Best Stream Deck 2024: for Twitch, YouTube, Discord and more

What is the best stream deck? Whether you’re live streaming, creating content, or working in production, keeping a stream deck (or several) by your side can massively improve your workflow, and provide the means to make memorable moments while streaming on sites like Twitch and YouTube. Elgato has led the way with the best stream deck, but rival brands like Razer and Loupedeck also now offer fantastic options.

Having extensively tested plenty of decks – be it through live content creation with the best streaming microphones or day-to-day workflow in applications like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere – the best stream decks in this list will sit proudly on your gaming desk.

We’ll help you narrow your options down, whether you’re a new streamer looking for the best streaming setup for beginners, or simply trying to maximize what bang you can get for your buck.

There are definite benefits to opting for a top-end stream deck – extra buttons, dials, and functionality like dedicated audio controls to manage the mix you hear in your gaming headset. Below, you’ll find our top recommendations from established brands to suit a range of budgets.

Here are the best stream decks you can buy right now:

• Elgato Stream Deck + – best overall stream deck
• Elgato Stream Deck XL – best complex production stream deck
• Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 – best mid-range stream deck
• Loupedeck Live – best stream deck for editors
• Razer Stream Controller X – best Elgato alternative
• Elgato Stream Deck Mini – best budget stream deck

1. Elgato Stream Deck +

The best stream deck for most people.

Elgato Stream Deck + specs:

Pros

• Versatile all-in-one solution
• Faster response times than other Elgato Stream Decks
• The touch bar is an inspired addition
• Best-in-class software

Cons

• Lack of haptics on touch bar
• No adjustable stand

The latest addition to Elgato’s Stream Deck family, the Stream Deck + is the most versatile option on our list, with great features at a reasonable price. The Stream Deck + combines eight big square buttons – the standard control interface on its other models – with a unique 4.2” x 0.5” LCD touch panel, as well as four rotary dials that can also be pushed to cycle between functions.

Thanks to this functionality, the possibilities are endless whether you’re using the Stream Deck + to control your Elgato Facecam or Elgato Wave:3, are putting on live productions, or fine-tuning photos and video in your editing software of choice – being able to use the dials to scrub through and cut footage in Adobe Premiere is a definite high point for us.

While the Stream Deck + lacks as many dedicated macro buttons as the Stream Deck MK.2 and the jumbo-sized Stream Deck XL – something we’d love to see remedied in future iterations – this is offset by the fact that cycling through macros is faster and more efficient than before. Response times on the Stream Deck + are noticeably quicker than its brand mates, and no longer having to dedicate macro buttons to switch between pages thanks to swipe gestures on the touchpad is a marked improvement.

With that said, we do wish that Stream Deck + had tactile feedback on the touch bar, in line with the bump that can be felt when pushing in one of the macro keys or dials. It’s a small gripe, but having to look at the deck to ensure certain commands have been registered defeats the object of a workflow aid.

If you’re already looking to spend $150 (£150) on a Stream Deck MK.2 and can stave off a little longer, then we’d recommend investing the extra $50 to upgrade to the Stream Deck +.

2. Elgato Stream Deck XL

The best stream deck for complex production.

Elgato Stream Deck XL specs:

Pros

• Huge amount of button real estate
• Perfect for complex production
• Best-in-class software

Cons

• Overkill for most streamers
• No adjustable stand

If you love having multiple macros in one place, or you have a whole host of fancy visual effects in your stream, then managing them simultaneously using the Stream Deck XL is absolutely the way to go. While it is much pricier than the feature-packed Stream Deck + and the more modest Stream Deck MK.2, the price-to-key ratio is technically better here than on its smaller siblings.

With that said, we wouldn’t recommend the Stream Deck XL if you’re a more casual streamer, or don’t have a strong enough use case for having all of your macros available at once. While we enjoy being able to have separate sections on our XL dedicated to everything from editing to Twitch, to peripherals thanks to the increased real estate, it’s not necessary for everyone. Saving yourself ~$100 by picking up Elgato’s MK.2 model and dedicating a macro key or two to switching between pages is a much better value proposition.

The Stream Deck XL is perfect for complex production, and a great accompaniment to the Stream Deck + if you really want to expand your setup, but as a standalone option there are more sensible choices out there.

3. Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

The best mid-range stream deck.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 specs:

Pros

• Best bang-for-buck Elgato deck
• Customizable face plate
• Best-in-class software

Cons

• No adjustable stand

If you’re looking to pick up a stream deck without breaking the bank too much, the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is a great choice – at least as far as software is concerned. As the follow-up to what is probably the most popular stream deck on the market, the MK.2 is the perfect tool not only for streamers but also for those looking to boost their productivity.

Sporting 15 macro keys, spread across three rows of five, there are more than enough buttons to assign to anything you’d need from Elgato’s excellent plugin library. Granted, Elgato’s buttons have never felt the most premium – there’s this innate mushiness to them that you won’t find in something like the Razer Stream Controller X – but there’s still a satisfying enough tactility to their bump.

Not much has really changed from the original Stream Deck MK.1, barring the welcomed shift to USB-C. However, as Elgato took a step forward, it has also taken a step backward by doing away with the angle-adjustable stand.

4. Loupedeck Live

The best stream deck for editors.

Loupedeck Live specs:

 Pros

• Great tactility and haptics
• Multi-tasking via dials turbocharges editing workflow

Cons

• Software isn’t the most user-friendly
• Flimsy stand

The Loupedeck Live is an absolute dream for editors and solves the biggest qualm we have with the Stream Deck + in that its haptics – on both its six dials and capacitative touch screen – are exemplary.

While the Loupedeck Live doesn’t have physical buttons like the other decks on this list, its touchscreen is basically the macro keys and touch bar of the Stream Deck + rolled into one panel. Its native integration with editing and production software is certainly its biggest selling point, and the added ability to tweak multiple parameters inside apps like Lightroom at a time with the dials makes editing a breeze.

The Loupedeck Live is not perfect, however. The quality of its plastic stand is questionable, and its app store is not nearly as populated with third-party options as Elgato’s. Furthermore, setting up your Loupedeck can be a daunting task, as things like multi-action macros and keyboard shortcuts take some routing around in the deck’s software to set up.

As a productivity tool, the Loupedeck Live is fantastic, but if you’re looking for a deck purely from a gaming perspective, we’d recommend going with an Elgato model. As an aside, if you’re wondering why this looks so much like Razer’s main Stream Controller, it’s because the product’s exactly the same – the two companies partnered up for Razer’s release. As such, if you do opt for one of the two, go with whichever hurts your bank balance the least.

5. Razer Stream Controller X

The best Elgato alternative.

Razer Stream Controller X specs:

Pros

• Better button tactility than Elgato
• Great build quality
• Customizable face plate

Cons

• Software isn’t the most user-friendly
• No adjustable stand

If you’re after a well-constructed stream deck with buttons that you can’t stop pressing, then Razer’s Stream Controller X is the way to go. As the gaming tech brand’s answer to Elgato’s Stream Deck MK.2, we’re big fans of its premium build quality.

While the pair look nearly identical, the Stream Controller X’s keys are considerably less mushy, with less travel time and greater tactility than Elgato’s offering. Additionally, its customizable faceplate is magnetic, making for a more seamless transition between styles than the clip-based system used on the MK.2.

However, the Stream Controller X is beholden to the same software limitations as the Loupedeck Live, due to Razer running off of Loupedeck’s own software. This will at least mean you don’t need to run Razer Synapse, though you won’t find dedicated RGB controls for your other Razer devices as a result.

Ultimately, the Stream Controller X doesn’t really bring anything new to the space. It’s an Elgato clone that never really attempts to compete in the most important space of all – software. However, if you’re all about build quality, then it can be yours for a few dollars less than the MK.2.

Elgato Stream Deck Mini

The best budget stream deck.

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 specs:

Pros

• Cheap
• Perfect for setups with limited space
• Best-in-class software

Cons

• Highest price-per-key out of Elgato’s lineup
• Hard-wired USB connection
• No adjustable stand

If you’re looking for a productivity or streaming aid for the lowest possible price, then we recommend the Elgato Stream Deck Mini. Although it only comes with six buttons, there’s plenty of maneuverability as you can stack folders filled with handy macros depending on what program you’re using.

While this does require an extra key press or two to get to what you need, it’s certainly worth it considering the Mini comes in at around half the price of the standard MK.2. You won’t be getting the most convenient stream deck experience, but it will still be infinitely better than, for example, having to manually open groups of commonly-used webpages, or tab between programs on single-monitor setups.

Additionally, if you work on the go, then having a bite-sized companion that can be sat next to your laptop is something we especially love about the Mini.

The Mini still retains the same flaw as the MK.2 with regard to mushy buttons, and we’re disappointed to see that it doesn’t come with a detachable USB cable – a bad hangover from the original MK.1 Stream Deck that should’ve been iterated out by now.

While the Mini’s price can fluctuate, it’s gone as low as $50 at points (according to camelcamelcamel) which puts its price-per-key on the same level as the MK.2’s. We wouldn’t recommend spending anything over $80 for one, but be sure to shop around as there are bargains to be had.

What’s a stream deck for?

A stream deck is a desktop device that typically comes with either macro keys, dials, a touch screen, or a mixture of the three. Using the dedicated software provided for each deck, you can assign functions to each input, streamlining your content creation or workflow in the process.

The best stream decks won’t only let you open up your entire workflow at the touch of a button with a multi-command, but you can also use them to control external peripherals, PC audio, and more. Even better, stream decks with premium features like dials can also be used when editing – be it to scrub through, chop up, and color grade footage, or make level adjustments to an image.

How to choose a stream deck?

When putting together our best stream deck list, there are several key factors that we have based our recommendations on:

• Price: Your budget will potentially automatically eliminate a chunk of the options on this list. If a stream deck isn’t an essential purchase for your desired workflow, then start modestly with something like the Stream Deck MK.2. You can always resell it later down the line for a minimal loss should you find it surplus to requirements. With that said, we’d still recommend the Stream Deck + if you can stretch to it, as the bonus features really are game-changing for day-to-day use.
• Software: For us, the big selling point for the best stream decks is undoubtedly the software bundled with it. If the app store doesn’t carry the required plugins for your content creation or workflow, then investing in the deck itself is pointless.
• Functionality: Functionality is going to play a massive role in which deck you decide on. If you’re doing heavy editing and need multiple dials, then the Loupedeck Live will be your best bet. If you’re looking for something that can control your entire streaming setup on the fly, then the Stream Deck + wins out. However, if you already have a Stream Deck + and are looking to expand, then the Stream Deck XL or MK.2 are the way to go.
• Design: Most decks are made out of some combination of metal and plastic and are generally built to last. While larger decks can display more information, smaller decks are best for compact spaces.

If you want to find out more about how we put games and tech through their paces, check out our how we test page for more information.

If you’re looking to build out your dream streaming setup, then be sure to check out our guides on the best streaming software, as well as the best capture cards you should be looking to invest in if you’re hoping to record or stream your PS5 or Xbox footage.