Top 10 Best Webcams for YouTube and Twitch Streaming 2023

Image credit: VloggerPro

Webcams are extremely useful for streaming and YouTube gaming channels. They are incredibly cheap and are just what you’ll need if you plan to record in front of your computer.

When I started my YouTube channel, I was always worried about the image quality of my streams. The good news is that you don’t need an expensive webcam.

Even though I’ll show you some cameras that are relatively expensive, you can be like me and start with the Logitech C920 (the one in the picture above). It’s the perfect camera for starters.

If you have more budget, it can be a pain to choose the right webcam because there are an impressive amount of bad possible choices. However, I’ve managed to curate a nice list of the best webcams for Youtube and live streaming for this year.

Even though more streamers are starting to use normal cameras for streaming, some of these webcams are still the most popular. They still have disadvantages, but I’ll explain how to counter them in a bit. For now, let’s start with a chart.

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Comparison Chart: Best Webcams for YouTube and Twitch

What You Need to Know First

First, you should know that it really doesn’t matter what webcam we’re talking about, all of them have terrible sound recording capacities. Even though these might be the best webcams for YouTube and Twitch, they are not free of this issue. Some of them might do a better job than others, but nothing will compare to having a good external microphone.

1. Your webcam’s microphone is extremely bad:

I’m telling you, if you really want your vlogging channel to be good, you will need a good microphone. Don’t hesitate to invest in one; webcams are really cheap, so take advantage of this to get also a good mic if you’re serious about this.

2. Only 1% of webcams can record in truly 1080p:

Another thing is that a lot of the cameras that you see on the market promoting as having “1080p recording” are lying; most of them record 720p30. There are few exceptions to this rule, mainly the first camera I’ll talk about in the following reviews.

3. Pan and zoom functions are almost always digital and decrease image quality:

Finally, you will see that most webcams say that they can pan, tilt and zoom. Most of these actions are only offered with the software you install with the cameras. This means that this is only digital.

What does this mean?

For the zoom, it means that the webcam will simply expand the image, just like you would increase an image’s size in a software app like Photoshop. The camera is not truly zooming in by adjusting the focal length of the lens and capturing the same amount of pixels, it just resizes the picture by expanding its pixel. This makes the image quality decrease when you use the zoom.

What you need to take from this is that the digital zoom doesn’t create a crisp image like the optical zoom.

And once the image is ‘zoomed in’, the software controllers allow you to ‘pan’ the webcam by simply moving the expanded image to the left or right, not the camera itself.

The good thing is that at least these cameras can be tilted.

Now that you’ve armored yourself up against the dangers of the webcam market, you’re ready to start reading some reviews.

Review of the Best Webcams for YouTube and Twitch Streaming

All the webcams reviewed here are compatible with Windows, but not all can be used on Mac.

You should check carefully before buying one of these webcams to see if they’re compatible with your specific OS.

The Good

f/2.0 aperture lens
Wide-angle lens
1080p at 60fps
Resistant lens
HDR

The Bad

Pricey for a webcam

Check on Amazon

I was very skeptical before seeing this camera in action because it is a bit expensive for a webcam. However, I can say that the quality is better than basically any $200 point & shoot camera I’ve seen.

This is a high-end webcam that has a fast f/2.0 lens made of Gorilla Glass 3 (one of the strongest glass materials out there) and can record up to 1080p at 60fps.

It also has HDR, which is a vital feature of any modern camera. I personally didn’t know they made webcams with it already, but that’s great. This means that no matter what lighting situation you are in, the camera will adapt to it and make sure your face looks bright.

I like the fact that it’s made with Gorilla Glass, so it’s a camera that should last you for a long time, even if you travel with it a lot.

There’s really nothing bad about it, except the price. Still, it is fair for what you get. Nowadays the cheapest mirrorless cameras don’t get any lower than $500, so you’d still need to invest a lot more to get better quality and a movable camera.

The Good

f/2.0 aperture lens
4k30p and 1080p60
HDR

The Bad

Pricey for a webcam

Check on Amazon

This is one of the two only cameras in this list capable of doing 4k video. That’s an impressive feat for a webcam, especially after seeing that it isn’t the most expensive one on this list.

So why isn’t it in the first place?

The reason is that 4k isn’t the most important thing for content creation. Most new YouTubers and Twitch streamers don’t even get the ability to upload in 4k.

We chose the Razer Kiyo Pro instead because it offers a lens with a wider field of view, so it makes it easier to show your surroundings if you want to. Also, it is more durable than the Logitech Brio thanks to the Gorilla Glass.

However, you have to take into account that the Razer webcam is more expensive.

The BRIO, besides the 4k, also gives you a fast f/2.0 lens and HRD. This means that low-light situations won’t be an issue. The camera adapts well to low light and will make sure you look well in most situations.

It’s still a bit pricey for a webcam, but most webcams don’t come with these features, so it’s still a fair price.

The Good

4k30p and 1080p60
Good microphone

The Bad

Pricey for a webcam
No HDR

Check on Amazon

This one is very similar to the Logitech BRIO as it can also record 4k at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps. The main differences are that the lens has a slower aperture of f/2.8 and that it does not have HDR.

The Avermedia, however, has a better built-in microphone. It’s omnidirectional, but with AI-powered noise reduction. Out of all the webcams I’ve seen, this one has the better audio.

However, how important are these features? Two things:

You shouldn’t be relying on HDR on any camera because you should always use lighting if you’re a content creator on YouTube. Even a cheap ring light should be enough.

And the same thing could be said about audio quality. You should always have a good microphone for YouTube.

Finally, the field of view of this camera is pretty similar to the BRIO’s. It’s only larger by 4 degrees (94 instead of 90 degrees). If you want to have more control over what people can see around you, the Razer webcam is still the winner with a FOV of 103 degrees.

This stands strong as a third option though. It all depends on how much you want to rely on external lighting and mics.

Best Cheap Webcams for YouTube and Twitch

The Good

Most Popular Webcam for content creation
Highest recording quality
Compatible with tripods

The Bad

Only digital zoom

Check on Amazon

It really does not matter where you look; the Logitech HD Pro C920 is the best webcam for the price.

This is due to its impressive recording quality for such a webcam; I haven’t found another webcam that can match this one in quality in this price range.

If you’re a streamer or plan to record gaming videos, and have a tight budget, you are probably going to buy this camera; there are not many reasons not to do so.

Its focus is automatic and it can record 1080p at 30fps. The image quality doesn’t feel like it’s coming from a webcam. And t can tilt and pan and it does deliver good quality.

Also, you don’t need to have a lot of lighting for it to look good enough — although it always helps the image quality:

Logitech C920 image quality example Image credit: VloggerPro

One of the biggest features this camera has is that you can mount it on a tripod. You don’t have to hang your webcam over your monitor like the rest; you can instead choose the best place for your camera and use a small tabletop tripod:

Logitech C920 tripod thread Image credit: VloggerPro

If you combine this camera with a good USB microphone, you can start recording high-quality videos for a low cost.

And one last tip: Do not think the C930 or C922 are better than this one just because they’re newer. The truth is that they’re all very similar. I would still recommend this one over any of those two. The problem is that it’s often out of stock because of how popular it is.

The others do have their own small advantages, but this has been the king of cheap webcams for years, and it seems it will continue to be so for a long time.

Logitech C922's Box Image credit: VloggerPro

The Good

Background removal feature
Highest recording quality
Compatible with tripods
6 months license XSplit

The Bad

Only digital zoom
Little improvements over the C920 but more expensive
Background removal is not as good as using a green screen

Check on Amazon

Once Logitech realized that most Twitch streamers were buying the C920, they decided to release a tailored version for them. That’s the Logitech C922.

Now, the camera recording quality itself is basically the same as the C920—which is available for less—. But it has added incentives for vloggers.

The most important one is a feature that can remove the background, doing what a green screen is supposed to do.

The camera can recognize human shapes and it removes everything else, so you can use any background you want to.

How effective is it? Here are some pictures:

As you can see, it can be helpful if you don’t have a green screen background… but it is not good enough to completely replace it.

On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning that it can record 720p at 60 fps, while the C920 is capped at 30fps. Still, it can only record at 30 frames per second in 1080p, so it’s unlikely you’ll be using this feature.

Finally, this version comes with a 6-month XSplit license if you buy it on Amazon. This is a streaming software that is preferred by some over the popular and free OBS that most streamers use.

The price difference isn’t that big, but try to determine if you’ll really find these features useful. You can still get the C920 and a cheap backdrop and you will get a better result with the background removal if you do it right. You can also use a high-quality green screen that you can store easily instead, like ElGato’s portable screen.

The Good

Integrated with a ring light
Tilt up and down

The Bad

Not really durable

Check on Amazon

This is the lower version of the Razer Kiyo Pro webcam. It’s more similar to a Logitech C920, but the big selling point is the integrated ring light.

This can save you a lot of space and a bit of money. It can still do 1080p at 30fps and the quality is very similar to the C920.

It’s not a very durable camera, and the light can break easily if dropped, so it’s not a camera I’d recommend a lot for travel.

If you choose this over the C920, do it because of the ring light. If you use good lighting with both of these cameras, the C920 has slightly better autofocus and it feels more durable.

The Good

High-quality just as the C920
It can tilt and pan

The Bad

More expensive than the C920 but almost no improvements
No optical zoom

Check on Amazon

This one is a small upgrade from the C920, but it’s a lot more expensive. It has UVC H.264, which means that all the encoding process will be done by the camera; it doesn’t need to use your PC’s resources.

It also includes the 4x zoom and has a wider 90-degree pan.

Some users have reported having compatibility problems and the camera being slower. This is why I tend to still recommend the C920 as the first option, if you can find it new.

After all, you are paying more for a camera that doesn’t feel like it comes with any significant improvement.

Logitech C270 Image credit: VloggerPro

The Good

The best option for low budgets
Tilt up and down

The Bad

No 1080p recording

Check on Amazon

This is technically the lowest quality camera here, but it is also the cheapest. It is the best deal you will get for a 720p webcam for YouTube.

Its resolution is still decent for vlogging, especially if you’re starting. Not everybody will notice a great difference between 720p30 and 1080p30.

For example, if you run a channel about gameplays, recording 720p will not matter at all since you will probably show yourself in a small frame.

It is one of the best-seller webcams thanks to its low price. Although it still looks like you’re using a cheap webcam:

Logitech C270 image quality example Taken with the same lighting than the C920 above. Image credit: VloggerPro

Notice that the background looks a lot more blown out due to the lower dynamic range and the image has a really strong green tone. Compared to the C920, it looks a lot worse.

However, it’s Logitech, so this is as good as it gets for the price. This should be your main option if money is really tight.

Otherwise, I recommend paying a bit more for the C920. The image quality improvement is huge for the small price difference.

The Good

Good quality for a cheap price
Decent microphone for the price

The Bad

No 1080p recording

Check on Amazon

This one is the alternative to the C270.

It can record 720p at 30fps with pretty good quality in a moderately lit room

Its microphone comes with noise suppression and it’s pretty decent for the price. Its image quality is also really good for this cheap.

Its lens isn’t quite that wide. You won’t be able to show too much of your surroundings, but this is something I like. It will depend on what you want to achieve. I prefer not to have a fisheye lens because the perspective distortion it creates is uncomfortable for viewers after a while.

Even Better Than a Webcam: A Normal Camera

Webcams are super useful because they’re easy to set up, and they can record decent video for a cheap price. However, if you really want to give your content the best possible quality, you should choose a normal camera.

Since 2020, many brands have updated their cameras to support native live streaming without needing a capture card.

That’s why we recommend you consider getting a new camera and connecting it to your computer to use as a webcam.

No matter how good a webcam is, it will never match an APS-C or even Micro 4/3 sensor camera. If you’re interested, check out our post on the best cameras for live streaming. There we have a full guide on how to use a normal camera as a webcam.

Will has been a full-time content creator since 2014. He’s an audio, video, and tech hobbyist dedicated to reviewing products and giving you the best tips he knows to grow your audience.