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pMix Studio vs vMix
vMix is the deep end: a Windows production suite with replay, remote guests, a title designer and a thousand inputs, priced from $60 to $1,200 plus the PC to run it. pMix Studio is the shallow end done well: an iPad, some iPhones and $99 a year.
If you run vMix, you are not short of features. You are short of hands, or you are tired of carrying a Windows machine to a church hall. This page is honest about what an iPad cannot do, and clear about what it does better for a small crew.
vMix is the better choice when...
You need instant replay, remote guests, data-driven titles, dozens of inputs, or a fixed control room with an operator who knows it inside out. If the show is a broadcast, vMix is built for it.
pMix Studio is the better choice when...
The show is a few cameras, one or two operators and a venue you drive to. You want iPhones as wireless cameras, PTZ presets, a next-shot preview and a recording, without a PC, capture cards or a rack.
At a glance
| pMix Studio | vMix | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/month or $99/year | Basic HD $60 (4 inputs), HD $350, 4K $700, Pro $1,200 one-off. MAX $50/month |
| Try it first | Free TestFlight beta now | 60-day free trial |
| Hardware | iPad with an M-series chip | A Windows PC with a good GPU, plus capture cards |
| Inputs | Up to 64 source slots: iPhones over Wi-Fi, NDI, HDMI via USB-C capture card, SRT, media files | Up to 1,000 inputs on HD and above: capture cards, NDI, SRT, cameras, media, more |
| iPhones as wireless cameras | Built in, found automatically, controlled from the iPad | Via third-party camera apps over NDI or SRT |
| See the next shot before you switch | Yes, preview beside program | Yes |
| PTZ camera control | Yes, NDI PTZ with presets | Yes, NDI and VISCA with presets |
| Instant replay | No | Yes, on 4K and Pro |
| Remote guests | No calling feature. Remote iPhone over WebRTC, or any SRT feed | vMix Call on HD and above |
| Titles and graphics | Lower thirds, logos, countdowns, layouts, green screen | GT Title Designer, data sources, animated graphics |
| Audio | Per-source mixer with groups, monitoring and USB audio interfaces | Full mixer with buses, effects and VST |
| Voice and automation | Voice control, game controller, OSC, REST API, MCP | Web API, scripting, shortcuts, Companion |
| Stream to several platforms at once | One destination natively, several via Restream. Native multistream coming | Up to three streams at once |
| Recording | Program recording on the iPad | Program and multiple ISO recordings |
| Best for | Small teams who want to travel light | Broadcast-style productions with a technical operator |
Prices are USD list prices from vmix.com at the time of writing and change. Check before buying.
Where vMix is still ahead
- Instant replay. For sports this alone can decide it. pMix Studio has no replay.
- Remote guests. vMix Call brings a browser guest into the show. pMix Studio has no equivalent.
- Graphics depth. The GT Title Designer, data-driven titles and animated graphics are far beyond pMix Studio’s overlays.
- Input count and ISO recording. A thousand inputs and a separate recording of every camera, for the productions that need them.
- Fourteen years of features. Whatever the edge case, vMix probably handles it.
Where pMix Studio is ahead
- No PC to build, tune or carry. The iPad is the whole system. It boots in seconds and it fits in a bag with the phones.
- iPhones as cameras, natively. Found over Wi-Fi, hardware encoded, controlled from the desk. No NDI camera app, no capture card, no Wi-Fi bridge to configure.
- Price. A year of pMix Studio is less than vMix Basic HD, and Basic HD caps you at four inputs.
- Anyone can operate it. A volunteer can learn the iPad in an afternoon. A vMix operator is a role.
- Voice control. Change shots by talking to the app when both hands are busy.
- It is an iPad. Battery, touchscreen, cellular option, and it does other jobs when it is not streaming.
What changes if you switch
- NDI still works. NDI cameras, ProPresenter and NDI PTZ carry straight over. NDI output feeds a recording PC or a second system if you keep one.
- Replay and calls need another answer. Keep vMix for the games that need replay, or accept a recording for highlights afterwards.
- Companion carries over. Bitfocus Companion talks to pMix Studio over OSC, so an existing Stream Deck layout can be rebuilt rather than abandoned.
- Titles get simpler. Lower thirds, logos and countdowns are built in. Data-driven and animated graphics are not.
pMix Studio vs vMix FAQ
Is pMix Studio a replacement for vMix?
For a small team running a few cameras from an iPad, yes. For instant replay, remote guests via vMix Call, data-driven graphics or a large fixed control room, vMix remains the better tool.
How does the price compare?
vMix editions run from $60 for four inputs to $1,200 for Pro, one-off, plus the Windows PC. pMix Studio is $9.99 a month or $99 a year on an iPad you likely already own.
Does pMix Studio have instant replay?
No. Replay is a vMix strength and one of the main reasons sports producers choose it. pMix Studio records the program feed but does not do slow-motion replay.
Does pMix Studio support NDI and PTZ like vMix?
Yes. NDI sources come in over the network, NDI output goes back out, and NDI PTZ cameras are controlled with presets from the same screen.
Can I bring remote guests into pMix Studio?
Not with a built-in calling feature. A remote iPhone running pMix Camera can connect across networks, and an SRT feed from any encoder works, but there is no equivalent of vMix Call.
Leave the PC at home for one show
The beta is free on TestFlight. Run a rehearsal from the iPad beside your vMix rig and see what you actually miss.