Where to find and install OBS plugins

OBS Studio plugins live in a specific folder on your computer, and you install them by moving files into that folder, then restarting OBS. The exact folder location depends on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, and whether you installed OBS as a standalone program or through a package manager.

The simplest way to find your plugins folder is to open OBS, go to Tools > Scripts (for script-based plugins) or Tools > Open Config Folder (for compiled plugins). The config folder opens in your file explorer. From there, look for a folder called plugins. If it does not exist, create it yourself.

On Windows with the standard OBS installer, your plugins folder is usually at C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit or C:\Program Files (x86)\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit depending on your system. On Mac, it is typically in /Library/Application Support/obs-studio/plugins. On Linux, the location varies by distribution, but ~/.config/obs-studio/plugins is common.

Key Takeaways

  • OBS plugins go into a specific plugins folder on your computer; you find it by opening OBS and selecting Tools > Open Config Folder, then creating a plugins folder if it does not exist.
  • Plugins come as either compiled files (which you download and place in the plugins folder) or scripts (which go in a scripts folder instead).
  • After you place a plugin file in the correct folder, restart OBS completely for it to appear in your Tools menu or as a new source type.
  • Only download plugins from the official OBS Project website or trusted community sources; plugins can run code on your computer, so unknown sources carry real security risk.

The difference between compiled plugins and scripts

OBS supports two types of add-ons, and they install in different places. Compiled plugins are pre-built programs written in C or C++, packaged as .dll files (Windows), .so files (Linux), or .dylib files (Mac). Scripts are written in Lua or Python and are plain text files with .lua or .py extensions.

Compiled plugins go in the plugins folder. Scripts go in the scripts folder, which is a separate directory in the same config location. You access scripts through Tools > Scripts in OBS, where you can enable, disable, or reload them without restarting the whole program.

Compiled plugins are more powerful and faster, but they require a restart to load. Scripts are easier to write and test, but they run slower and cannot do everything a compiled plugin can. Most user-facing plugins you find are compiled.

How to download and place a plugin file

The official source for OBS plugins is the OBS Project website at obsproject.com. Go to the Plugins section, browse by category (sources, filters, outputs, etc.), and click the plugin you want. Read the description and requirements — some plugins need a specific OBS version or operating system.

Click the download link. The file will be a .zip archive containing the plugin files. Extract the archive to a temporary folder. Inside, you will usually find a folder with the plugin name; open that folder and look for the actual plugin file (.dll, .so, .dylib, or .lua).

Copy that file (or the entire plugin folder, depending on what the plugin's instructions say) into your OBS plugins folder. If the instructions say to copy the whole folder, do that; if they say to copy just the .dll file, do that instead. Close OBS completely, then reopen it. The plugin should now appear in your Tools menu or as a new source type in the Sources panel.

What to do if a plugin does not appear after restart

If you restart OBS and the plugin is not there, check three things first. Open Tools > Logs and look at the most recent log file. Search for the plugin name or the word "error" — the log will often tell you exactly what went wrong, such as a missing dependency or a version mismatch.

Second, verify you put the file in the correct folder. Open Tools > Open Config Folder again and manually navigate to the plugins folder. Make sure the file is actually there and has not been quarantined by your antivirus software. Some antivirus programs flag plugin files as suspicious because they are unsigned executables; you may need to whitelist the plugins folder.

Third, check the plugin's system requirements. Some plugins only work on Windows, or only on OBS version 28 and later. You can see your OBS version in Help > About OBS Studio. If the plugin requires a newer version of OBS than you have, update OBS first.

Security considerations when choosing plugins

Plugins run code directly on your computer with the same permissions as OBS itself. A malicious plugin could theoretically capture your stream, steal your files, or install other software. This is not theoretical fear — it has happened with other streaming software.

Only download plugins from the official OBS Project website or from well-known community sources like GitHub repositories with active maintenance and public code review. If a plugin is hosted on a random website or requires you to disable antivirus warnings, do not use it.

Check when the plugin was last updated. A plugin that has not been touched in three years may not work with current OBS versions and may have unpatched security issues. Look at the plugin's GitHub page (if it has one) and see whether the developer responds to bug reports and security issues.

Installing plugins from GitHub

Some plugins are distributed through GitHub instead of the official OBS website. Go to the plugin's GitHub repository and look for a Releases section on the right side of the page. Download the latest release file — it will usually be named something like plugin-name-windows.zip or plugin-name-macos.dmg.

Extract the archive and follow the same steps as above: find the actual plugin file inside, copy it to your plugins folder, restart OBS. The GitHub page should have installation instructions; read them first, because some plugins require additional setup steps or dependencies.

GitHub plugins are often more cutting-edge than the official website versions, but they may also be less stable. If you encounter crashes or errors, check the GitHub Issues page to see whether others have reported the same problem and whether there is a fix.

Troubleshooting plugins that crash or cause problems

If a plugin causes OBS to crash on startup, you can disable it without uninstalling. Hold Shift while opening OBS — this launches it in safe mode with all plugins disabled. Once OBS is open, go to Tools > Open Config Folder, navigate to the plugins folder, and temporarily rename the problematic plugin file by adding .disabled to the end (for example, change plugin.dll to plugin.dll.disabled). Restart OBS normally; if it no longer crashes, the plugin was the problem.

Check the plugin's GitHub page or documentation to see whether there is a known issue with your OBS version or operating system. Update OBS to the latest version — sometimes a plugin breaks because OBS changed and the plugin has not been updated yet. If the plugin is abandoned (no updates in over a year), consider switching to an alternative.

If you want to remove a plugin entirely, simply delete its file from the plugins folder and restart OBS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use plugins from OBS Classic or Streamlabs OBS in regular OBS Studio?

No. OBS Studio, OBS Classic, and Streamlabs OBS are three different programs with incompatible plugin systems. A plugin written for one will not work in another. Make sure you download plugins specifically for OBS Studio.

Do I need to restart OBS every time I add a plugin?

Yes, for compiled plugins. Scripts can be reloaded without restarting by going to Tools > Scripts and clicking the reload button next to the script name. But compiled plugins require a full restart of OBS to load.

What if my antivirus software blocks a plugin?

Plugins are unsigned executables, so antivirus software sometimes flags them as suspicious. If you trust the source, add the plugins folder to your antivirus whitelist. Go to your antivirus settings, find the exclusions or whitelist section, and add the path to your OBS plugins folder.

Can I use the same plugin on multiple computers?

Yes. Download the plugin on each computer and place it in the plugins folder. Some plugins may require separate licenses or activation, so check the documentation.

Where do I report a plugin bug or security issue?

Go to the plugin's GitHub repository and open an issue in the Issues tab. If the plugin is on the official OBS website, check whether it links to a GitHub page. For security issues, look for a security policy or contact information on the repository.