OneStream Live says its Free plan can be used indefinitely, but it has defined limits on stream length, destinations, resolution, storage and team access. The limits in the reviewed OneStream help article are plan-level; the sources reviewed do not identify a separate set for Indian accounts.
For an Indian channel, that means checking whether the Free plan fits the format you want to run, rather than assuming it supports continuous playback. YouTube’s own eligibility rules are separate from OneStream’s limits, and UPI appears in OneStream’s India purchasing guidance as a subscription payment method, not as a condition for using Free.
Is the Free plan available indefinitely?
OneStream Live’s Help Center says the Free plan can be used indefinitely. That describes the plan’s availability, not unlimited use: stream duration, destinations, video storage and other features remain capped. The help article was last updated on 24 August 2026, so treat its limits as what OneStream published there at that time, not as a guarantee that terms will never change. Check OneStream Live’s Free-plan help article and its current plan information before building a workflow around a particular cap.
A free plan that has no stated expiry may suit testing a short stream, learning the interface or sharing to a small number of destinations. It is not the same as a free 24/7 service. OneStream’s separate guidance says continuous 24/7 streaming is a YouTube-only feature requiring an Enterprise plan, so do not read “indefinitely” as permission to leave a Free-plan stream running without a duration limit. If a channel’s aim is an always-on loop, compare that requirement with the plan terms first.
The practical question is not only whether you can keep the account, but whether each stream and its supporting media fit the current restrictions. A devotional channel preparing a short scheduled bhajan video, for example, has a different requirement from a lofi station that needs a long continuous broadcast and a playlist. Make a list of the intended format, stream length, collaborators and destinations before treating Free as a long-term operating plan.
Prerecorded and real-time duration limits
The published duration cap depends on how you stream. OneStream’s Free-plan article states that prerecorded streams can run for up to 15 minutes. Real-time streams, including streams through Studio and an encoder, can run for up to one hour. These are separate limits, not two descriptions of the same session.
| Free-plan use | Published cap | What to check before you rely on it |
|---|---|---|
| Prerecorded live stream | Up to 15 minutes | Is the uploaded clip itself short enough for the planned broadcast? |
| Real-time stream, including Studio or encoder | Up to 1 hour | Does the live session fit within the stated window? |
| Continuous 24/7 playback | Not a Free-plan feature in the cited guidance | OneStream’s separate 24/7 instructions specify Enterprise and YouTube-only use. |
For a prerecorded upload, a 15-minute cap can be workable for a short announcement or a single short performance. It is not enough for a long prayer service, a full study session or a music loop intended to repeat through the night. Splitting a longer programme into segments does not establish that playlist streaming is available on Free; the help article separately says playlists cannot be created or streamed on that plan.
A real-time cap of one hour may suit a scheduled talk or a short live session, but it is not equivalent to an unrestricted encoder broadcast. If you use OBS or another encoder, plan an orderly end within the stated limit and do not assume a reconnect or restart extends the allowance. For troubleshooting an encoder workflow, our guide to repairing a YouTube stream after an OBS update covers a different issue: software updates can interrupt the broadcast, but fixing that does not remove a plan duration cap.
These restrictions also matter when you tell viewers what to expect. A stream scheduled as a short event should have a clear finish, while an always-on station needs a plan and method that expressly support continuous playback. OneStream’s general instructions on ways to stream prerecorded video describe its available approaches; read them alongside the Free-plan limitations rather than treating a general feature description as proof that every approach is included at no cost.
Platform, resolution, storage and seat caps
OneStream’s Free-plan article lists up to two platforms at once, a maximum resolution of 720p, 1 GB of uploaded-video or media storage, and one team seat. These caps govern different parts of the workflow: where the broadcast goes, the output quality, how much media you can keep uploaded and how many people can access the team account.
Two destinations at once may cover YouTube plus another platform, if both are supported and configured for the account. It does not mean two YouTube channels, or any particular combination, is guaranteed by the cap alone. Check the current connection options and test the destination setup before announcing a simulcast. The limit is a maximum number of concurrent destinations, not an entitlement to every platform integration.
The 720p ceiling is worth checking against the source file and the audience’s viewing conditions. If your master video is 1080p, the Free-plan listing does not say that the outgoing stream will retain 1080p; it gives 720p as the maximum. Avoid producing your whole workflow around a resolution the plan does not list. For a YouTube encoder setup, our YouTube streaming settings guide explains the settings that matter on the encoder side, while OneStream’s plan cap remains a separate constraint.
One gigabyte of storage is a media allowance, not a promise that any particular number of videos will fit. File size depends on duration, resolution, encoding and content, so check the size of the actual files you plan to upload. A short low-bitrate clip and a long high-resolution recording will consume different amounts. Keep a local master copy, and do not make the OneStream upload the only copy of work you may need again.
One seat means the Free account’s team access is limited to one person according to the help article. If a presenter, editor and channel manager all need their own access, a single-seat allowance may not match the way the channel is run. Avoid sharing credentials as a workaround without checking the service’s current account guidance and your own security practices. The team cap can be as important as the stream limits for a small business or a channel run by several volunteers.
What happens to uploaded videos after 60 days
OneStream’s Free-plan help article states that uploaded videos are automatically deleted after 60 days. The important practical point is to treat that as a retention limit: an upload that remains useful for a later broadcast may no longer be available in the account after the stated period. The source describes automatic deletion, not simply an optional clean-up reminder.
Keep original files in storage you control and record which uploaded asset is used for each scheduled stream. If you plan to repeat a seasonal programme or reuse a bhajan recording after several weeks, make sure the source is still available outside OneStream so you can upload it again if needed. A content log can note the file name, upload date, duration and intended reuse date without relying on memory.
Do not confuse video retention with a live broadcast archive on YouTube. The 60-day statement concerns uploaded videos in OneStream’s Free plan. It does not say that YouTube archives are retained for the same period, nor does it determine the channel’s YouTube archive settings. Keep those two storage questions separate when planning a library of recordings.
A simple monthly check is useful if you have a recurring schedule: verify which assets are still present, whether a future broadcast needs them, and whether your local master copies open correctly. That check is not a way to extend the official retention period; it is a way to avoid discovering just before an event that an upload has expired or that the only copy was stored in the wrong place.
Features the Free plan does not include
A cap and an exclusion are not the same. The one-hour limit restricts how long a real-time stream may run; an unavailable feature is something the Free plan does not offer, even for a short broadcast. OneStream’s help article says Free does not support captions or subtitles and does not allow playlist creation or playlist streaming.
That matters for channels whose format depends on accessibility text, repeated tracks or a queue of prerecorded items. If subtitles are part of how your audience follows a programme, do not assume an uploaded caption file can be added on Free. If the aim is a continuously rotating set of songs, a duration cap and the playlist exclusion both need attention. Our guide to using an OBS playlist source for a YouTube loop explains a local OBS distinction; it does not imply that OneStream Free includes playlists.
The same help article identifies Studio features that are unavailable on Free: Download Recordings, Background Music & Effects, Local Media Share, Intervals, Upload Own Media, RTMP Source, Custom Invitation Link, Live Sales, Teleprompter and Multiple Cameras. Check that list against the workflow you actually use. A presenter who needs a teleprompter or multiple cameras has a different requirement from someone who only needs a basic short stream.
The pricing page lists three scheduled events for Free, but the reviewed sources do not explain how an event is counted or when that count resets. Do not plan a busy calendar on an interpretation of “three” that the source does not define. Confirm the current wording with OneStream before relying on it, especially if you intend to schedule several broadcasts in advance.
For a plan decision, mark each required item as essential or optional: duration, destinations, resolution, storage and retention, seats, captions, playlists and Studio tools. If even one essential function is excluded, a generous allowance elsewhere will not make the workflow fit. Read the current Help Center and pricing page together because the explanatory article and plan display may present different parts of the offer.
Do Indian accounts have different limits?
The reviewed official material does not identify a separate set of Free-plan limits for Indian accounts. The figures in OneStream’s Free-plan help article are presented as plan limits, without an India-specific variation. The careful conclusion is that no India exception is documented in these sources; it is not proof that every account, payment flow or future offer will be identical.
OneStream’s India purchasing instructions discuss UPI as a payment method when purchasing a subscription. That is billing guidance for a purchase, not a requirement to use the Free plan and not evidence that Free users receive different feature caps. You should not infer from the payment page that UPI must be used to activate Free, or that paying by UPI changes stream length, resolution or storage.
The underlying workflow also depends on YouTube access. OneStream documents connecting a YouTube account through its Social Platforms settings, then scheduling a prerecorded stream or starting a real-time one. But a successful connection in a third-party tool does not grant live access to a YouTube channel that is not eligible. YouTube says a channel must be verified and must have had no live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance.
YouTube’s mobile livestreaming requirements are distinct from using a computer or encoder. Its mobile help page lists a 50-subscriber minimum and says first activation can take up to 24 hours; those mobile requirements should not be applied to every computer-based method. YouTube’s general live-streaming guidance also states that a creator must be at least 16. Check the mobile live-streaming requirements and the current general guidance directly, because YouTube’s rules and account status can change.
For an Indian creator, the useful sequence is to confirm YouTube live access, decide whether the stream is prerecorded or real-time, then compare the relevant OneStream caps. If the goal is an overnight loop, the Free plan’s short prerecorded limit and the separate 24/7 plan requirement are more consequential than the country associated with the account. For a short one-off event, the 15-minute or one-hour cap may be the first constraint to check.
If your main problem is keeping a computer on through the night, use an approach designed for that operating pattern rather than stretching a short plan cap. StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and runs it as a YouTube live stream without leaving your own computer on; it is YouTube-only, and you still need to prepare the channel and file for the broadcast. This addresses the power and unattended-computer burden, not OneStream’s terms or YouTube eligibility.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Is OneStream Live free to use?
OneStream Live says its Free plan can be used indefinitely. It still has limits on duration, destinations, resolution, storage, team access and features, and those published terms can change.
How long can I stream on the Free plan?
The cited help article lists prerecorded streams up to 15 minutes and real-time streams, including Studio and encoder streams, up to one hour. Do not treat either cap as support for a continuous 24/7 broadcast.
Can I multistream to YouTube and another platform for free?
The published Free limit is two platforms at once. Confirm that your intended platforms are supported and available on your account; the destination count alone does not guarantee a particular integration.
Does OneStream Live have different limits in India?
The official sources reviewed do not document different Free-plan limits for India. UPI is mentioned in OneStream’s India subscription-purchase instructions, not as a condition of Free-plan use.