PanoPaper vs OBS
Stream your UniFi camera to YouTube. Without OBS.
Most guides for streaming a UniFi camera start with OBS: turn on RTSP in Protect, copy the camera's address, build a scene, paste a stream key. PanoPaper keeps it short. Sign in to your NVR, pick a camera, paste your stream key and go live, straight from your Mac.
For macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later. Works with UniFi Protect and with ONVIF and RTSP cameras.
Two different tools
A studio for streamers, or a camera that goes on the air.
OBS is a free studio for live streaming and recording. Scenes, overlays, titles, several sources mixed into one picture: it does all of that, and it's built for someone sitting at it while they stream.
PanoPaper is a Mac app for your cameras, with live broadcasts built in. It has one job there: put a camera on the air and keep it there, for an hour or for days, while you get on with your work.
Side by side
How they compare.
| Topic | OBS Studio | PanoPaper |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free, open-source studio for streaming and recording, for Mac, Windows and Linux | A Mac app for your cameras, with live broadcasts built in |
| Getting the camera in | Turn on RTSP for the camera in Protect, then add its address as a media source | Sign in to your NVR once, and every camera is there to pick |
| Going live | Paste your stream key into the settings, set up a scene, start streaming | Paste your stream key, click 'Go Live on YouTube' |
| Where it goes | One service at a time; more with a plugin or a restreaming service | YouTube, Facebook or any service that takes streaming software, several at once |
| Changing cameras live | Switch to another scene | Pick another camera, and the broadcast fades over to it, sound and all |
| 360° cameras | The round picture, as the camera sends it | A natural view you aim by dragging, or one that slowly looks around |
| Price | Free | Free to try, with “UNLICENSED” across the broadcast. PanoPaper Pro, as a yearly plan or a one-time purchase, sends a clean picture |
OBS details as of October 2026.
Made to run unattended
Set it going and leave it.
- Made for patchy internet. Short dropouts don't end the stream, and on a slow connection it sends less until it recovers.
- Keeps going. Lock your Mac or let the displays sleep: the broadcast carries on.
- Several at once. Broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook together, each started and stopped on its own.
- The right size by itself. On YouTube and Facebook it starts at its largest size, up to 4K on YouTube, and follows your connection while you're live.
- Your cameras, every day. When you're not broadcasting, PanoPaper shows your cameras live as your desktop wallpaper and tells you when someone shows up.
To be fair
When OBS is the better choice.
If you want titles, graphics or your own voice over the picture, several cameras in one frame, a recording on your disk, or a stream from Windows or Linux, OBS is the tool for it. It's free, and it can do far more than put one camera on the air.
If all you want is your camera live on YouTube, PanoPaper gets you there with a lot less to set up.
Questions
What people usually ask.
Do I need to turn on RTSP in Protect?
No. PanoPaper gets the video from Protect the same way Protect's own web page does, so there's nothing to turn on for each camera.
Which services can I stream to?
YouTube and Facebook, and any service that takes streaming software, such as Twitch, Kick, Restream or a server of your own.
Does my video go through your servers?
No. The broadcast goes straight from your Mac to the service you stream to. Nothing passes through us.
Can I stream a camera that isn't on UniFi?
Yes. PanoPaper broadcasts ONVIF and RTSP cameras too, the same way.
Do I need to keep the Mac unlocked?
No. While you're live, your Mac doesn't go to sleep by itself, and the broadcast goes on while the screen is locked or the displays sleep.
What does it cost?
PanoPaper is free, with every feature, live broadcasts included. In the free version, “UNLICENSED” shows across your cameras and your broadcasts. PanoPaper Pro removes it, as a yearly plan or a one-time purchase.
Your camera, live on YouTube. In a few clicks.
macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, on Apple silicon or Intel.
