit Broadcaster vs. Gamecaster: What’s the Difference?

Raw video files are far too large to be sent over the internet quickly.

Live streams should be available to all your viewers in real-time as a streamer.

To keep up, they’ll have to deal with a lot of data. Here comes the role of the software encoder.

It helps compress those chunky files into a format that’s not only easy to transmit but is also compatible with devices your viewers use.

There’s a wide variety of encoders. XSplit is lauded as one of the most powerful choices.

It comes in several types, but what we’re gonna touch on today is XSplit Broadcaster vs. Gamecaster.

What happened to XSplit Gamecaster?

The fact that Gamecaster isn’t part of the promoted plans by XSplit may pique your curiosity.

Well, it turns out that they both held significance to the company at the same point.

For the record, Gamecaster and Broadcasters were products of XSplit, offered as single payment subscription packages.

However, as time went on, there were some changes in its management.

Now it has its own website instead of sharing the limelight with other services on the XSplit website.

The name says a lot about the specific niche it excels at, gaming.

Please note that even though it has grown into its own entity, it still shares the vision of its parent brand.

Case in point, some of the tools in this software are embedded by XSplit itself.

Comparison of XSplit Broadcaster vs Gamecaster

A. Platform and pricing

Gamecaster is available for use at no cost. It can broadcast streams to some platforms, including Youtube, Facebook, and Twitch.

Meanwhile, XSplit Broadcaster offers a paid plan that costs you $5 per month. That’s a reasonable price given the broad platform support.

Apart from the obvious go-to platforms like Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook, it also facilitates broadcasting to Dailymotion, Akamai, Streamshark, Vimeo, and more.

B. System requirements

To run XSplit Broadcaster, you’d need a computer powered by a 2nd generation core i5 processor or higher. It also requires the installation of Windows 10 64-bit.

The company has announced that it has halted support for Windows 8.1 or any other older version.

Another system requirement is memory space amounting to 8GB.

Moving onto the graphics side, it needs to be equipped with a Radeon or GeForce variant to bring out its maximum potential.

Meanwhile, as outlined on its official site, the requirements for Gamecaster include a 4th generation core i5 CPU or higher, 8GB of RAM, and a Radeon GeForce graphics card.

C. Features

Gamecaster boasts cool features like customizable scene setup, hotkeys, multiple sets, achievements, and tipping.

The sequence of sets especially will overcome the clueless about what style to pick from the selection. With this, you can go through sets cyclically.

By the same token, Broadcaster refuses to lag behind with its copious amounts of resources.

Anytime you’re stuck with scene customization, they will help get your creativity back on track.

Other notable features include projector mode, preloaded widgets, and multistreaming options.

D. Performance

Comparing their performance, Broadcaster secures quite a healthy margin over the other.

The level of configuration the user can do is astonishing. Whether you want to adjust the bitrate or resolution, you can execute it easily.

It also wraps a security layer to the broadcast that comes in an activation code.

Use the key for authorization by inputting it in the program’s backend. Each key has an expiration date, which further boosts its safety.

However, in the performance department, Gamecaster is the real deal for those wanting ultra-light software for streaming.

It’s far less demanding in the usage of pc resources. Not only that, the fps is considerably higher than that of Broadcaster.

E. Ease of use

In terms of a user interface, Gamecaster shows its worth.

The user interface is approached in a streamlined way, which will help inexperienced users to learn faster.

Difficulty in operation may imply that a program is jam-packed with advanced additions, but that’s not the only way to do things.

Gamecaster has dozens of useful features, but at the same time, it’s able to retain simplicity.

The essential elements can be accessed quickly from the same window. And it also offers greater multitasking flexibility.

As for Broadcaster, it has quite the learning curve due to complex features.

F. Plugins and customization

Gamecaster is the epitome of simplicity. You can access chat, recent followers, and the rest at your fingertips.

It also makes it easy to play the game while navigating through other functions, such as recording, silencing the mic, and adding annotations.

And then, there’s a screen alert that comes in handy anytime you want to take some time off.

Or maybe that kind of bugs you?

Don’t worry; this feature can be disabled, too. XSplit is equally diverse in customization. It simplifies how you integrate graphics, music, and other components into the live stream.

Additionally, the user experience can be enhanced by pulling assets from third-party services.

Is XSplit Gamecaster free?

Yes, it’s free of cost as of now.

And for those wondering about a premium version, there’s none.

Even the title description if you search on Google has the word ‘free’ on it, so yeah, you’re lucky to test out this program for free and enjoy all the features provided.

Having said that, it introduces a program called Gamecaster Gold. It’s like a special currency used for transactions within the app.

That virtual money can access premium features that come as add-ons in the software.

They’re definitely worth it to achieve better aesthetics for your live stream.

Are XSplit and Gamecaster the same thing?

XSplit is the brand name, while Gamecaster is a product released.

Besides Gamecaster, XSplit has a few other products in its range, such as Broadcaster and Vcam.

Broadcaster is the one you use for internet broadcasting.

At the same time, Vcam increases production value by replacing the background with something more visually imposing.

It also helps highlight the streamer and apply a blur effect on the background if necessary.

Wrap up: Should I use Gamecaster or Broadcaster?

If you’re a gamer who just wants to have your gameplay streamed to the fans quickly, Gamecaster would be appropriate.

This can be your first introduction to the world of software encoding before getting your hands on more complicated ones.

Broadcaster has more to it, which is not surprising because it’s a premium program.

Hence, if you crave more stuff to explore, this program will help channel your creative energy.