Around
StreamYard
| Feature | Around | StreamYard |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.99/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams | live-streamers, webinar-hosts, content-creators, social-media-managers |
| Founded | 2020 | 2018 |
| Floating Video | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multistreaming | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Overlays | ✗ | ✓ |
| Guest Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| On Screen Comments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recording | ✗ | ✓ |
| Backstage | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
✓ StreamYard Pros
- Stream to multiple platforms simultaneously (multicast)
- Professional-looking streams without OBS complexity
- Browser-based with no software installation
- Easy guest management and on-screen comments
✗ StreamYard Cons
- StreamYard branding on free plan
- Less customizable than OBS for advanced users
- Recording quality lower than dedicated tools
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and quick standups, with a focus on floating-video and auto-leveling. StreamYard targets live streamers and webinar hosts and leads with multistreaming and custom-overlays.
On pricing, Around is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10.99/mo compared to $20/mo for StreamYard. That $9.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, StreamYard offers broader built-in capabilities (8 features vs 6), while Around takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.