What is Owncast used for?

Owncast is a self-hosted, single-user live video streaming and chat server that lets you run your own livestream with RTMP broadcasting software such as OBS. It is a good fit for running an independent livestream channel, hosting community or event broadcasts and replacing a third-party streaming platform.

Is Owncast open source?

Yes. Owncast is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at owncast/owncast and is written mainly in Go.

Yes. Owncast is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Owncast?

Yes. Owncast can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Owncast an alternative to?

Owncast is an open-source alternative to Twitch, Kick, Rumble and Dacast. Other open-source alternatives to Twitch include PeerTube and Frosty.

Is Owncast actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Owncast was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.3.0, published on 3 September 2026. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.

Owncast: open-source alternative to Twitch, Kick, Rumble

About Owncast

Owncast is an open-source, self-hosted live video streaming and chat server for one broadcaster. It aims to work as a single service you run yourself, with streaming and chat included, so you keep ownership of your content, interface, moderation and audience instead of relying on a large streaming platform.

It works with any broadcasting software that sends video over RTMP, the protocol the major live services use, and OBS, Streamlabs and Restream have been used with it. The topics list HLS streaming, chat, ActivityPub and fediverse federation. The backend is written in Go and the frontend in React, and a quick-start guide plus a demo are available.

Owncast is licensed under MIT and deployed on your own server. The README advises using a tagged release rather than the develop branch when you want a stable version. It suits independent streamers, communities and organizations that want a branded, self-run live stream with built-in chat.

Key features

Live video streaming server
Built-in chat for viewers
Works with RTMP broadcasting software
OBS, Streamlabs and Restream compatibility
Control over moderation and interface
Fediverse and ActivityPub integration
Go backend with React frontend

Good fit for

→Running an independent livestream channel
→Hosting community or event broadcasts
→Replacing a third-party streaming platform

Built with: Go
Tags: live-streaming; video; chat; self-hosted; rtmp; hls; fediverse; golang

Owncast: questions and answers

What is Owncast used for?: Owncast is a self-hosted, single-user live video streaming and chat server that lets you run your own livestream with RTMP broadcasting software such as OBS. It is a good fit for running an independent livestream channel, hosting community or event broadcasts and replacing a third-party streaming platform.
Is Owncast open source?: Yes. Owncast is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at owncast/owncast and is written mainly in Go.
Is Owncast free?: Yes. Owncast is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Owncast?: Yes. Owncast can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Owncast an alternative to?: Owncast is an open-source alternative to Twitch, Kick, Rumble and Dacast. Other open-source alternatives to Twitch include PeerTube and Frosty.
Is Owncast actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Owncast was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is v0.3.0, published on 3 September 2026. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.