ProPresenter vs. vMix: Video Streaming Comparison Guide
Looking for the best pro-grade solution for your video streaming and live video production needs? At the top of any respectable list in this category, you’ll find both ProPresenter vs. vMix. Both are viable solutions for professional-grade video streaming, though you’ll find massive differences in how these two live streaming applications are built.
This guide will demonstrate the primary differences between these two high-quality live-streaming solutions.
Let’s start with a high-level overview of ProPresenter vs. vMix.
ProPresenter vs. vMix: Understanding the Differences
Before diving into a head-to-head comparison, let’s talk about what exactly each application is. Both handle video streaming, but neither is built exclusively for streaming—and the two platforms have very different feature sets.
What Is vMix?
vMix is live video production and streaming software. It’s designed to create pro-quality live video productions for any purpose: display, streaming, broadcast, recording. It’s equally at home in simple and complex setups, with support for multi-camera and all the professional broadcast standards you’d expect in such a tool.
Included in the higher-end packages are additional video-focused capabilities, including slow-motion instant replay (on up to 8 cameras on the highest tier), a social integrator, live interview video calling, and a title designer (for lower thirds and graphic overlays like you might find on a solo gamer’s stream).
It’s a great product for people focused on video production, and it has a few other features that competently round out the application for a broader set of uses.
What Is ProPresenter?
ProPresenter is the definitive choice in live production and presentation software. It’s more than just video production, though it certainly is that. It’s also a pro-grade alternative to your slideshow application, a powerful software encoder, and live streaming solution.
With unlimited inputs and outputs and a unique seven-layer presentation architecture, ProPresenter puts users in control over what content gets sent to which displays. It’s a powerful solution in churches and houses of worship, schools, live events and live productions, and more.
ProPresenter is an excellent product for those who need a pro-grade presentation solution and a single application solution to their complex live presentation, live streaming, and display needs.
ProPresenter vs. vMix: Feature Comparisons
Every live streaming use case has its own set of priorities: the solo influencer has different needs than the large church campus, which has different needs than the university athletics department or the local event venue.
So we’re rounding up some of the most critical live streaming features and giving you a straightforward look at what both of these applications deliver.
Inputs
Both applications support a wide range of inputs, ranging from SD to 4K in quality, and both support a range of hardware types, including webcams and some capture cards. Both can ingest content from a variety of video formats and can send and receive video and audio via NDI.
Both support screen recording as one input, allowing users to apply live video effects.
Additionally, ProPresenter 7 can handle 8K inputs and inputs and outputs over SDI with internal and external keying.
Outputs
ProPresenter supports unlimited outputs; the only limitation is your hardware!
vMix offers a capable number of outputs, but they aren’t unlimited. There’s support for 3 simultaneous live streams, external outputs, and recording streams.
The upper tiers of the product include support for two external outputs, two fullscreen outputs, and four virtual outputs. Four of these can also be SRT outputs.
Graphics Creation
Creating the assets in your live stream that aren’t live video is nearly as important as creating good live video content. Both applications offer some graphics creation or design capabilities, but there are big differences here.
ProPresenter was born as a professional alternative to PowerPoint and other office slideshow tools. It contains robust creative tools for creating slide content, overlays, lower thirds, stream designs, etc. The creator tools here are one of ProPresenter’s most important selling points.
vMix also offers a design tool, but only the highest tiers include the full designer experience. It doesn’t seem to be the focus within the vMix ecosystem, but the tools will get basic graphics creation done in a pinch.
vMix also offers several built-in virtual sets with customizable camera position presets. Both applications support high-quality Chroma Keying as well.
Streaming Protocol and Software Encoders
Both vMix and ProPresenter support industry standard RTMP and RTMPS, making streaming to big streaming sites straightforward.
But only ProPresenter has optional access to Resi, the most resilient streaming protocol on the planet. Resi delivers resilient software encoding that’s so powerful, your stream can keep running for a solid two minutes even during a total internet outage!
vMix includes SRT (Secure Reliable Transport), which is another alternate approach for unreliable internet conditions.
Both applications include powerful software encoders and can work with external video encoders as well.
View the full list of Blackmagic devices ProPresenter supports.
Integrated Experience
Last, let’s consider how well each application delivers a unified or integrated experience.
With ProPresenter, you can go live to your favorite streaming platforms from directly within ProPresenter—the same app you use to build your graphics assets, process your live video, build your stream design, and much more. It’s a unified experience that works seamlessly within a single platform.
vMix offers a deeply impressive experience producing live video content, but it’s far less unified. You can go live directly from within vMix, but other elements require a more piecemeal approach.
For example, if you use vMix’s Designer, it’s a separate application—and you might want more capabilities than you get, pushing you out to a separate presentation design tool. You wouldn’t want to use vMix as a presentation tool—while technically possible, it’s not designed to do that, and it doesn’t function well in that way.
Start Your ProPresenter Trial Today
As you compare ProPresenter vs. vMix, the verdict is clear: ProPresenter offers a more compelling all-around package for video streaming. If full-scale video production is the main thing you do, vMix might have more to offer.
But if you need an all-around solution that handles asset creation, video production, editing, and live streaming in a single unified environment, then ProPresenter is the clear choice.
Best of all, you don’t just have to take our word for it.
You can see ProPresenter for yourself with a 100% unrestricted two-week trial.
