Webcams are extremely useful for streaming and YouTube gaming channels. They are incredibly cheap and they’re good enough to get started. In fact, I built my channel to almost 10,000 subs with the camera you see in the picture above.
It can be a pain to choose the right webcam because there is an impressive amount of bad possible choices. However, I’ve managed to curate what I think is a nice list of the best webcams for Youtube and live streaming for this year.
I highly recommend getting a good microphone too. Even a cheap mic will make a huge difference and improve your recordings a lot. Most webcams’ built-in mics are almost unusable.
Lastly, you should note that all the webcams reviewed here are compatible with Windows, but not all can be used on Mac.
Table of Contents
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Our Favorites
You should check carefully before buying one of these webcams to see if they’re compatible with your specific OS.
1) Razer Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam – Best Quality
The Good
- f/2.0 aperture lens
- Wide-angle lens
- 1080p at 60fps
- Resistant lens
- HDR
The Bad
- Pricey for a webcam
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 offers High Dynamic Range (HDR recording), 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.
2) Logitech C920x – Best Value
The Good
- Most Popular Webcam for content creation
- Highest recording quality
- Compatible with tripods
The Bad
- Only digital zoom
It really does not matter where you look; the Logitech HD Pro C920x 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.
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 delivers 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:
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.
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.
3) Logitech BRIO
The Good
- f/2.0 aperture lens
- 4k30p and 1080p60
- HDR
The Bad
- Pricey for a webcam
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.
4) Avermedia PW513
The Good
- 4k30p and 1080p60
- Good microphone
The Bad
- Pricey for a webcam
- No HDR
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.
5) Razer Kiyo Streaming Webcam
The Good
- Integrated with a ring light
- Tilt up and down
The Bad
- Not really durable
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 C920x.
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 C920x, do it because of the ring light. If you use good lighting with both of these cameras, the C920x has slightly better autofocus and it feels more durable.
6) Logitech C930e
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
This one is a small upgrade from the C920x, 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.
7) Logitech HD Webcam C270
The Good
- The best option for low budgets​
- Tilt up and down
The Bad
- No 1080p recording
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 gameplay, 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:
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.
8) Logitech HD Webcam C310
The Good
- Good quality for a cheap price
- Decent microphone for the price
The Bad
- No 1080p recording
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.
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.