OBS SOFTWARE BY CTD
A Stream Deck Alternative for OBS — Control OBS From the iPhone or iPad You Already Own
Looking for a Stream Deck alternative for OBS that doesn't cost a dime in hardware? CTD Live Mobile turns the iPhone or iPad in your pocket into a real OBS control surface — live multiview, a Studio-Mode TAKE button, hold-to-quick-cut, and full game-controller switching — all over obs-websocket on your own network. It's a free, no-subscription way to get Stream-Deck-style control of OBS without buying a button pad, and on the Mac, CTD Live Studio adds hotkey, MIDI, and game-controller surfaces for the same software-Stream-Deck workflow.
Why people buy a Stream Deck for OBS — and why you may not need one
An Elgato Stream Deck is great hardware: a grid of LCD keys you slap actions onto, so one press switches an OBS scene, mutes a mic, or fires a transition. For a lot of streamers it's the easiest way to get tactile, glance-free control of OBS. But it's also a piece of gear you have to buy, sit at, and wire up — a 15-key deck runs real money, and the whole point of it is to put OBS actions under your fingers. If you already carry an iPhone or iPad, you're already carrying a touchscreen that can do most of that job. CTD Live Mobile is the software Stream Deck for OBS that uses the device you own: connect it to OBS over obs-websocket and you get scene switching, a live multiview, a dedicated TAKE button, and start/stop streaming and recording — no hardware purchase, no account, no OBS plugin.
What a Stream Deck does well — and where we won't pretend
Let's be straight, because a fair comparison is the only useful one. A physical Stream Deck has real, tactile buttons you can hit without looking, customizable LCD key art, hardware that never has to wake a screen, and a deep plugin marketplace (Twitch, Discord, Spotify, OBS, multi-action folders, and more) through Stream Deck software. Touch Portal — the popular software-deck app for Android and iOS — adds a flexible button-canvas you can design yourself and a big community of pages. If what you want is a dedicated, always-on button surface with deep third-party integrations beyond OBS, a Stream Deck or Touch Portal may genuinely fit you better, and we'd rather tell you that than oversell. CTD's apps are focused: they exist to control OBS exceptionally well, not to be a general-purpose macro deck for your whole desktop.
Where a phone wins: live OBS multiview, not just buttons
Here's the thing a button pad can't do — show you the show. A Stream Deck key can have a static icon, and the newer touchscreen models can mirror a thumbnail, but neither gives you a real grid of every angle. CTD Live Mobile puts a live OBS multiview right in your hands: a grid of fast-refreshing thumbnails for every scene, pulled over obs-websocket and pushed through Metal with hardware JPEG decode (VideoToolbox, zero-copy into textures) so it stays smooth on a busy multi-camera show. To be honest about the mechanism: obs-websocket sends screenshots rather than a live video feed, so those thumbnails are fast-refreshing stills, not a broadcast-quality stream — but they're more than enough to see exactly what's on each angle before you cut. That's a level of situational awareness a row of buttons simply doesn't give you.
Real Studio-Mode switching: TAKE and hold-to-quick-cut
A Stream Deck typically cuts hard: press a key, that scene goes straight to program. CTD Live Mobile gives you a genuine preview-to-program switcher instead. Tap an angle to load it into preview, line up the shot, then hit the dedicated TAKE button to send preview to program with your transition — the OBS Studio-Mode TAKE flow most remotes and most deck setups skip. Need a fast grab? Hold-to-quick-cut presses a focused angle straight to air and snaps back when you release, perfect for catching a reaction or a wide without committing. Tap-to-preview, TAKE, and hold-to-quick-cut turn your phone into a real switcher in your pocket — not just a wall of one-tap scene cuts.
Already own a game controller? That's your Stream Deck
This is the budget Stream Deck move almost nobody talks about: a gamepad you already have makes a fantastic OBS control surface. CTD Live Mobile has full game-controller support built in. Pair an Xbox, PlayStation, or MFi controller over Bluetooth, steer an on-screen yellow focus ring with the d-pad or stick, and then preview, TAKE, or quick-cut with a button. The ring sweeps to red while a quick-cut arms, custom button bindings map controls to actions, and an in-app controller help map shows every binding. It's eyes-up, tactile, and physical — much of what people love about a deck — using a controller that costs nothing extra if it's already in the drawer.
On the Mac: CTD Live Studio brings hotkeys, MIDI, and controller surfaces
If your show lives on a Mac, CTD Live Studio is the software-Stream-Deck side of the suite. It's a native macOS OBS control room with a Metal multiview, studio-mode switching, an audio mixer with live meters, and macros — plus the part that replaces a button pad: bind system-wide keyboard shortcuts, Xbox/PlayStation/MFi game-controller buttons, and MIDI notes and CCs to OBS scenes, macros, or single actions, each captured with press-to-learn. So a MIDI pad controller or launchpad you already own becomes a Stream-Deck-style surface for OBS, and your keyboard fires scene changes even when the app isn't focused. Between Live Mobile on the phone and Live Studio on the desk, you cover both the floor and the control room without buying dedicated deck hardware. Live Studio is coming to the Mac App Store and Steam.
Connect in seconds with a QR code — no plugin, no capture card
Setup is the easy part. In OBS, open Tools → WebSocket Server Settings → Show Connect Info and scan the QR code with your phone — host, port, and password fill in automatically (or type them by hand if you prefer). It uses OBS 28+'s built-in obs-websocket 5.x, so there's no OBS-side plugin to install and no capture card anywhere in the chain — your phone just needs to reach your OBS server on the same local network. No account, no sign-up, no cloud in the middle: CTD Live Mobile collects no data, stores your OBS password in the iOS Keychain, and talks only to the OBS server you configure.
Who this is for
A software Stream Deck alternative for OBS makes the most sense if you want studio-style control without buying or hauling hardware: solo streamers who'd rather not spend on a deck, AV and live-event operators working the floor, houses of worship and volunteer production teams, classrooms, esports casters, and multicam podcasters. If you want a wireless OBS scene switcher with a real multiview and a TAKE button — and you'd rather repurpose the iPhone, iPad, game controller, or MIDI pad you already own than buy an Elgato Stream Deck — CTD Live Mobile (free) and CTD Live Studio give you that. If you specifically need dedicated tactile keys with custom LCD art and deep non-OBS integrations, a physical Stream Deck or Touch Portal is the honest pick instead.
CTD Live Mobile (+ Live Studio) vs Elgato Stream Deck (hardware)
| Feature | CTD Live Mobile (+ Live Studio) | Elgato Stream Deck (hardware) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — Live Mobile has no account, no IAP, no subscription | Paid hardware (entry decks to large XL/Touch models) |
| Hardware required | None — uses the iPhone, iPad, game controller, or MIDI pad you own | Yes — you buy and connect the physical deck |
| Tactile physical buttons | Touchscreen + optional game-controller/MIDI buttons (no dedicated key pad) | Yes — dedicated LCD keys, glance-free presses (their win) |
| Custom LCD key art per button | No — touchscreen UI, not per-key icons | Yes — customizable LCD key images (their win) |
| Live OBS multiview | Yes — grid of live, hardware-decoded scene thumbnails (Metal + VideoToolbox) | No real multiview grid (static/mirrored key icons only) |
| Studio Mode preview-to-program TAKE | Yes — tap-to-preview, dedicated TAKE, hold-to-quick-cut | Typically hard cuts; preview/TAKE not native |
| Game-controller switching | Yes — Xbox/PlayStation/MFi with on-screen focus ring | No (it is the controller) |
| MIDI / hotkey control surface | Yes via CTD Live Studio on Mac (MIDI, system-wide hotkeys, controllers) | Hotkeys via app; native MIDI mapping limited |
| Start/stop stream & record, audio control | Yes — stream/record toggles, timecode, pulsing tally; mixer in Live Studio | Yes via OBS plugin actions |
| Non-OBS integrations (Discord, Spotify, etc.) | OBS-focused — not a general macro deck | Yes — deep plugin marketplace beyond OBS (their win) |
| Setup | QR pairing over obs-websocket — no OBS plugin, no capture card | Install Stream Deck software + OBS plugin, assign keys |
| Platforms | iPhone & iPad (Live Mobile); macOS (Live Studio) | Hardware works on Windows & macOS via Stream Deck software |
FAQ
Is there a free Stream Deck alternative for OBS?
Yes. CTD Live Mobile is a completely free OBS control surface for iPhone and iPad — no account, no in-app purchases, no subscription. It connects to OBS over the built-in obs-websocket server and gives you scene switching, a live multiview, a Studio-Mode TAKE button, hold-to-quick-cut, and start/stop streaming and recording. For most OBS workflows it covers what people buy a basic Stream Deck to do, using the phone you already own.
Can I use my iPhone as a Stream Deck for OBS?
Yes. CTD Live Mobile turns your iPhone (or iPad) into a software Stream Deck for OBS. Scan a QR code from OBS's WebSocket Server Settings to pair, then tap scenes to preview, hit TAKE to cut to program, hold a tile to quick-cut, and toggle streaming and recording. You can even pair an Xbox, PlayStation, or MFi game controller over Bluetooth for tactile, eyes-up switching — much of the feel of a button pad without buying one.
What does a physical Stream Deck do that CTD's apps don't?
We'll be honest: a hardware Stream Deck gives you dedicated tactile keys you can press without looking, customizable LCD key art, and a deep plugin marketplace that reaches well beyond OBS (Discord, Spotify, multi-action folders, and more). CTD Live Mobile and Live Studio are OBS-focused control surfaces — they don't try to be a general-purpose macro deck for your whole desktop. If you want dedicated physical keys and non-OBS integrations, a Stream Deck or Touch Portal may suit you better.
Do I need a capture card or an OBS plugin to use it?
No. CTD Live Mobile talks to OBS over obs-websocket 5.x, which is built into OBS Studio 28 and newer — you just enable the WebSocket server under Tools → WebSocket Server Settings. There's no capture card in the chain and no OBS-side plugin to install. Your phone simply needs to reach your OBS computer on the same local network.
Is there a software Stream Deck alternative for OBS on Mac?
Yes — CTD Live Studio. It's a native macOS OBS control room with a Metal multiview, studio-mode TAKE, and an audio mixer, plus the Stream-Deck-style part: bind system-wide keyboard shortcuts, Xbox/PlayStation/MFi game-controller buttons, and MIDI notes and CCs to OBS scenes, macros, or single actions with press-to-learn. A MIDI pad or launchpad you already own becomes a control surface for OBS, no button pad required. It's coming to the Mac App Store and Steam.
Can I switch OBS scenes with a game controller instead of a Stream Deck?
Yes. Both CTD apps support game controllers. In CTD Live Mobile, pair an Xbox, PlayStation, or MFi controller over Bluetooth, steer an on-screen focus ring with the d-pad or stick, and preview, TAKE, or quick-cut with a button. CTD Live Studio on Mac lets you bind controller buttons (and MIDI and hotkeys) to OBS scenes and macros. A controller you already own makes a genuinely good budget Stream Deck for OBS.
Get CTD Live Mobile
No subscriptions, no accounts, no cloud — talks only to your own OBS over your network.