Comparisons

Draw on your stream: OBS Draw plugin vs Overlay Pen

If you stream with OBS Studio, there is a free, open-source Draw plugin. If you have an iPad, there is Overlay Pen. Both put ink on your stream; the difference is what you draw with and where you look.

Short answer: The OBS Draw plugin is free and needs no extra device: good for quick marks with a mouse or drawing tablet. Overlay Pen gives you Apple Pencil, six pen types and shapes on an iPad, and also works in Ecamm Live, which has no drawing tool of its own.
Overlay PenOBS Draw plugin
Draw withApple Pencil on iPad, with pressureMouse or drawing tablet on the computer
Where you drawAt your monitor, drawing on the iPad as on paperAt a dock in OBS
ToolsSix pen types, shapes, text, photos, videoPencil, line, eraser, clear
Works withOBS (Mac, Windows, Linux), Ecamm Live, HDMIOBS Studio 31.1+ only
PriceFree with watermark · Pro $12.99 per year (7 days free) or $29.99 onceFree, open source (GPL-2.0)

Facts and prices checked on 2026-10-19 from the makers' own pages and the US App Store. Competitor prices are US prices and can change. Product names belong to their owners; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

The OBS Draw plugin

Draw, by Exeldro, adds a drawing dock to OBS Studio with a pencil, lines, an eraser and hotkeys. It is free, open source and well rated. If you only need the odd arrow and you are comfortable drawing with a mouse or a graphics tablet, it is a sensible first step.

Why streamers move to an iPad

Drawing with a mouse is slow and shaky, and with a graphics tablet you draw in one place and look at another. With Overlay Pen you write with a real pen on glass, inside a 16:9 frame that matches the shot, and pick colours and pens from a palette that never shows on stream. The ink is rendered for the overlay's exact size, up to 4K. Set it up with the OBS guide.

Ecamm Live users

Ecamm Live has no built-in drawing tool. Overlay Pen works as a Widget Overlay in Ecamm: paste the link and draw. See the Ecamm guide.

Questions

Is the OBS Draw plugin free?

Yes. It is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence and free to download from the OBS forum.

Does Ecamm Live have a drawing tool?

Not built in. You can add one, for example Overlay Pen as a Widget Overlay.

Do I need a green screen?

No. The Overlay Pen web overlay has real transparency. A green or blue key is only needed for the USB route.

Can I use both?

Yes. They do not interfere with each other in OBS.

More comparisons

Pick up the pen.

Overlay Pen for iPad. Plug and play, sharp up to 4K.

Coming soon to theApp StoreSee how it works