Life after the pandemic has proven to be friendlier with our screen times. During the lockdown restrictions, we were forced to work, go to school, and even socialize with friends through the internet. We all became glued to our screens, so it’s understandable that now we’re hesitant to keep our lives going through them.

However, this restrictive experience unknowingly became a training session for the future that lies ahead of us: one in which technology allows real-life and digital life to intertwine and allow us to experience things like never before.

Live streaming is just one of these intersections. The tech behind live streaming today allows us to see through our screens something that is happening at the exact same instant but is miles away. Lag reduction, self-healing video, and the ability to connect with a community of fellow viewers are all things that are now possible through live streaming. 

However, not all live stream platforms are made to meet these goals. We made a list of the top 5 that deliver the best experience in terms of reliability and quality:

1. YouTube Live: by far, the most popular streaming platform that still holds the largest amount of creators that monetize from their videos. It allows encoder streaming –which converts video to digital format to push on different platforms– for more advanced streamers. 

2. Facebook Live: it is one of the easiest in terms of UX. This platform allows to stream live videos on a conversation, a promotional event, a Q&A session, which makes it very versatile for e-commerce activations, for example. 

3. Twitch: it’s focused on the gaming and industries, so its most attractive feature is the access it gives to a community of millions of gamers worldwide. It’s free for users but has three tiers of subscription plans for users that want to make the most out of it. 

4. Ustream: this one, created by IBM Cloud Video, allows for streaming through any website using its broadcasting app. It is considered to be the largest live streaming platform with over 80 million monthly users. 

5. Vimeo: it’s one of the few that does live streaming for OTT. It can handle unlimited events and storage, and it allows for flawless streaming using live polls and Q&A sessions.