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Owncast vs zap.stream: catalog facts
Owncast	zap.stream
Free Free and open source, with no subscriptions or viewer limits.	Free Used in the browser; payments to streamers are made over Bitcoin Lightning.
Web, Self-hosted	Web
Built-in chat with moderation and custom emotes Works with standard streaming protocols and software	Uses Nostr identities instead of a platform account Built-in Lightning payments to streamers
Bandwidth and hosting costs fall on you Requires running and securing your own server	Tipping requires a Bitcoin Lightning wallet Audience limited to the Nostr ecosystem
Self-hosted	Web application
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.