HOW WE TEST AND WHAT WE CLAIM

How we test the advice
on this site.

This page explains where the tool results and advice on this site come from, how sure we are about each kind, and what the tools cannot tell you.

LAST REVIEWED OCTOBER 3, 2026

1. The four labels we use

MEASURED

A tool read a specific number or line, such as a percentage in your OBS log or an upload speed. We say what that number can and cannot tell you.

RULE-BASED

A fixed rule turns those numbers into a likely explanation or a next change to test. It helps you decide what to try first. It does not prove the cause.

USER-REPORTED

A symptom, setup detail or result that a streamer told us. We have not reproduced it ourselves, and we say so.

PLANNED

Something we are still building or testing. It is not available until the page for it says you can use it.

2. Which sources we trust first

For settings, compatibility and platform limits, we prefer current first-party documentation from OBS Project, Twitch, YouTube, Kick and hardware manufacturers. Forum posts and community reports help us learn which problems come up often and how people describe them. They do not overrule a platform’s own documentation, and they do not prove that a fix works for everyone.

Each troubleshooting page links to the official source it relies on and shows the date we last reviewed it. Settings that change over time are given as starting points, so check them against the linked source.

3. What each troubleshooting guide contains

  • A symptom described the way you would notice it.
  • A short table that tells the likely causes apart.
  • Free, low-risk tests first, before anything you would have to buy or could not undo.
  • How to restore your old setting whenever a step changes one.
  • A note on what the test does not tell you.
  • A link to the free OBS Log Analyzer when your log can tell you more.

4. What each tool can and cannot tell you

The OBS Log Analyzer reads the log you paste, in your browser, and applies fixed rules to the percentages OBS writes when you stop streaming or recording. It cannot see your video or hear your audio, and it cannot tell what viewers received. OBS Log Compare does the same for two logs and shows whether those percentages went up or down. It does not show that your change caused the difference.

The Repair Report ($9.99, one-time) is a text file of that comparison, written by the same fixed rules. Your log never leaves your browser. To build a paid Repair Report we send only the percentages from your comparison to our server. The server checks your purchase with Stripe and sends back the report text. Labels and notes you typed are added to the file in your browser and are not sent. No person reads your logs.

The Speed Test measures your connection between your browser and Cloudflare, not your route to Twitch, YouTube or Kick. It suggests a video bitrate no higher than 70% of the upload speed it measured. The Bitrate Calculator applies the same 70% rule to the upload speed you enter. Both give a bitrate to start from, not a setting that is right for every stream.

Output Check is a Windows app in private alpha. It is not available to download. Log Triage and Stream Audit are separate paid services where a person reviews what you send.

5. How we make money and stay independent

StreamerToolkits is independent of OBS Project and every platform or hardware brand named on the site. Gear advice starts with what you already own, whether it is compatible, and whether viewers would notice the difference. An affiliate link never changes the order of the troubleshooting steps or turns an optional purchase into a required fix.

Amazon product links are labeled as paid links, use rel=sponsored, and appear beside a clear earning disclosure. We do not publish copied Amazon reviews, star ratings, dynamic prices or availability. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

6. Corrections and updates

We update a page when the official guidance changes, when one of our rules gives a misleading result, or when we learn something that changes the order of the tests. The review date on the page changes when we do. To report an error, include the page URL, the statement in question and the best supporting source.

Email hello@streamertoolkits.com. We may not agree with every correction, but we will check it against the source you send.