StreamElements has confirmed they are not shutting down — but the details of their partnership deal, what it means for pricing, and whether the free tier continues as-is remain undisclosed. [1] A lot of streamers are evaluating their options anyway, and that’s a reasonable call. This article compares every credible alternative — honestly, including the downsides of each.
We built u-alert, so we have an obvious stake in this comparison. We’ve tried to be straight about where other tools are genuinely better, and where they aren’t.
StreamElements has confirmed via X (May 21, 2026) that they are not shutting down. Services remain operational. The terms of their partnership deal and any changes to pricing or the free tier have not been disclosed. For the full breakdown with sources, see our dedicated article on the situation.
At a Glance
| Tool | Price | Hosting | Alerts | Chat Bot | Loyalty | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streamlabs | Free / $27/mo | ☁ Cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | Twitch, YouTube, FB |
| Streamer.bot | Free | ⬛ Local | Via HTML overlays | Yes | Custom scripts | Twitch, YouTube, Kick |
| Fossabot | Free | ☁ Cloud | No | Yes | Channel Points only | Twitch, YouTube, Kick |
| Nightbot | Free | ☁ Cloud | No | Yes | No | Twitch, YouTube, Trovo |
| OWN3D | Free / €14/mo | ☁ Cloud | Yes (500+ templates) | Yes | Unclear | Twitch, YouTube, Kick |
| u-alert | $7.99/mo | ⬛ Local | Yes | Yes | Yes | Twitch (Kick/YT soon) |
The Tools, One by One
- The most feature-complete free tier of any full-stack tool
- 300+ overlay templates, Cloudbot, loyalty system all included free
- Logitech backing means it’s not going anywhere soon
- Large community and extensive documentation
- Supports Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook
- Alerts route through Streamlabs cloud — subject to their outages
- Windows desktop app is heavy; known for high resource usage
- Ultra plan ($27/mo) is expensive for what it adds over the free tier
- Free tier has had feature cuts over the years
Streamers who want maximum features at no cost and don’t mind cloud dependency. The most direct StreamElements replacement feature-for-feature, and the safest bet if budget is the primary concern.
- Completely free, runs entirely on your machine
- No cloud dependency — immune to third-party outages
- Extremely powerful automation: Python, JavaScript, C# scripting
- 40+ integrations including OBS, Discord, Elgato, VTube Studio
- Active developer and large community on Discord
- Steep learning curve — built for power users, not beginners
- No built-in alert overlay designer; requires HTML/CSS or third-party overlays
- No native loyalty points system — requires custom scripting
- UI is functional but not polished
Technical streamers who want maximum automation power and are comfortable writing scripts. If you want a bot that does exactly what you design, Streamer.bot is the most capable free option. Not the right pick if you want something working in an afternoon.
- Fossabot: excellent moderation, clean interface, Twitch-native feel
- Nightbot: extremely simple to set up, good for beginners
- Both are free with no paid tier
- Both support Twitch, YouTube, and Kick
- Neither has alert overlays — you’ll need a separate tool for that
- Cloud-based: dependent on their servers staying up
- No native loyalty points accumulation system
- Not a StreamElements replacement on their own
Streamers who only need chat moderation and commands and already have alerts sorted elsewhere. If you pair Fossabot with an overlay solution you’re happy with, it’s an excellent free bot. As a complete StreamElements replacement, neither is sufficient alone.
- Largest template library: 500+ alerts, 400+ overlays, 12,000+ designs
- Supports Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Facebook, Trovo
- Free chat bot included
- Good option if visual variety is the priority
- Cloud-based alerts — subject to their infrastructure
- Loyalty points system is unclear; may rely on Twitch Channel Points
- Stream Pass costs more than u-alert for similar core functionality
- Template-heavy approach can feel generic across streams
Streamers who want the widest selection of pre-made overlay and alert designs and are willing to pay for cloud convenience. The template library is genuinely impressive — if visual variety matters more than reliability, OWN3D delivers it.
- Runs entirely on your PC — alerts fire even if our servers are unreachable
- 7-day offline grace period keeps your subscription active through outages
- Full stack: alerts, drag-and-drop builder, chat bot, loyalty points, OBS widgets
- Flat subscription — revenue model that doesn’t depend on brand deals
- Alert data stored locally in SQLite — you own your configuration
- Not free — $7.99/month, no free tier
- Windows only right now (macOS not yet supported)
- Smaller template library than OWN3D or Streamlabs
- Newer product — smaller community and fewer third-party resources
- Twitch only currently (Kick and YouTube in development)
Windows streamers who prioritize reliability over template variety and want alerts that don’t depend on any third-party infrastructure staying up. Not the right pick if you need a free option, stream on Mac, or use YouTube/Kick today.
How to Choose
The Bottom Line
There’s no single best answer — it depends on what you’re actually optimizing for. If the concern driving your search is “what happens to my stream if this service disappears,” the honest answer is that local software (Streamer.bot or u-alert) eliminates that risk entirely. If the concern is cost, Streamlabs gives you the most for free.
What all of these tools share: the streaming community has real options that aren’t dependent on StreamElements surviving its acquisition process intact. That’s genuinely good news.
Try u-alert free for your first stream
Set up takes about five minutes — install the app, connect Twitch, add a browser source in OBS. If it’s not working the way you want within your first week, cancel from the billing portal. No questions, no friction.
Get Started — $7.99/monthReferences
- [1]u-alert Blog — “StreamElements Shutdown Rumors: What Streamers Need to Know in 2026” — u-alert.app
- [2]Streamlabs Pricing 2026 — streamlabs.com
- [3]Streamer.bot Official — streamer.bot
- [4]Fossabot Official — fossabot.com
- [5]Nightbot Official — nightbot.tv
- [6]OWN3D Pricing — own3d.pro