When comparing XSplit Broadcaster vs ShadowPlay, the Slant community recommends XSplit Broadcaster for most people. In the question“What are the best software tools for live streaming?” XSplit Broadcaster is ranked 2nd while ShadowPlay is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose XSplit Broadcaster is:
XSplit has a source plugin store (with about 5 plugins) that add functionality such as whiteboards, image slideshows and video playlists.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Functionality can be extended via plugins
XSplit has a source plugin store (with about 5 plugins) that add functionality such as whiteboards, image slideshows and video playlists.
Pro 3D positioning
Any scene element can be positioned in 3D space by rotating in all axis.
Pro Very short learning curve
Pro Simultaneous broadcast
A paid license allows streaming to multiple services at the same time.
Pro Transitions
XSplit has a couple of built-in transitions for switching scenes. Transitions such as wave, fade, hole, etc, that can add a bit of character to a stream.
Pro Has a limited free version
XSplit offers a free version that includes both XSplit Broadcaster and XSplit Gamecaster, but is limited to .aac 96 kbps mono audio, .mp4/.flv@30fps video and advanced features like image overlays, Twitch integration or a preview editor.
Pro Some source delay support
Webcams and capture card video as well as any audio can be delayed.
Pro Supports interactive Flash files
XSplit allows loading .swf files to the scene that can then be interacted with using keyboard and mouse inputs.
Pro GPU accelerated encoding
If you want to record 1080p 60fps, this will get you there. If you were having performance issues using CPU encoding before, Shadowplay will most likely work 10x better that you swear that it doesn't appear to be recording at all.
Pro Allow recording video after the fact
ShadowPlay can set up a recording buffer and only save to a local file if needed.
Cons
Con Resource heavy
Con Premium version is required for commercial use
A paid license is required to use XSplit for any commercial purposes. The personal license is $4.95/mo and the premium license is $8.95/mo.
Con Windows only
XSplit runs only on Windows. Other operating systems such as OSX or Linux are not supported.
Con Stream delay is behind a paywall
Con Adding text requires a plugin
While a minor inconvenience, most other tools include this functionality by default.
Con Can't go above 1080p
Con Nvidia cards only
Only works with Nvidia cards, so those with AMD cards will not be able to use this app.
