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Content Creation · head to head

OBS Studio vs Violentmonkey

OBS Studio logo

OBS Studio

Content Creation

Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Violentmonkey logo

Violentmonkey

Browser Extensions

Open source userscript manager

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OBS Studio the Windows build supports only Windows 10 and 11; Violentmonkey smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • They diverge on capability: OBS Studio covers Real-time video/audio capturing, Violentmonkey covers Userscript support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OBS Studio and Violentmonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where OBS Studio and Violentmonkey differ
AttributeOBS StudioViolentmonkey
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, LinuxChrome, Firefox, Edge
CategoryContent CreationBrowser Extensions
Founded20122013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in OBS Studio

  • Real-time video/audio capturing
  • Scene composition
  • Audio mixer with filters
  • Configuration options
  • Modular 'Dock' UI
  • Studio mode
  • Plugin support
  • Streaming to multiple platforms

Only in Violentmonkey

  • Userscript support
  • Clean interface
  • Cloud sync
  • Script editor
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

OBS Studio

  • Live streaming gameplay or a desktop to Twitch or YouTubenot Violentmonkey
  • Recording screen and webcam locallynot Violentmonkey
  • Compositing multiple video and audio sources into scenesnot Violentmonkey

Violentmonkey

  • Run open-source userscripts to customize or automate web pagesnot OBS Studio
  • Import scripts compatible with Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey formatsnot OBS Studio
  • Sync scripts and settings across browsers via Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or WebDAVnot OBS Studio
  • Batch import/export scripts as zip filesnot OBS Studio

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OBS Studio

  • The Windows build supports only Windows 10 and 11
  • The macOS build requires macOS 13.0 or newer
  • Linux support is distributed as a Flatpak and as a PPA for Ubuntu 24.04 and later rather than official packages for other distributions
  • Game Capture is a Windows only source

Violentmonkey

  • Smaller script ecosystem compared to Tampermonkey which has larger user base and more available scripts
  • Less marketing and visibility results in lower adoption compared to more widely-known alternatives
  • Community maintenance model means slower feature development compared to commercial alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

OBS Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited recording time
    • Live streaming to platforms
    • Scene composition

Violentmonkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Violentmonkey review.

Which should you pick?

Choose OBS Studio if

  • You need real-time video/audio capturing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want scene composition.
OBS Studio review

Choose Violentmonkey if

  • You need userscript support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
  • You also want clean interface.
Violentmonkey review

Questions people ask

Is OBS Studio or Violentmonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. OBS Studio starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OBS Studio or Violentmonkey?
OBS Studio starts at Free and Violentmonkey at Free.
Does OBS Studio or Violentmonkey run on more platforms?
OBS Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux. Violentmonkey runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge.
Can I use OBS Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OBS Studio best used for?
OBS Studio is most often used for live streaming gameplay or a desktop to twitch or youtube, recording screen and webcam locally, compositing multiple video and audio sources into scenes. Of those, live streaming gameplay or a desktop to twitch or youtube and recording screen and webcam locally are not what Violentmonkey is typically brought in for.
What can OBS Studio do that Violentmonkey cannot?
OBS Studio covers Real-time video/audio capturing, Scene composition, Audio mixer with filters, Configuration options. Violentmonkey covers Userscript support, Clean interface, Cloud sync, Script editor.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OBS Studio: How much does OBS Studio cost?

OBS Studio is completely free to use for all users, whether for personal or professional purposes.

Source
Violentmonkey: Is Violentmonkey open-source?

Yes. Violentmonkey is fully open-source and available on GitHub, making it free to use and community-maintained unlike Tampermonkey which has a larger proprietary ecosystem.

Source
OBS Studio: Is OBS Studio open source?

Yes, OBS Studio is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming, maintained by community contributors.

Source
Violentmonkey: What browsers does Violentmonkey support?

Violentmonkey works on browsers with WebExtensions support, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers.

Source
Violentmonkey: How does Violentmonkey compare to Tampermonkey in performance?

Community benchmarks show Violentmonkey uses about 15 to 30 percent less RAM on Chrome compared to Tampermonkey when managing many open tabs.

Source
Violentmonkey: What is the current version of Violentmonkey?

Violentmonkey reached version 2.46.0 as of July 31, 2026, with active ongoing development and regular updates to the open-source project.

Source
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