Best Stream Deck 2024 – our top picks for streamers

Stream with confidence with the best stream decks this year!

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Since the inception of Twitch, then known as Justin.TV, the world of streaming has expanded from being but a humble hobby, all the way to a viable career path that can net the individual in question money, sponsorships, and even the odd bit of drama depending on their luck. Any semi-serious streamer may be wondering what the best Stream Deck is in 2024. Elgato are the creators of the ‘Stream Deck’, a product name which can be used to refer to the peripheral type in general. A couple of quick suggestions would be the Stream Deck XL or Stream Deck+, but we have some alternatives to discuss as well.

Streaming remains a relatively easy hobby to get into, with the bare minimum being some game recording software/capture card and a microphone. However, this paltry gear list soon balloons into an expensive sequence of investments, one of them being a stream deck. So let’s have a look at the best stream deck you can get today, and some honorable mentions too. A reminder that we keep these top picks up to date as much as we can!

Today’s best peripheral deals

Best Stream Deck 2024 : in-depth reviews

No time to waste if you want to get back to streaming! Let’s have a look at the best options out there, covering official Elgato Stream Deck products, third-party alternatives, and budget picks; starting with the best of the best.

Stream Deck XL

01

Stream Deck XL

Connectivity

Wired (USB 3.0)

Buttons

32 customizable LCD buttons

Dimensions

182 x 112 x 34 mm

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Pros

• LCD keys make for ease of use at a glance
• Seamless integration with multiple programs

Cons

• Very expensive (Smaller variations are available for much less)

Of course, we had to start with the current jewel of the Stream Deck lineup, the Stream Deck XL. Previously known as the Elgato Stream Deck, Elgato was acquired by Corsair in 2018, and their collection of capture cards, stream decks, and lighting solutions has only continued to grow since then.

Stream Deck XL features

What helped put the stream deck on the map was of course the LCD buttons. These can be customized to correspond to their specific function, allowing fo you to know exactly what each button will do at a glance. lessening the possibility of mistakes. Additionally, the stream deck is constructed at an ergonomic angle so you can see exactly what’s going on at all times. This combines with the vast 32-button layout and the great software integration to produce the best stream deck out there right now. Speaking of software, let’s get to that.

Stream Deck XL software

The Stream Deck comes with some of the best streaming device software out there. You can assign actions, multi actions, and even set different profiles to functionally increase the number of available inputs. Additionally, you can load custom icons onto the buttons for the specific user-to-user actions that you can bind to the Stream Deck XL.

The Stream Deck XL also comes with out-of-the-box integrations with Twitch, OBS, YouTube, XSplit, and many, many more. This means that if you aren’t up for making all your actions totally custom, you can instead just go with the pre-configured ones that come with it.

Stream Deck+

02

Elgato USB-C Stream Deck +

Compatible devices

Laptop, PC

Connectivity

USB-A, USB-C

Main features

Backlit, Hotkeys and Media Keys, Integrated Stand, Customizable Display Keys

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Pros

• Super flexible design and customization
• Touch screen and 360° dials for fine-tuning

Cons

• Less LCD buttons than other Stream Deck models

We had the pleasure of trying out the Stream Deck+ for ourselves and were certainly impressed with what it has to offer. It’s a newer variant to the Stream Deck which is a little more compact and inexpensive, with some unique quirks and features to boast of its own.

Stream Deck+ features

Whereas the XL has a massive 32 LCD buttons, the Stream Deck+ strips this down to just 8. This gives you a more focused approach and somewhere to place your most important macros, which sort of act like profiles in this case. The stand-out feature with the Deck+ though are the four 360° dials which can be pushed in as well. This gives you better control over audio mixing (and more) without having another mixer or using sliders on-screen. The strip in the middle is a touch screen, which you can use to assign what the dials control – whether it be volume, colors, brightness, zoom, or other effects.

Stream Deck+ software

Stream Deck+ works seamlessly with a number of different programs/software. It is supported within Elgato Wave Link, OBS, Twitch, Discord, Spotify, and much more. You can access the Stream Deck app store to download plugins, icons, SFX, and so on. While we’re focusing on streaming, it really has a wide range of uses; Elgato demonstrate that it’s great for creative workflows such as video editing and Photoshop thanks to it’s flexible design.

Loupedeck Live

03

Loupedeck Live

Connectivity

Wired (USB 3.0)

Buttons

12 customizable touchscreen, 8 physical, 6 knobs

Dimensions

150 x 110 x 30mm

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Pros

• 6 addressable knobs
• Large high-quality screen

Cons

• Large and expensive

Next, we come to the new contender on the scene, Loupedeck. While it appears superficially similar to the Stream Deck XL, it’s got some features that truly set it apart, making it a very competitive option to the fan favorite from Elgato.

Loupedeck Live features

We were initially unfamiliar with Loupdeck, but after doing some research they look like they’ve got some very interesting products, and they could soon be one of the biggest players in the streaming device game. The Loupedeck Live, for example. It doesn’t just stick to buttons as the other options in this list do, it adds more audio-friendly mixing solutions to the table with 6 addressable knobs which are perfect for mixing volumes of chat, mic, and gameplay on the fly with considerable ease. It also opts for a fully touchscreen, instead of individual physical buttons, which could lead to some interesting integration options.

Loupedeck Live software

As with any of the best stream decks, the Loupedeck live comes with its own software suite. It’s very similar to the Stream Deck XL. Allowing you to fully customize what’s on the screen, and the behavior, actions, and bindings of the resulting buttons. It also has comparable integrations with streaming programs, in addition to some creative application compatibilities with Adobe Creative Cloud. This makes it a more wide-reaching option for uses other than streaming.

Vaydeer macro keyboard

04

Vaydeer One-Handed mechanical macro keyboard

Connectivity

Wired (USB 2.0)

Buttons

9

Dimensions

‎110 x 109 x 57 mm

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Pros

• Affordable
• Tactile mechanical keys

Cons

• Less available commands than the competition

Next, we move to the best budget Stream Deck option, the Vaydeer One-handed macro keyboard. This choice was obvious for us as the sub-$50 price, mechanical switches, and minimalist design are all things we’re fans of here at WePC.

Vaydeer One-handed macro keyboard features

The best feature of the Vaydeer has to be the mechanical key switches. These allow for more tactility comparable to that of a mechanical keyboard which has obvious advantages to it. Additionally, the small form factor is fantastic for those of you with limited desk space, and who want to keep the space you have less cluttered. It’s also far more affordable than the other selections here.

Vaydeer One-handed macro keyboard software

The downside of the Vaydeer comes in the form of the less-comprehensive software options. You don’t get a pretty interface to assign all your actions and commands, it’s quite literally a simple macro setup. You do get a small OSD (on-screen display) that hides in the corner of your monitor/screen to remind you of the commands though, so it’s still totally usable, just less easy than the other options here.

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What is a stream deck?

Before telling you which stream decks to buy, we should probably first explain what they are. As with most things gaming-specific, they have a name that isn’t exactly intuitive for the uninitiated. Essentially, a stream deck is a self-contained bank of macros, meaning that you can assign any given function to each button to speed up the process.

This can have huge productivity and overall stream quality benefits as it helps eliminate the need to tab out of whatever game you’re streaming to do something. Most commonly, they are used to quickly mute, change inputs, start/stop streams, and much much more. This means the best stream deck needs to have plentiful inputs, an ergonomic, easy-to-understand interface, and there are some extra creature comforts that we like in addition to this too. Let’s take a closer look at what we want from a stream deck below.

Is a stream deck worth it?

Macros continue to present other issues as peripheral software like Corsair iCUE, Razer Synapse, and Asus Armory Crate are famous for being tricky to work with in regard to macros. A dedicated stream deck will be far easier to set up and stream with than a nebulous keyboard macro could ever be.

Aside from easier-to-use macros, you’ll also gain speed and efficiency during your stream. Additionally, as the functions are on a separate dedicated device on your desk, accidentally activating them becomes almost impossible. The best stream decks out there can even help you diagnose problems if your stream commands are acting wayward.

What to consider when buying the best stream deck

Considering the simple job of a stream deck, they can get pretty expensive. This is made even more painful when you consider that they are, as we said, just fancy boxes of macros. This irritant makes it even more important to use your money wisely. So, let’s have a look at what you need to keep in mind when getting a new stream deck.

Stream complexity

If you only stream to friends, then you probably won’t need a stream deck as you can tab in and out with reckless abandon, just as long as your friends aren’t too picky.

If you’re considering twitch streaming as a career or even just an enthusiastic hobby, then it’s worth getting some kind of stream deck. It won’t exactly be a mind-blowing change for the viewers, but it will make your life a hell of a lot easier, as remembering complex keyboard macros in the heat of the battle.

Number of buttons/commands

This is the spec that will change the price in the most meaningful way. Simply put, the more buttons, the higher the price. This means it’s important to consider what you already do in your streams that could be assigned to a stream deck button, and what you’d like to add to your streaming repertoire.

Additionally, you might not find the streaming life to be all that enjoyable. So as much as it’s tempting to drop ~$250 on the big man Stream Deck XL, you’ll be begrudging that loathsome little desk-mounted money pit if you don’t end up making use of it.

Design

The stream deck will be positioned on your desk within an arm’s reach. This pride-of-place positioning means that it has the possibility to absolutely ruin your current gaming setup‘s aesthetic. Some stream decks make use of interchangeable faceplates to help increase visual customizability which of course helps. Luckily, most stream decks are a neat matte black that’ll go with everything, so unless you’re an incredibly visually specific type of person, your gaming desk won’t be ruined with the addition of a stream deck.

Related streaming pages

Are you a sucker for streaming stuff? Check out some of our other pages below.

• Best streaming PC build
• Best microphone for streaming
• Streaming statistics
• Best game streaming services
• Best CPU for streaming
• Best capture cards for streaming

Best Stream Deck FAQs

Is the Stream Deck only for streaming?

No, not exclusively. While stream decks have streaming as their main use, anyone can use a stream deck for creating handy macros. The Stream Deck+ is perhaps the best example of this, as the added touch screen and dials give you great control and definitely work well in any creative workflow.

Are there any Stream Deck alternatives?

If you think of the Stream Deck, you probably have Elgato’s range in mind. There are alternatives though, such as the Loupedeck Live we feature on in this guide, which you could call a stream deck as a generic term, if you like.

Final word

Adding a stream deck to your setup can have a huge positive impact on the quality and ease of your streams. Annoyingly, you do have to make an investment, but given the amount of money that can be made from a successful streaming career and a bit of luck the initial investment will be well worth it.