VIBRESIA

Live video compared

vMix vs Resolume: a production switcher or a VJ application?

By Syd Lawrence, a visual artist and developer who makes Vibresia. Facts last checked 2 November 2026; updated 2 November 2026.

If you are mixing live cameras into a feed you then record and stream, pick vMix: it is a production switcher for Windows, and it is the one of the two that records and streams a show. If you are performing video to a room from decks of clips and effects, pick Resolume: it is a VJ application, and it runs on macOS as well as Windows. The vMix vs Resolume question turns first on one fact: there is no macOS build of vMix.

vMixResolume
What it isA live video production and streaming switcher for Windows that mixes cameras, network sources and media, then records and streams the result.VJ and media-server software (Avenue, Arena) and a visual programming tool (Wire), for macOS and Windows.
PriceUS$60, one-time€299, one-time
Runs onWindowsMac, Windows
RequirementsWindows 10 or 11, 64-bit only, with a 2GHz quad-core processor and 4GB of memory, and a dedicated NVIDIA card with 2GB or more recommended for 4KmacOS 13.4 Ventura or later, or Windows 10 or later, with 8GB of RAM and an AMD, Iris Pro or Apple silicon graphics card
Free versionThe trial lasts 60 days and runs vMix Pro with all its features, including 4K, MultiCorder and full Instant Replay. A paid licence is needed after the 60 days.Free to use indefinitely, but video output has a Resolume watermark and audio has a robot voice until a serial number is entered.
Known forMixes cameras, capture cards, NDI, OMT and SRT sources with transitions, overlays and titles, and records and streams the same production at the same timeAn industry-standard pair: Avenue for VJing, Arena adding media-server features
Best forOperators of live multi-camera productions on a Windows PC who need switching, recording and streaming in one application, from churches and sport to esports, podcasts and conference streams.Working VJs and venues running video on screens and projectors.

Control and connections

vMixResolume
MIDIYes: vMix accepts MIDI from controllers for shortcuts, and can send MIDI out to lights and faders through its Activators feature.Yes: Avenue and Arena take MIDI in and send MIDI out, including pad colour feedback, from multiple enabled devices, and Wire adds MIDI In and MIDI Out nodes for generating and reading MIDI data.
OSCNot that we could findYes: Avenue and Arena accept OSC input and can send OSC output to other applications over the network, and Wire adds OSC In and OSC Out nodes for reading and writing OSC inside a patch.
SyphonNo: vMix has no Syphon input or output, because there is no macOS version of vMix, and Mac sources reach vMix through NDI or OMT scan converters instead.Yes: Avenue and Arena provide Syphon input and output on macOS, and Wire can read and write Syphon textures through its Texture In and Texture Out nodes.
SpoutNot that we could findYes: Avenue and Arena provide Spout input and output on Windows, and Wire can read and write Spout textures through its Texture In and Texture Out nodes.
NDIYes: vMix receives NDI sources from the network and sends its output over NDI, with up to four independently configurable NDI outputs in the 4K, Pro and Max editions.Yes: NDI input is always enabled in Avenue and Arena, and NDI output can be broadcast from the composition, with Arena additionally treating NDI outputs as separate screens in the Advanced Output.
DMXNot that we could findYes: DMX output over Art-Net is available in Arena only, and Arena also accepts Art-Net DMX input from a lighting desk, so Avenue has no DMX support.
Video in and outYes: vMix ingests video from cameras, capture cards, video files, NDI, OMT and SRT, and outputs it by recording, streaming and sending it to monitors and other machines.Yes: Video input works from webcams and capture cards, with native low-latency support for Blackmagic, AJA and Datapath devices, and video output goes to the displays connected to the computer.

Every row comes from the app's own documentation, on the date shown in the sources below. "Not that we could find" means we could not find it documented, not that the app cannot do it.

Pick vMix if

you are switching between cameras, you need that production recorded and streamed, and you have a Windows machine to run it on. Basic HD is US$60 once, and the full edition is US$50 a month on the Max subscription.

Pick Resolume if

you are performing video to people in a room, from decks of clips and effects, and you want software that runs on your own Mac. Avenue is €299 once and Arena is €799, and Resolume runs on Mac, Windows.

Why people compare them

They come up together because both take video sources and put them on a screen live, and both cost money. But they are built for different ends of the same evening. vMix is a live video production and streaming switcher for Windows that mixes cameras, network sources and media, then records and streams the result. Resolume is VJ and media-server software, with a visual programming tool in Wire, for macOS and Windows.

One is a control room you sit behind: you cut between cameras, add titles and overlays, record the programme and send it out to a streaming service and to other machines. The other is the performance itself: you trigger clips and effects from a show, in front of an audience. A broadcast needs the first. A club night needs the second. A venue that streams its own show needs both jobs done, and that is where people meet this pair.

Where vMix wins

It mixes sources and sends the result out. vMix ingests video from cameras, capture cards, video files, NDI, OMT and SRT, and outputs it by recording, streaming and sending it to monitors and other machines.

It has the broadcast furniture. vMix handles remote guests with vMix Call for up to eight callers, and slow-motion instant replay for up to eight cameras. It can be scripted, driven from a web controller, or controlled from MIDI devices and PTZ cameras from the 4K edition upwards. vMix accepts MIDI from controllers for shortcuts, and can send MIDI out to lights and faders through its Activators feature.

It sends its programme to other machines. vMix sends program output to other machines over NDI, with up to four independently configurable NDI outputs in the 4K, Pro and Max editions.

Its trial is worth using. The trial lasts 60 days and runs vMix Pro with all its features, including 4K, MultiCorder and full Instant Replay. A paid licence is needed after the 60 days.

Where Resolume wins

It runs on a Mac. Resolume runs on Mac, Windows. It needs macOS 13.4 Ventura or later, or Windows 10 or later, with 8GB of RAM and an AMD, Iris Pro or Apple silicon graphics card. By contrast, there is no macOS version of vMix, as it cannot be installed directly on OSX and can only be installed on Windows via Boot Camp on older Intel Macs.

It is a performance tool. Resolume is an industry-standard pair: Avenue for VJing, Arena adding media-server features. Wire is for building your own effects and generators visually.

It takes control from the desk. Avenue and Arena take MIDI in and send MIDI out, including pad colour feedback, from multiple enabled devices, and Wire adds MIDI In and MIDI Out nodes for generating and reading MIDI data. Avenue and Arena accept OSC input and can send OSC output to other applications over the network, and Wire adds OSC In and OSC Out nodes for reading and writing OSC inside a patch.

It has the video connections. Avenue and Arena provide Syphon input and output on macOS, and Wire can read and write Syphon textures through its Texture In and Texture Out nodes. Avenue and Arena provide Spout input and output on Windows, and Wire can read and write Spout textures through its Texture In and Texture Out nodes. NDI input is always enabled in Avenue and Arena, and NDI output can be broadcast from the composition, with Arena additionally treating NDI outputs as separate screens in the Advanced Output. DMX output over Art-Net is available in Arena only, and Arena also accepts Art-Net DMX input from a lighting desk, so Avenue has no DMX support.

Its licence keeps working, and its free version lasts. Resolume licences keep working after the 12 months of included updates. Resolume is free to use indefinitely, but video output has a Resolume watermark and audio has a robot voice until a serial number is entered.

Where both fall short

Neither is a music visualiser. Both are general tools for video, and both expect you to bring the content. If what you want is visuals that react to what the Mac is playing, with nothing to prepare, that is a different job than either of these does.

Both need a show made before the show. Whichever one you pick, the output is only as good as the sources you prepared and the cues you built.

Both cap what one machine can drive. Recording is capped at two recorders, and four external outputs, two fullscreen outputs and four virtual outputs come only with the 4K, Pro and Max editions. The number of outputs is capped by the graphics card, so a single machine is limited to five outputs plus one control monitor.

The cheaper editions leave out the work. The cheapest edition, Basic HD at 60 dollars, is limited to four total inputs, three of them cameras or NDI, 1920 by 1080 output and one overlay channel, and it leaves out vMix Call, MultiCorder, Instant Replay, scripting, PTZ control, the Mix input and the extra outputs. Avenue lacks the professional-show features that are Arena only: projection mapping, edge blending, SMPTE timecode input, Denon StageLinq, Pioneer Pro DJ Link, DMX control, DMX fixture output, capture card output, groups and slice transforms.

Both have a limit you meet on the night. Streaming is limited to five destinations at the same time, and the knowledge base recommends a restreaming service for more than that. A registered licence on an offline machine must phone home every 30 days, and Resolume restores the watermark if it cannot reach the Internet for 30 days.

What it costs

vMix has one-off licences at US$60 for Basic HD, US$350 for HD, US$700 for 4K and US$1,200 for Pro, each a one-time purchase with twelve months of free version updates included. The full edition is also sold as a subscription at US$50 a month, which is equivalent to the Pro edition in all its features and adds 1000 total inputs, a maximum resolution of 4096 by 2160 and streaming to five destinations at once. Free version updates with Max last only for as long as the subscription is paid. The knowledge base states that all payments are charged in US dollars.

Resolume Avenue is €299, Arena is €799 and Wire is €399, each a one-time purchase with 12 months of updates included, and the licence keeps working after that.

So the entry points are US$60 against €299, in two different currencies, and the shape of the two lists differs as much as the numbers do. vMix gives you the switcher for a single payment or for a monthly fee that stops when you stop paying. Resolume charges once for a licence that keeps working, and the features a show tends to need, such as DMX control and capture card output, are Arena rather than Avenue.

Questions people ask

Does vMix run on a Mac?

No. There is no macOS version of vMix, as it cannot be installed directly on OSX and can only be installed on Windows via Boot Camp on older Intel Macs. Resolume runs on Mac, Windows, so it is the one of the two that runs on your own hardware.

Which is cheaper, vMix or Resolume?

It depends on the edition and on the job. vMix starts at US$60 once for Basic HD, which is limited to four total inputs, three of them cameras or NDI. Resolume starts at €299 once for Avenue, and Arena is €799. vMix charges in US dollars and Resolume's prices are in euros, so the rate on the day you buy is yours to check.

Can I try either one for free?

Yes, both. The trial lasts 60 days and runs vMix Pro with all its features, including 4K, MultiCorder and full Instant Replay. A paid licence is needed after the 60 days. Resolume is free to use indefinitely, but video output has a Resolume watermark and audio has a robot voice until a serial number is entered.

Which one is for a live show in front of people?

Resolume, if the show is performed in a room: Avenue and Arena are made for playing decks of media and effects to screens and projectors. vMix is for a multi-camera production that has to be switched, recorded and streamed, and it needs a Windows machine. Where a venue needs both, they can be chained: vMix sends its programme out over NDI, and Resolume takes NDI input.

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Sources

Every fact about another app on this page comes from the source listed for it, on the date shown. We make Vibresia, so we've tried to say where each of the others is the better choice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.