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Boatswain vs Bitfocus Companion: catalog facts
Boatswain	Bitfocus Companion
Best for: Streamers and Linux users who own an Elgato Stream Deck	Best for: Live production, streaming and AV crews controlling equipment from button panels
Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0.	Free Free and open source, supported by sponsorship.
Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Brings Stream Deck support to Linux Native GNOME interface All 3 strengths for Boatswain Brings Stream Deck support to Linux Native GNOME interface Open source	Controls a wide range of broadcast and presentation equipment Works without hardware through an emulator and web buttons All 4 strengths for Bitfocus Companion Controls a wide range of broadcast and presentation equipment Works without hardware through an emulator and web buttons Device feedback shows state on the buttons Remote triggers over OSC, HTTP, WebSocket and more
Needs Elgato Stream Deck hardware Linux only	Setup takes time for large shows with many devices Aimed at live production rather than everyday desktop shortcuts
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Boatswain gitlab.gnome.org/World/boatswain Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Bitfocus Companion bitfocus.io/companion Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.