COMPARE · YOLOBOX ALTERNATIVE
pMix Studio vs YoloBox
YoloBox is a dedicated box with HDMI inputs, a touchscreen and cellular bonding, from about $1,000. pMix Studio is an app for the iPad and iPhones you already own. Same job, very different shopping list.
A YoloBox is a good answer to "how do we stream this without a laptop". So is an iPad. The difference is whether you want to buy a dedicated box with HDMI ports and a SIM slot, or use the iPad and iPhones your team already carries and spend the money on stands, lights and microphones instead.
YoloBox is the better choice when...
Your cameras are HDMI and you want them plugged straight into one box. You stream from places without good Wi-Fi and need cellular bonding. You want multistreaming and ISO recording of every camera in the same device, and you are happy to pay for it once.
pMix Studio is the better choice when...
Your team already has an M-series iPad and some iPhones. You want wireless cameras you can control remotely, a next-shot preview, PTZ and NDI support, and a proper audio mixer, without spending four figures before the first stream.
At a glance
| pMix Studio | YoloBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/month or $99/year, on your own iPad | Pro $999, Ultra $1,499, Extreme $2,299, one-off |
| Try it first | Free TestFlight beta now | Buy the hardware |
| What you need | iPad with an M-series chip, iPhones as cameras, Wi-Fi | The box, HDMI cameras and cables |
| Camera inputs | Up to 64 source slots: iPhones over Wi-Fi, NDI, HDMI via USB-C capture card, SRT, media files | 3 HDMI on Pro, 4 on Ultra, 8 on Extreme, plus phone camera apps |
| Wireless iPhone cameras | Yes, with remote zoom, focus, exposure, white balance and subject tracking | Via YoloLiv’s phone app |
| See the next shot before you switch | Yes, preview beside program | Tap to switch on the touchscreen |
| PTZ camera control | Yes, NDI PTZ with presets | No |
| Audio | Per-source mixer with groups, monitoring and USB audio interfaces | Line and HDMI audio inputs with levels |
| Stream to several platforms at once | One destination natively, several via Restream. Native multistream coming | Yes, built in |
| Cellular | Uses the iPad’s cellular or a hotspot, no bonding | Built-in SIM slot and bonding |
| Recording | Program recording on the iPad | Program and ISO recording to SD card |
| Output to a screen | Full-screen program over HDMI or AirPlay | HDMI out on Extreme, Ultra |
| Voice and automation | Voice control, game controller, OSC, REST API, MCP | No |
| Best for | Teams with Apple devices who want better production for less | Field crews with HDMI cameras who want one rugged box |
Prices are USD list prices from the YoloLiv store at the time of writing and change. Check before buying.
Where YoloBox is still ahead
- HDMI cameras just plug in. Three to eight ports on the box versus one capture card per camera on an iPad. If every camera you own is HDMI, the box wins on cabling.
- Cellular bonding. Streaming from a field, a car park or a hall with bad Wi-Fi is what a YoloBox is built for. An iPad can stream over cellular, but it cannot bond connections.
- Multistreaming and ISO recording are built in today. Native multistreaming is on pMix Studio’s roadmap. ISO recording of each camera is not in the current build.
- It is a dedicated device. Nobody borrows it for something else between streams.
Where pMix Studio is ahead
- You may already own everything. An M-series iPad and a few iPhones are in most small teams already. The software is $99 a year.
- The cameras are wireless and remote-controlled. No HDMI runs across the room, and zoom, focus and exposure on every phone are adjusted from the iPad.
- A real next-shot preview. You see the shot you are about to take beside the one that is live. That matters most for the least experienced operator on the team.
- PTZ and NDI. Own a PTZ camera or run ProPresenter? They come in over the network and the PTZ moves from the same screen.
- A real audio mixer. Faders, groups, audio-follows-video, headphone monitoring, USB audio interfaces.
- One person can run it. Voice commands, a game controller or a Stream Deck for changing shots hands-free.
- The iPad does other jobs. When it is not streaming, it is an iPad.
What changes if you switch
- HDMI cameras need a capture card each. A USB-C HDMI capture card gives you one HDMI camera on the iPad. For a second one you will want a USB-C hub with two cards, or move that camera to NDI.
- Wi-Fi becomes the cable. A dedicated 5 GHz access point for the production network is the single best purchase you can make.
- Multistreaming needs a relay for now. Use Restream or a similar service until native multistream ships.
- Bring a battery. An iPad on a long stream wants power, same as the box did.
pMix Studio vs YoloBox FAQ
Is pMix Studio cheaper than a YoloBox?
If you already own an M-series iPad and a couple of iPhones, yes, by a wide margin: $99 a year against $999 to $2,299 for the box. If you would have to buy the iPad and phones, the gap closes.
Can pMix Studio use HDMI cameras like a YoloBox?
Yes, through a USB-C HDMI capture card plugged into the iPad, one camera per card. A YoloBox has three to eight HDMI ports built in, so for an all-HDMI camera setup the box is simpler.
Does pMix Studio work over cellular like a YoloBox?
The iPad streams over whatever internet it has, including a cellular iPad or a phone hotspot. It does not bond several connections together the way a YoloBox can.
Can pMix Studio stream to several platforms at once?
Not natively yet. It streams to one destination at a time, or to several through Restream. A YoloBox multistreams natively.
Which one is easier for a volunteer?
Both are touchscreen and both are learnable in an afternoon. pMix Studio adds a next-shot preview so a nervous operator can check the shot before it goes live.
Try it before you buy a box
The beta is free on TestFlight. If the iPad and phones you already have can do the job, you just saved a thousand dollars.