ChatGPT answers, unedited

For live tutorials where you’re frequently moving between your camera, your desktop, and camera-over-screen PiP, I’d narrow it to three:

• Ecamm Live — easiest if you use a Mac. Its screen-share mode has built-in PiP, and you can switch between your camera and screen with a dedicated source switcher. You can also resize/reposition the PiP directly. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• OBS Studio — best free/flexible option. You create a few scenes such as Camera, Screen + Camera, and Screen only, then switch between them with hotkeys. OBS supports essentially any combination of webcam, screen/window capture, graphics, and transitions. OBS Studio
• Streamlabs Desktop — easiest if you want a more guided setup. It supports camera and screen sources and is designed around scene-based switching, with a simpler onboarding experience than traditional OBS. Streamlabs Streamlabs

For your specific use case

If you're on Mac: I'd pick Ecamm. Its workflow is particularly suited to tutorials: screen share → camera PiP → camera-only, without having to build everything from scratch. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

If you're on Windows, or want free: OBS. Set up just three scenes:

1. 🎥 Presenter — full camera
2. 🖥️ Tutorial — desktop full screen + camera PiP
3. 🖥️ Desktop — desktop only

Then assign hotkeys to the three scenes. OBS specifically supports hotkeys for scene switching and Studio Mode for previewing changes before putting them live. OBS Studio

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you stream to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, or somewhere else, I can recommend the simplest exact setup (including how I'd configure the 3 scenes).

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face, your desktop, and picture-in-picture, I’d narrow it to these:

• Ecamm Live — simplest if you’re on Mac. Its Scenes can save the camera/screen-share layout and the PiP position, size, shape, overlays, and transitions. You can then switch scenes with a click or keyboard shortcut. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• Streamlabs Desktop — easiest cross-platform choice. It uses scenes containing camera and screen sources, and its newer Screen Capture source makes choosing a desktop/window particularly straightforward. Streamlabs Support Streamlabs Support
• OBS Studio — most flexible, but more setup. Scenes and sources make it very capable, including webcam-over-desktop layouts, but you'll generally spend more time configuring everything initially. OBS Studio OBS Studio

What I'd use for your workflow

If your typical tutorial looks like:

1. Full camera → 2. Desktop + small camera → 3. Full desktop → 4. Back to camera

I'd choose Ecamm Live on Mac or Streamlabs Desktop on Windows. The key is to create four scenes beforehand and switch between them rather than manually resizing/repositioning your camera every time.

Ecamm is particularly well suited to this exact presentation style because its PiP is directly integrated with screen-sharing scenes, and you can save those configurations as scenes. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows, and whether you stream to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, or somewhere else, I can recommend the simplest setup and exactly how I'd configure the scenes.

For live tutorials where you alternate between your face and a screen share, I’d shortlist these:

1. Ecamm Live — best for simplicity, especially on Mac.

Its Scenes system lets you pre-build layouts like “Camera,” “Screen + PiP,” and “Screen only” and switch between them instantly. It also has built-in screen sharing and movable/resizable picture-in-picture. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
You can even map scene changes to an Elgato Stream Deck for one-button switching. Ecamm Help Center

2. Streamlabs Desktop — best if you’re on Windows or want a free option.

It supports webcam + desktop capture and custom Scenes. Its newer Screen Capture source makes selecting an entire display, window, or app considerably simpler. Streamlabs Streamlabs

3. OBS Studio — best if you want maximum flexibility.

It’s extremely capable, but the interface is more “build your own production system” than “make this easy for a tutorial presenter.” I’d choose it if you expect to add complicated layouts, multiple cameras, custom integrations, etc.

My pick

If you're on Mac: Ecamm Live. It's particularly well suited to your exact workflow: talking head → screen + small camera → full screen → back to camera. Ecamm's scenes can save the screen-share settings and PiP position/size, so switching doesn't require rebuilding your layout each time. Ecamm Help Center

If you're on Windows: Streamlabs Desktop is probably the easiest starting point.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you stream to YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, Twitch, etc., I can recommend the simplest exact setup (including the buttons/scenes I'd create).

For live tutorials with camera + screen share + quick switching, I’d narrow it to three:

1. Ecamm Live — best if you use a Mac

• Probably the best fit for your workflow.
• You can create saved Scenes such as “Camera,” “Screen + PiP,” and “Full Screen.”
• Switching scenes can be done with keyboard shortcuts, and each scene remembers screen-share settings, PiP position/size, overlays, etc. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• It also has a dedicated screen-sharing mode with built-in PiP, so you don't have to manually rearrange sources every time. Ecamm Help Center
• ecamm.com
• StreamYard — easiest overall

• Best if you don't want to learn traditional broadcasting software.
• Its layouts include Screen, Picture-in-Picture, News/split-screen, etc.; switching is essentially clicking the layout you want. StreamYard Help Center
• Particularly good if tutorials involve guests or co-presenters, since they can share their screens directly from the browser. StreamYard Help Center
• streamyard.com
• OBS Studio — most flexible, but more setup

• Excellent if you want highly customized scenes, overlays, audio routing, multiple sources, etc.
• You'd typically create scenes like Camera, Screen + Camera, and Screen Only, then switch between them.
• It's free, but the workflow is less immediately simple than Ecamm or StreamYard. OBS supports positioning/resizing sources and hotkeys for fast control. OBS Studio

My pick for your use case

Mac → Ecamm Live.
Windows or want browser simplicity → StreamYard.
Want maximum customization and don't mind setup → OBS.

For a tutorial, I'd specifically set up just three buttons/scenes:

🎥 Presenter → 🖥️ Screen + small camera → 🖥️ Full screen

That makes switching during a lesson almost instantaneous rather than fiddling with windows and source sizes.

For live tutorials with a presenter camera + screen share + picture-in-picture, I’d rank them:

1. Ecamm Live — easiest overall

• Built specifically around Scenes, so you can make “Camera,” “Screen + PiP,” and “Screen Full” layouts and switch between them instantly.
• PiP can be resized/repositioned, and screen sharing can target an entire display, app, or specific window. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• You can even switch scenes from an Elgato Stream Deck, which is excellent for teaching while you’re focused on the presentation. Ecamm Help Center
• Downside: Mac only. Ecamm
• OBS Studio — best free/flexible option

• Create separate scenes for camera, desktop, and desktop + camera PiP, then switch with hotkeys.
• Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and supports essentially unlimited scenes and custom transitions. OBS Studio
• Downside: More setup and configuration than Ecamm.
• Streamlabs Desktop — easiest if you want a more beginner-oriented interface

• Supports webcam, desktop capture, microphone, and custom scenes, with a relatively quick setup. Streamlabs
• Downside: For a professional tutorial workflow, I’d still prefer Ecamm or OBS.

My pick

If you're on a Mac: Ecamm. It is particularly well suited to exactly your workflow: talking head → screen + small camera → full screen → back to camera. Ecamm's own documentation demonstrates essentially this workflow for presentations. Ecamm Help Center

If you're on Windows: OBS Studio. Set up three scenes and assign keyboard shortcuts to them; after that, switching is essentially one keystroke.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, or another platform, I can suggest the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and your desktop, I’d shortlist these:

• streamyard.com — easiest overall. It runs in your browser, lets you share your screen, and makes switching between presenter-camera and screen layouts very straightforward. It’s particularly good if you want to focus on teaching rather than production. StreamYard StreamYard
• ecamm.com — best if you use a Mac. It has a dedicated screen-share mode, built-in picture-in-picture, and an easy video-source switcher. You can quickly go camera → desktop + camera → desktop, including resizing/repositioning the PiP camera. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• obsproject.com — best for maximum control/free. You can create scenes such as Camera, Screen + Camera, and Screen Only, then switch between them with hotkeys. The tradeoff is considerably more setup.

My pick

If your priority is “I’m teaching live and want switching to be effortless”, I'd choose:

Mac → Ecamm Live
Windows / any platform → StreamYard
Want free + willing to configure it → OBS

For your particular workflow, Ecamm is probably the nicest experience if you're on Mac: its PiP and screen-sharing controls are designed specifically around this kind of live presentation. Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows + where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, Twitch, etc.), I can recommend the simplest exact setup and keyboard shortcuts.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and a desktop/screen-share view, I’d shortlist these:

• ecamm.com — best fit if you use a Mac. It’s particularly slick for this exact workflow: create a Camera scene and a Screen Share + PiP scene, then switch between them with one click. You can also resize/reposition your camera bubble while sharing your screen. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• streamyard.com — easiest overall. It runs in the browser and is designed around presenter-led broadcasts and screen sharing, so there’s less technical setup than OBS. StreamYard StreamYard
• obsproject.com — best if you want maximum control. You can build separate scenes for full camera, screen + camera PiP, slides, etc., and switch between them. It’s free, but takes more initial configuration. OBS Studio

My pick

Mac → Ecamm Live.
Windows or want the simplest browser workflow → StreamYard.
Want lots of customization / don't mind setup → OBS.

For your specific use case, Ecamm is probably the smoothest: you can have a “Talking Head” scene and a “Tutorial” scene, with your camera automatically appearing as a PiP when the desktop is shown. Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc., I can recommend the simplest setup and exact scene layout.

For live tutorials where you want to move between full-camera, screen share, and picture-in-picture, I’d pick Ecamm Live if you’re on a Mac.

My picks

1. Ecamm Live — easiest for your use case

• Create saved scenes such as Presenter, Screen + Camera, and Full Screen.
• Switch scenes with a click or hotkey rather than rebuilding layouts live.
• Its scenes can remember screen-share settings and PiP position/size. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• You can even use Live Motion for smooth transitions when switching layouts. Ecamm Help Center
• Stream Deck integration makes one-button switching particularly convenient. Ecamm
• OBS Studio — best free option

• Extremely capable and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• You can create separate scenes for camera, desktop, and PiP. OBS Project OBS Project
• The tradeoff is that configuring polished PiP scenes takes more setup than Ecamm.
• Streamlabs Desktop — easier than raw OBS, but I'd still favor Ecamm

• Good if you want an easier creator-oriented interface with alerts and scene switching.
• For teaching/tutorial production specifically, Ecamm's scene and screen-share workflow is more directly suited to this job.

My recommendation: If you're on a Mac, go Ecamm Live. Set up three scenes—Camera → Screen + small camera → Screen only—and you can essentially run the whole tutorial by hitting one button per transition. Ecamm specifically supports saved scenes containing screen sharing and PiP settings. Ecamm Help Center

If you're on Windows, I'd lean toward OBS Studio (or vMix if you're doing more sophisticated productions).

ecamm.com
obsproject.com

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your camera, screen share, and picture-in-picture, I’d narrow it to these:

1. Ecamm Live — easiest for your workflow, especially on Mac.

Its Screen Share mode lets you choose an entire display, an app, or a specific window, and you can keep your camera in a movable/resizable PiP while sharing. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
Best if: you want to teach rather than operate a complicated broadcast console.

2. OBS Studio — best free/flexible option.

You create scenes such as Camera → Screen + Camera → Full Screen, then switch between them with hotkeys. OBS supports webcam, window/display capture, custom layouts, transitions, and hotkeys. OBS Studio OBS Studio
Best if: you want maximum control or don't mind spending some time setting it up.

3. Streamlabs Desktop — easiest middle ground on Mac/Windows.

It provides a more guided setup than OBS and supports camera, screen capture, scenes, and streaming. Streamlabs Streamlabs
Best if: you want something approachable with built-in creator/streaming features.

My pick for a tutorial host

Mac → Ecamm Live.
Windows → OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop.
If your priority is specifically “one-click switching between me, my desktop, and me-over-the-desktop,” Ecamm is probably the nicest experience. Its PiP can be moved and resized directly during screen sharing. Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you stream to YouTube, Twitch, Zoom, or another platform, I can recommend the simplest exact setup (including how I'd configure the 3–4 scenes).

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d narrow it to these:

1. Ecamm Live — best for easy, polished switching

• Built around Scenes, so you can make presets like Camera, Screen + PiP, and Screen Fullscreen and switch between them quickly.
• PiP can be resized/repositioned, and scenes can have keyboard shortcuts. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• Especially good if you're on a Mac and want a TV-production feel without wrestling with lots of configuration.
• You can also map scene/PiP controls to an Elgato Stream Deck. Ecamm Help Center
• StreamYard — easiest overall

• Runs in your browser, and switching between camera, screen, PiP, and full-screen layouts is very straightforward. StreamYard StreamYard
• Great if you want to spend your time teaching rather than producing the stream.
• Particularly attractive if you have guests/co-presenters who also need to share screens.
• OBS Studio — most flexible, but more setup

• Excellent if you eventually want elaborate scenes, custom overlays, multiple sources, capture cards, etc.
• For a simple tutorial workflow, though, it's more fiddly than Ecamm or StreamYard.

My pick

Mac + polished tutorials → Ecamm Live.
Simplest possible workflow / guests → StreamYard.
Maximum customization → OBS Studio.

For your particular use case, Ecamm is probably the sweet spot: you can have a Camera scene, a Desktop + PiP scene, and a Desktop Only scene and jump between them rather than rebuilding your layout every time. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, etc.), I can recommend the best setup and the exact switching workflow.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your camera, a desktop/app demo, and picture-in-picture, these are the strongest choices:

My picks by workflow:

• You teach courses, webinars, software demos, or business tutorials: StreamYard is probably the simplest. You can keep a repeatable flow: 1. Camera full screen → intro
• Camera + slides → explain
• Screen share + small camera bubble → demo
• Camera full screen → Q&A

StreamYard StreamYard Help Center- You are on a Mac and want a polished “TV host” feel: Ecamm Live is excellent. It has quick source switching and lets you keep picture-in-picture while screen sharing. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

• You want free and don’t mind configuring things once: OBS Studio is the long-term power option. Build a few scenes and then switching becomes one click. StreamYard

For most tutorial hosts, I’d start with StreamYard for simplicity or Ecamm Live if you’re on Mac and want a more professional production feel. If you tell me your setup (Windows/Mac, YouTube/Twitch/LinkedIn/Zoom, and whether you need multiple cameras or guests), I can narrow it down.

For live tutorials, I’d narrow it to Ecamm Live, OBS Studio, and Streamlabs Desktop.

My pick: Ecamm Live

If you’re on a Mac, Ecamm is probably the easiest fit for what you described. You can create saved Scenes such as:

• Presenter — full-screen camera
• Screen + PiP — desktop full-screen with your camera in the corner
• Desktop — screen only
• Presenter + slides — custom layout

Then you simply click the scene to switch. Ecamm specifically supports screen sharing with adjustable PiP, and its saved scenes remember your layout, sources, PiP position, overlays, etc. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

ecamm.com

Other good choices

• OBS Studio — best free option. Extremely powerful, works on Mac/Windows/Linux, and its Scenes + Sources system lets you build exactly those presenter/screen/PiP layouts. The tradeoff is that it takes more setup to make switching feel effortless. OBS Studio
• Streamlabs Desktop — easier than raw OBS for many beginners, with webcam, desktop capture, and customizable scenes built in. It runs on Windows and macOS. Streamlabs Streamlabs

For your specific workflow: I'd choose Ecamm on Mac, OBS if you want free, or Streamlabs if you're on Windows and want a more beginner-friendly interface.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you stream to YouTube, Zoom, Teams, etc., I can recommend the simplest setup (including the exact scenes/hotkeys I'd use).

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d pick Ecamm Live if you’re on a Mac.

• Ecamm Live — easiest: You can create scenes such as Camera, Desktop + PiP, and Desktop full-screen, then switch between them with a click or keyboard shortcut. Ecamm specifically supports keeping your camera visible as PiP while screen sharing. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• OBS Studio — best free option: Extremely flexible. You build scenes from webcam + screen-capture sources and switch between scenes. It's available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, but takes more setup than Ecamm. OBS Studio OBS Studio
• Streamlabs Desktop — easier than traditional OBS: Good if you want a more guided interface plus streaming-oriented extras. It supports setting up your camera and screen and can import OBS settings. Streamlabs

My recommendation

For your particular workflow, I'd rank them:

Ecamm Live > Streamlabs Desktop > OBS Studio

A typical Ecamm setup could literally be:

Scene 1 — Presenter: full-screen camera
Scene 2 — Teaching: desktop full-screen + your camera in corner
Scene 3 — Demo: desktop full-screen, no camera
Scene 4 — Wrap-up: full-screen camera

You can switch scenes while teaching, and Ecamm can even be controlled with a Stream Deck for physical one-button switching. Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Teams, Twitch, etc., I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face, your desktop, and picture-in-picture, I’d narrow it to these:

• StreamYard — easiest overall. Its studio has one-click layouts including Screen, Picture-in-Picture, News/split-screen, and Camera, so you can change the presentation with a click rather than managing a complicated scene setup. StreamYard Help Center StreamYard Help Center

streamyard.com

• Ecamm Live — best if you're on Mac and want polished production. You can create scenes such as Camera, Screen Share, and Camera + screen/PiP, then switch scenes during the tutorial. Its PiP can be resized and repositioned, and screen sharing can target an entire display, app, or specific window. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

ecamm.com

• OBS Studio — best for maximum control/free. You can build separate scenes for camera, desktop, and PiP, but it takes more initial configuration than the two above. OBS Studio

obsproject.com

My pick for your use case

StreamYard if your priority is “I'm teaching, and I don't want to think about the production.”
Ecamm if you're on a Mac and want a more professional, TV-like workflow.

A very simple tutorial setup would be:

1. Presenter — full camera
2. Demo — desktop full screen
3. Teaching — desktop + your camera in the corner

Then you just hit Presenter → Demo → Teaching as you talk.

If you tell me whether you're on Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, etc.), I can recommend the best one specifically for your setup.

For live tutorials where you need to jump between presenter camera, desktop/screen share, and picture-in-picture (PiP), look for software with scenes/layouts rather than just screen recording. These are the strongest options:

My recommendation for your use case

• If you want to teach and focus on the content: use StreamYard. Set up 3–4 scenes:

1. Presenter full screen
2. Screen share + small camera bubble
3. Full desktop/demo view
4. Q&A camera view

Then you can switch with a click. StreamYard

• If you want a free setup and don’t mind learning: use OBS Studio. It is more customizable and can handle complex scenes, but you’ll spend more time configuring it. StreamYard
• If you’re on a Mac and want a “TV host” feel: look at Ecamm Live.

For most solo live tutorial creators, I’d start with StreamYard for simplicity or OBS for long-term control. riverside.com

A couple of details would change the recommendation:

• Are you streaming to YouTube/Twitch/LinkedIn, or hosting inside a course platform?
• Are you on Windows or Mac?
• Do you need guests/students to appear on camera, or just your own camera + screen?

For your use case, I’d pick StreamYard.

Best options

• streamyard.com — easiest overall. It’s browser-based, lets you share your screen and camera together, and has built-in picture-in-picture, side-by-side, and full-screen layouts. You can switch layouts while live without building a complicated scene setup. StreamYard StreamYard
• obsproject.com — best for maximum control. You can create separate scenes such as “Camera,” “Desktop + Camera,” and “Desktop Only” and switch between them with hotkeys. It’s free, but takes more initial configuration. OBS Studio OBS Studio
• Streamlabs Desktop — similar to OBS, but with a more creator-oriented interface and built-in extras. I'd choose it over OBS mainly if you like its ecosystem.

What I'd use for a live tutorial

I'd set up StreamYard with:

Camera → PiP over desktop → Desktop full-screen → Camera

Then your live flow is essentially:

“Here's what we're going to build” → camera
“Let me show you” → PiP
“Watch this part carefully” → desktop full-screen
“Any questions?” → camera

That's exactly the kind of presenter-led tutorial workflow StreamYard is designed around. StreamYard StreamYard

If you're doing frequent technical/coding tutorials, though, I'd lean OBS if you want keyboard shortcuts and very precise control over exactly what appears on screen. OBS Studio OBS Studio

Bottom line: StreamYard for simplicity; OBS for control. For your specific “camera ↔ desktop ↔ PiP” switching requirement, I'd start with StreamYard.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your camera, a desktop/screen share, and picture-in-picture (PiP), you’ll want software built around scenes/layouts, not just a screen recorder. The best choices are:

Best overall for simple switching: StreamYard

streamyard.com

Best if you want to teach without managing a “broadcast studio.”

• Click between layouts like: - Full presenter camera
• Screen share + small camera bubble
• Full-screen desktop demo
• Split-screen views
• Runs in a browser, so setup is quick.
• Good for YouTube, LinkedIn, webinars, and guest instructors.
• Its layout switching is designed for presenter-led broadcasts. StreamYard Help Center

Choose this if: you want to focus on teaching rather than production.

Best polished option for Mac: Ecamm Live

ecamm.com

Best if you want a more professional “TV studio” feel.

• Create saved scenes: - “Intro: camera full screen”
• “Demo: desktop + PiP”
• “Q&A: camera + slides”
• Switch scenes with one click or a hardware controller.
• Built-in screen sharing and picture-in-picture controls. Ecamm Ecamm Help Center

Choose this if: you’re on a Mac and want your tutorials to look like a produced course.

Best free/power-user option: OBS Studio

obsproject.com

Best if you want maximum control.

You create “scenes” such as:

• Scene 1: Camera only
• Scene 2: Screen + webcam overlay
• Scene 3: Slides + presenter
• Scene 4: Ending screen

Pros:

• Free
• Extremely customizable
• Works with almost any streaming platform

Cons:

• More setup and tweaking than StreamYard or Ecamm. StreamYard

My recommendation for your use case

For live tutorials with frequent camera ↔ desktop switching:

1. StreamYard — easiest and fastest workflow
2. Ecamm Live — best-looking tutorials if you use a Mac
3. OBS Studio — best if you enjoy configuring a full production setup

A common tutorial setup would be:

• Scene A: Camera intro
• Scene B: Screen share + small circular webcam
• Scene C: Full screen demo
• Scene D: Camera for Q&A

You can switch between those with a single click instead of rearranging windows live. StreamYard Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me your computer (Windows/Mac), streaming destination (YouTube/Twitch/Zoom/etc.), and whether you need recording afterward, I can narrow it down.

For live tutorials with a presenter camera + screen share, I’d narrow it to these three:

• ecamm.com — easiest if you’re on Mac. This is probably my top pick for your use case. You can make separate Camera and Screen Share scenes, then switch between them with a click. Ecamm also has built-in picture-in-picture, so you can keep your camera over the desktop when demonstrating something. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• streamyard.com — easiest overall/browser-based option. Its layouts let you switch between presenter-only, screen-focused, and picture-in-picture arrangements directly in the studio. It's particularly nice if you don't want to learn production software. StreamYard Help Center StreamYard Help Center
• obsproject.com — best free/powerful option. You can create scenes such as Presenter, Screen + Camera, and Full Desktop, then switch among them. It's extremely flexible, but takes more setup than Ecamm or StreamYard. OBS Project OBS Project

My recommendation

If your workflow is basically:

“Hi everyone” → “Here's my screen” → “Let me put my face in the corner” → “Back to camera”

I'd choose Ecamm Live on Mac or StreamYard if you want something simpler and browser-based.

If you're on Windows, I'd lean toward OBS Studio or StreamYard. OBS is especially good if you eventually want hotkeys, elaborate layouts, multiple cameras, overlays, or custom transitions.

If you tell me Mac or Windows, and whether you're streaming to YouTube/Twitch/LinkedIn/etc., I can recommend the simplest setup and how I'd configure the 2–3 scenes.

For live tutorials where you need to quickly switch between your face camera, a desktop demo, and picture-in-picture, these are the strongest options:

Best overall for easy teaching: StreamYard

Best if your priority is “click a button and teach.” StreamYard

Why it fits tutorials:

• Built-in layouts for: - presenter only
• screen only
• presenter + screen side-by-side
• picture-in-picture (your camera in a corner over the desktop) support.streamyard.com
• Screen sharing is simple: choose a tab, window, or full screen, then switch layouts during the broadcast. StreamYard
• Great for webinars, courses, software walkthroughs, and guest presenters. StreamYard

Tradeoff:

• Less control than a full production system (custom animations, complex scenes, advanced audio routing).

Best for maximum control: OBS Studio

Best if you want a TV-studio style setup.

You can create scenes such as:

• “Talking head” → full camera
• “Demo mode” → screen capture + small webcam box
• “Slides” → presentation + lower third
• “Break screen” → branded graphic

Then switch scenes with hotkeys or a control pad.

Tradeoff:

• More setup time: you build the scenes, sources, and audio routing yourself. OBS is much more customizable, but has a steeper learning curve. Riverside

Easiest middle ground: Streamlabs Desktop

Good if you like OBS-style scenes but want a more guided interface. It is closer to OBS than StreamYard, with overlays and streaming tools built in. StreamYard

My pick for a live tutorial workflow

For most instructors:

1. StreamYard if you teach live and want to focus on the lesson.
2. OBS Studio if you produce polished courses, technical demos, or want custom scene switching.
3. OBS + StreamYard together if you want advanced visuals but still want an easy guest/browser workflow. OBS can feed video into StreamYard using its virtual camera. support.streamyard.com

A simple setup that works well:

• Scene 1: camera full screen (intro)
• Scene 2: desktop full screen + small camera bubble (teaching)
• Scene 3: camera + slides side-by-side (explaining concepts)
• Scene 4: Q&A camera view

If you’re doing software tutorials (coding, Photoshop, Excel, etc.), I’d lean OBS. If you’re doing webinars, coaching, or courses with guests, I’d lean StreamYard. StreamYard Riverside

For live tutorials with screen sharing + picture-in-picture, I’d narrow it to these:

1. ecamm.com — easiest if you’re on Mac

• Probably the best fit for your workflow.
• You can switch between camera, screen share, and PiP directly from the interface.
• You can save layouts as Scenes, so you could have “Presenter,” “Screen + small camera,” and “Full screen camera” ready to click.
• It also supports Stream Deck for physical one-button switching. Ecamm Ecamm Help Center
• My pick if simplicity is your priority.
• obsproject.com — best free option

• Very capable and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• You create scenes such as Camera, Screen + Camera, and Screen Only, then switch between them.
• Hotkeys and Studio Mode make switching during a tutorial quite straightforward, although initial setup takes more work than Ecamm. OBS Studio
• Best if you want maximum flexibility without paying.
• streamlabs.com — easiest Windows-friendly alternative

• Built on the OBS engine but packages more creator-oriented features into a simpler interface.
• Good if you also want alerts, widgets, overlays, and multistreaming. Streamlabs Streamlabs

What I'd choose for your use case

Mac → Ecamm Live
Windows → OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop
Want the simplest possible setup regardless of advanced features → Ecamm

For a typical tutorial, I'd set up just three buttons/scenes:

🎥 Presenter → full camera
🖥️ Tutorial → desktop full-screen + your camera in a corner
📺 Desktop → desktop only

Then you're essentially just clicking between those three while teaching.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc., I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d shortlist these:

• ecamm.com — easiest choice if you use a Mac. Its Scenes are essentially presets for your camera, screen share, PiP position/size, overlays, and transitions, so you can make a few buttons such as “Presenter,” “Screen + Camera,” and “Full Screen.” Then switch between them during the tutorial. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• obsproject.com — best free/flexible option. You can create separate scenes for presenter and desktop+camera, then switch scenes with hotkeys. It's more powerful, but takes more initial setup.
• streamlabs.com — easiest if you're on Windows and want a more polished beginner experience. Its unified Screen Capture source can grab an entire display or a particular window, and you can build scenes around it. Streamlabs

What I'd pick

If you're on Mac → Ecamm Live. It's particularly well suited to your workflow because you can keep your tutorial app full-screen and use Ecamm's floating control window to switch scenes without constantly returning to the streaming software. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

If you're on Windows → OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop. I'd lean OBS if you don't mind a little setup; Streamlabs if simplicity is the priority.

A very simple setup would be:

1. Presenter: full camera.
2. Tutorial: desktop full-screen + your camera in the corner.
3. Camera + desktop: larger camera with desktop inset, if you want a more presentation-like layout.
4. Assign hotkeys to all three so switching is essentially one keystroke.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc.), I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and your desktop, I’d narrow it down to three:

🥇 Ecamm — easiest if you're on Mac

ecamm.com is probably the best fit if you want the switching itself to feel effortless.

• Create a Presenter scene: full camera.
• Create a Screen + Camera scene: desktop full-screen with your camera as a PiP bubble.
• Create a Desktop scene: screen only.
• Then switch scenes with a click or keyboard shortcut.
• Ecamm scenes can save the screen-share mode, camera, PiP size/position, overlays, and transitions together. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm
• It also has a camera switcher and supports PiP/split-screen directly. Ecamm Help Center

For your use case: 9/10.

🥈 OBS Studio — best if you want free + maximum control

obsproject.com is free and extremely capable. You'd set up three scenes:

1. Camera — presenter full screen
2. Tutorial — desktop full screen + camera PiP
3. Desktop — desktop full screen

OBS natively supports webcam/video-capture sources plus display/window capture, so this setup is straightforward. OBS Studio OBS Studio

You can then switch scenes with hotkeys, a Stream Deck, or the OBS interface.

The downside is that OBS takes more setup and feels more like production software than a simple presentation tool.

For your use case: 8/10.

🥉 StreamYard — easiest if guests/browser workflow matter

If your tutorials sometimes involve guests, interviews, or you don't want to install/configure much, a browser-based studio such as StreamYard is simpler. Its tradeoff is less granular control than OBS. StreamYard

For your use case: 7/10.

My pick

Mac → Ecamm.
Windows → OBS Studio.
Lots of guests / minimal technical setup → StreamYard.

For a tutorial specifically, I'd set up three buttons/scenes:

🎥 Presenter → 🖥️ Screen + PiP → 🖥️ Screen Only

That gives you essentially one-click control during the tutorial rather than fiddling with individual sources while you're talking.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and your desktop, I’d narrow it to these:

🥇 Best fit: Ecamm Live

If you’re on a Mac, ecamm.com is probably the easiest choice.

• Built specifically around live presentation workflows.
• You can switch between camera-only, screen share, and picture-in-picture very quickly. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• During screen sharing, your camera can remain as a movable/resizable PiP window. Ecamm Help Center
• You can also make your screen itself an inset/overlay, which is useful for tutorial layouts. Ecamm Help Center
• The interface is considerably less technical than OBS.

My pick if your priority is "I want to teach, not operate a broadcast console."

🥈 Best free option: OBS Studio

obsproject.com is the best choice if you don't mind spending a little time setting it up.

You'd create three scenes:

1. Presenter — full-screen camera
2. Tutorial — desktop full-screen + small camera
3. Desktop — desktop full-screen

Then switching is literally clicking a scene. OBS supports scenes composed of webcams, window/display captures and other sources, with seamless scene switching. OBS Studio

The tradeoff is that you configure the layouts yourself, whereas Ecamm makes this kind of workflow much more direct.

🥉 Simplest browser-based option: StreamYard

streamyard.com is worth considering if you don't need elaborate layouts.

It's particularly good if your tutorials involve guests, interviews, or easy multistreaming. Current comparisons generally put it ahead for ease of use, while OBS wins on production control. StreamYard StreamYard

What I'd choose

For your specific description, Ecamm Live is the one I'd try first—especially if you're on a Mac. Its screen-share and PiP controls map almost exactly to the workflow you're describing. Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc., I can recommend the simplest setup and exactly how I'd configure the scenes.

For live tutorials with screen sharing + picture-in-picture, I’d narrow it to two:

🥇 Best for simplicity: Ecamm Live

If you’re on a Mac, Ecamm is probably the easiest fit. Its Scenes can save your camera, screen share, PiP position/size, overlays, and transitions together. You can then switch scenes with a click or keyboard shortcut. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

A typical tutorial setup could be:

• Scene 1: Full presenter camera
• Scene 2: Desktop + small presenter PiP
• Scene 3: Full desktop, no camera
• Scene 4: Presenter + slides/PDF

Ecamm also has a floating control window that stays available while you're working in another app, which is particularly handy during tutorials. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

Ecamm Live official site

🥈 Best free/flexible option: OBS Studio

OBS is free, cross-platform, and extremely configurable. You create scenes for your different layouts and switch between them with hotkeys. Webcam, desktop/window capture, overlays, and transitions are all built in. obsproject.com

The tradeoff is that OBS takes more initial setup. Once configured, though, switching can be just as quick.

OBS Studio official site

My pick: If you're on Mac and want "I just want to teach, not operate a broadcast studio," choose Ecamm. If you're on Windows, or want maximum control without paying, choose OBS.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, Teams, Twitch, etc.), I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you need to flip between your presenter camera, desktop/screen share, and picture-in-picture, these are the strongest options:

1. StreamYard — easiest for teaching/webinars

Best if your priority is “click once and switch.” streamyard.comstreamyard.com

Why it fits your use case:

• Built-in layouts for:
  • camera only
  • screen only
  • presenter + screen side-by-side
  • picture-in-picture
• You can prepare “Scenes” ahead of time and switch layouts during the live session. support.streamyard.comstreamyard.com
• Browser-based, so you spend less time managing sources and more time teaching. support.streamyard.com

Typical tutorial flow:

1. Intro → camera full screen
2. Demo → screen share + small camera bubble
3. Explanation → camera + slides
4. Q&A → presenter layout

support.streamyard.com

2. OBS Studio — most powerful, more setup

Best if you want a full production setup:

• custom scenes
• animated transitions
• multiple cameras
• advanced audio routing
• overlays and graphics

The tradeoff is that you build the system yourself: scenes, sources, audio channels, and capture settings. streamyard.com

3. Streamlabs — OBS-like but more guided

Good if you want desktop streaming features with a friendlier interface, especially for more elaborate productions. It is still a local app and requires more configuration than browser studios. streamyard.comstreamyard.com

My pick for your exact workflow

For live tutorials with face cam + screen share + frequent switching, I’d start with StreamYard. It matches the “teacher/presenter” workflow: set up a few layouts once, then switch scenes while you talk. support.streamyard.comstreamyard.com

If your tutorials are more like:

• software training / courses / webinars → StreamYard
• coding streams / gaming / complex multi-camera production → OBS
• professional studio look with lots of graphics → OBS + a hardware setup

A good hybrid is also possible: build your visuals in OBS and send that feed into StreamYard when you want easier guest management and broadcasting. support.streamyard.com

I’d also suggest using two monitors if possible: one for your teaching material and one for controlling the stream. That makes switching much smoother. support.streamyard.com

For your use case, Ecamm Live is probably the easiest choice—especially if you're on a Mac.

My picks

1. Ecamm Live — easiest for live tutorials

• Build a few scenes such as Camera, Desktop + small camera, and Full Desktop.
• Switching scenes changes the screen share, camera position, PiP size/visibility, overlays, etc. all at once. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com
• You can control scenes from a floating window while you're working inside the app you're demonstrating, so you don't have to constantly return to the streaming software. support.ecamm.com
• PiP can be resized, repositioned, and made circular or rectangular. support.ecamm.com

For a tutorial, I'd set up:

Scene 1: Full camera
Scene 2: Desktop full-screen + your camera in bottom-right
Scene 3: Desktop full-screen, no camera
Scene 4: Camera + slides/other content

Then switching is essentially one click/keyboard shortcut.

2. OBS Studio — best free option

• It's free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. obsproject.com
• Its Scenes system is excellent for exactly this kind of workflow, with webcam + screen capture as separate sources. obsproject.com
• You can make the same four scenes and switch between them with hotkeys.
• The downside is that OBS takes more setup and tinkering than Ecamm.

Bottom line

If you're on Mac, I'd strongly lean Ecamm. Its scenes are specifically designed to save the whole presentation state—including screen share and PiP—so switching layouts during a tutorial is unusually painless. support.ecamm.com

Ecamm Live
OBS Studio

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d narrow it to these:

• streamyard.com — easiest overall. It’s browser-based, so you can turn your camera on, share a window/screen, and switch between layouts without building complicated scenes. It supports full-screen screen share, camera + screen PiP, and side-by-side layouts. StreamYard StreamYard
• ecamm.com — best if you're on a Mac and want a more polished production. You can create scenes such as “Camera,” “Screen + PiP,” and “Screen Fullscreen,” then switch between them quickly. Its scenes remember screen-share settings and PiP position/size, and it even supports keyboard shortcuts. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center
• obsproject.com — most powerful, but not the simplest. Great if you eventually want elaborate layouts, custom transitions, multiple capture sources, or detailed audio routing. For straightforward tutorials, though, it has more setup than you probably need. StreamYard

My pick

If you want “click a button and switch from me → my desktop → desktop with my face in the corner,” use StreamYard.

If you're on Mac and want your tutorials to feel like a professionally produced show, use Ecamm. Ecamm's scene system is particularly good for this workflow—you can make a few presets and switch between them rather than rebuilding your layout each time. Ecamm Help Center Ecamm Help Center

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc.), I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and your desktop, with your camera appearing as picture-in-picture, I’d pick Ecamm Live if you’re on a Mac.

My ranking

1. Ecamm Live — easiest for your use case
   • Built specifically around live presentation and camera/screen switching.
   • You can create scenes such as “Presenter”, “Desktop + PiP”, and “Desktop Full Screen”, then switch between them.
   • Its Screen Share mode has built-in PiP, and you can move/resize the camera box directly. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com
   • You can also control switching from an Elgato Stream Deck, including toggling screen share and PiP. support.ecamm.com
   • Especially nice for tutorials because scenes can remember screen-sharing settings, PiP position/size, overlays, transitions, and more. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

2. OBS Studio — best if you want maximum flexibility
   • Free and extremely capable.
   • You build scenes yourself: e.g. Camera → Desktop → Desktop + Camera.
   • Webcam and screen capture are just sources that you can resize and position however you want. obsproject.com
   • The tradeoff is that it takes more initial setup and feels less presentation-oriented than Ecamm.

3. Streamlabs Desktop — easier than raw OBS for some users
   • Good if you want lots of built-in streaming widgets, alerts, chat, etc.
   • For a straightforward “camera → screen + PiP → camera” tutorial workflow, though, I'd still lean Ecamm or OBS.

Bottom line: If your priority is “I want to teach, hit a button, and instantly switch between me and my screen without fiddling with layouts,” Ecamm Live is probably the best fit. Its scene system is almost exactly designed for this workflow. support.ecamm.com

If you're on Windows rather than Mac, I'd choose OBS Studio and set up three scenes with hotkeys.

If your priority is easy switching between your camera, desktop, and picture-in-picture, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 Ecamm Live — easiest, especially on Mac

Ecamm Live

This is probably the best fit for your use case. Ecamm has dedicated Camera, Screen Share, and Picture-in-Picture modes, and you can save complete layouts as Scenes and switch them with a click or keyboard shortcut. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

For example, you could have:

• Presenter — full-screen camera
• Tutorial — desktop full-screen + your camera in the corner
• Screen only — desktop full-screen
• Closing — camera + logo/text

Ecamm's screen-share mode can also target a particular application/window rather than your whole desktop, which is handy for tutorials. support.ecamm.com

Best if: you're on a Mac and want the least fiddly production workflow.

🥈 OBS Studio — best free/flexible option

OBS Studio

OBS is extremely capable and free, but takes more initial setup. You create Scenes containing your camera, screen capture, microphone, overlays, etc., then switch scenes while live. obsproject.com

Best if: you're on Windows, want free software, or expect to eventually build a more elaborate production setup.

My pick

For live tutorials specifically, I'd choose Ecamm Live if you're on Mac. Its workflow is unusually close to what you're describing: set up your layouts once, then hit a button/shortcut to go from camera → screen + camera PiP → camera. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, Twitch, etc.), I can recommend the simplest setup and exactly how I'd configure the scenes.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your camera, a desktop demo, and picture-in-picture, you’ll want a “live production studio” rather than a basic screen recorder. These are the strongest options:

streamyard.comwww.softwareadvice.com

My picks for your use case

1. Easiest: StreamYard
If your workflow is:

• “Hi everyone, today I’ll show you…”
• switch to full desktop
• bring your face back as a small corner window
• answer questions

…StreamYard is probably the smoothest. You can prepare layouts/scenes and switch between them without learning broadcast software. streamyard.comwww.softwareadvice.com

2. Best free/pro setup: OBS Studio
Use OBS if you want:

• keyboard shortcuts (“press 1 = camera, press 2 = screen + face”)
• custom overlays
• multiple camera angles
• a more professional production setup

The tradeoff is that you’ll spend time creating scenes and configuring audio/video sources. riverside.com

3. Best if you’re on Mac: Ecamm Live
Ecamm is very strong for tutorial presenters because it treats your broadcast like a small studio: screen share, camera switching, and movable picture-in-picture are built into the workflow. support.ecamm.com

A simple setup I’d recommend:

• StreamYard → if you want to teach with minimal setup
• Ecamm Live → if you’re a Mac user and do frequent paid/pro tutorials
• OBS → if you enjoy tweaking and want a custom studio

For a typical solo instructor doing live software demos, I’d lean Ecamm Live (Mac) or StreamYard (any platform). streamyard.comwww.softwareadvice.com

For live tutorials where you alternate between your face and a desktop/screen share, I’d shortlist these:

🥇 Ecamm Live — easiest for this workflow

If you’re on Mac, this is probably the best fit. Ecamm is designed around live presentations: you can create scenes such as Camera, Screen Share, and Screen Share + PiP, then switch between them during the broadcast. support.ecamm.com

The particularly nice part is that screen sharing has a built-in Picture-in-Picture control—you can turn your camera on/off, move the PiP box, and resize it without building the layout from scratch. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

You can also map switching to an Elgato Stream Deck, including buttons for screen share and showing/hiding PiP. support.ecamm.com

Ecamm Live

🥈 OBS Studio — best free option

If you want free, cross-platform, and extremely customizable, OBS is excellent. You'd make a few scenes:

• Presenter → full-screen camera
• Desktop + PiP → screen with your camera in the corner
• Desktop → full-screen screen share

Then you simply click the scene you want—or assign hotkeys. OBS explicitly supports switching between scenes and hotkeys for scene changes. obsproject.com

OBS Studio

My recommendation

For your specific use case, I'd choose Ecamm if you're on a Mac. Its scenes and built-in PiP make the “talk → show desktop → talk while showing desktop → back to camera” workflow unusually straightforward. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, LinkedIn, Twitch, etc.), I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between full-screen presenter, desktop, and picture-in-picture, I’d shortlist these:

1. Streamlabs Desktop — easiest overall
   • Create separate scenes like Presenter, Screen + Camera, and Desktop Only.
   • Switching scenes changes the whole layout, so you can move between camera and screen share with one click.
   • It has built-in webcam and screen capture, and its interface is geared toward simpler setup. streamlabs.com
   • My pick if ease of use matters most.

2. OBS Studio — best if you want maximum control
   • OBS's Scenes + Sources system is ideal for this: you can make a scene with your desktop full-screen and your camera in a small corner, another with your camera full-screen, etc. obsproject.comobsproject.com
   • You can also assign hotkeys to scene changes, which makes switching during a tutorial very fast. obsproject.comobsproject.com
   • My pick if you expect your production setup to get more sophisticated.

What I'd use for your workflow

Set up just three scenes:

🎥 Presenter
Camera full-screen + optional lower-third

🖥️ Tutorial
Desktop ~85–90% of the frame + camera in a small corner

💻 Desktop Only
Desktop full-screen

Then use keyboard shortcuts to jump between them rather than manipulating individual sources while you're teaching.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, or somewhere else, I can recommend the simplest setup and exact scene arrangement.

For your use case, Ecamm Live would be my first pick—especially if you're on a Mac.

Best fit: Ecamm Live

It is designed around exactly this kind of live presentation workflow:

• Camera-only scene → you full-screen
• Screen-share scene → desktop full-screen + your camera in a movable picture-in-picture
• Switch between scenes with a click or keyboard shortcut. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.comobsproject.com
• You can also control switching from an Elgato Stream Deck, including toggling PiP and screen-share mode. support.ecamm.com
• It supports direct streaming to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and other platforms. support.ecamm.com

For a tutorial, I'd set up just three scenes:

1. 🎥 Presenter — camera full screen
2. 🖥️ Tutorial — desktop full screen + camera PiP
3. 💬 Discussion — camera + slides/browser/other content

Then switching is essentially one button press.

Best free option: OBS Studio

OBS Studio is extremely capable and free. You can build the same camera + desktop + PiP setup using Scenes and Sources, and assign hotkeys to switch scenes. obsproject.com

The tradeoff is that OBS takes more setup and tweaking. Once configured, though, it can be just as fast to operate.

My recommendation:

• Mac + want the easiest live teaching workflow: Ecamm Live
• Windows or want free/flexible: OBS Studio
• Want hardware buttons: Ecamm + Stream Deck is particularly slick.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc.), I can narrow it down to the simplest setup.

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d narrow it to two:

🥇 Ecamm Live — easiest for switching

If you’re on a Mac, this is probably the best fit. Ecamm is built around Scenes, so you can make presets like:

• Presenter — full-screen camera
• Tutorial — desktop full-screen + your camera in the corner
• Screen only — desktop full-screen
• Presenter + slides — slides with your camera

Then you simply click the scene to switch. Ecamm explicitly supports screen-share scenes with adjustable PiP, and scenes can be assigned keyboard shortcuts. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

It also has a dedicated video-source switcher for quickly changing cameras and PiP layouts. support.ecamm.com

Best if: you want the least fiddling during a live tutorial.

🥈 OBS Studio — best free/flexible option

OBS is excellent if you’re on Windows or Mac and want something free. You set up scenes such as Camera, Screen + Camera, and Screen, then switch between them. OBS supports webcam, display/window capture, and positioning/resizing sources for PiP. obsproject.com

The tradeoff is that OBS takes a little more setup and feels more like a production studio than a simple presenter tool.

My recommendation

For your particular use case, Ecamm would be my first choice if you're on Mac. You can even put the scene switches on an Elgato Stream Deck, so going from “talking head” → “screen + PiP” → “full screen camera” can literally be one button press. support.ecamm.com

Ecamm Live
OBS Studio

For live tutorials with picture-in-picture + screen sharing, I’d rank them:

1. Ecamm Live — easiest if you’re on Mac
   • Built specifically around live production rather than requiring you to build everything yourself.
   • You can create Scenes such as:
     • Full-screen presenter
     • Full-screen desktop
     • Desktop + your camera in PiP
     • Presenter + slides
   • Switching scenes is essentially one click or a keyboard shortcut. Ecamm scenes save the screen-share source, PiP position/size, overlays, and transitions. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.comsupport.streamlabs.com
   • You can also use its floating controls while you're working in another application, which is particularly handy for tutorials. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.comsupport.streamlabs.com

2. Streamlabs Desktop — easiest cross-platform choice
   • Works on Windows and Mac.
   • Uses customizable scenes, so you can set up "Camera," "Screen + Camera," and "Screen only" layouts ahead of time. support.streamlabs.com
   • More approachable than raw OBS if you also want alerts, overlays, branding, etc.

3. OBS Studio — most flexible, but more setup
   • Excellent if you want maximum control or don't mind configuring sources/scenes yourself.
   • For your particular use case, though, I'd pick Ecamm over OBS if you're on Mac because the presenter/screen/PiP workflow is more immediately streamlined.

My pick

Mac → Ecamm Live.
Windows → Streamlabs Desktop.

For your exact workflow, I'd create just three scenes: Presenter → Screen + PiP → Screen only. Then you can switch between them during the tutorial without rearranging your camera and desktop every time.

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Teams, Twitch, etc., I can recommend the simplest setup and how I'd configure the scenes.

For your use case, I’d shortlist Ecamm Live and OBS Studio—with Ecamm Live being the easier choice if simplicity is the priority.

My pick: Ecamm Live

If you’re on a Mac, Ecamm is particularly well suited to live tutorials. You can create scenes such as:

• Presenter — full-screen camera
• Screen + Presenter — desktop full-screen with your camera as PiP
• Desktop — screen only
• Presenter + Slides — camera/slide layouts

Then you simply click the scene to switch. Ecamm's scenes remember the screen-share source, PiP position/size, camera, overlays, and transition, so you don't have to rebuild the layout every time. support.ecamm.com

It also has dedicated screen-sharing and PiP controls, including sharing an entire display, a particular application, or a specific window. support.ecamm.comsupport.ecamm.com

You can even put those switches on an Elgato Stream Deck, which is excellent for teaching: one button for "Camera," one for "Screen + Camera," etc. support.ecamm.com

Best free option: OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It uses Scenes + Sources, so you can make the same basic setup and switch scenes with hotkeys. obsproject.com

For example:

OBS gives you considerably more customization, but it takes more initial setup than Ecamm.

Bottom line:

• Mac + easiest live teaching workflow → Ecamm Live
• Windows/Mac + free + maximum flexibility → OBS Studio
• Want physical buttons for instant switching → either, with Ecamm being especially straightforward

If you tell me Mac or Windows and whether you're streaming to YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc., I can recommend the simplest exact setup.

For live tutorials where you frequently switch between your face and your desktop, I’d prioritize a simple scene-switching workflow over elaborate streaming features.

My picks

If you're on a Mac, I'd choose Ecamm Live. Its screen-share mode has built-in picture-in-picture, and you can move/resize your camera overlay while showing the desktop. It also has a video-source switcher for quickly changing between cameras and layouts. support.ecamm.com

A really nice tutorial workflow would be:

Scene 1: Full camera
Scene 2: Desktop + small camera PiP
Scene 3: Full desktop
Scene 4: Camera + slides/browser window

Then you can essentially hit one button to move between them rather than rebuilding your layout during the tutorial.

If you're on Windows, I'd lean toward Streamlabs Desktop for simplicity, or vMix if you're doing more elaborate professional productions. Streamlabs explicitly supports adding your webcam and screen as sources and switching between configured scenes. streamlabs.com

OBS Studio is the best free choice and is extremely capable, but it takes more initial setup; its scene/source model is more technical. support.restream.io

Bottom line:

• 🍎 Mac: Ecamm Live
• 🪟 Windows, easy: Streamlabs Desktop
• 💰 Free + maximum control: OBS Studio
• 🎬 Professional multi-camera production: vMix
• 🌐 Don't want to install much: StreamYard

If you tell me Mac or Windows + where you stream (YouTube, Zoom, Twitch, LinkedIn, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best one for your exact tutorial workflow.

For your use case—live tutorials with a webcam + screen share + quick switching—I’d shortlist these:

🥇 Best for simplicity: Ecamm Live

If you're on a Mac, Ecamm is probably the easiest fit. It lets you create saved scenes such as:

• Presenter: full-screen camera
• Tutorial: desktop full-screen + your camera in a corner
• Screen only: desktop full-screen
• Presenter + slides: presentation with PiP

You can switch scenes with a click or keyboard shortcut, and Ecamm specifically supports screen sharing with your camera as PiP. support.ecamm.com

Ecamm Live

🥈 Best free/flexible option: OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You'd set up separate Scenes for "Camera," "Screen + Camera," and "Screen Only," then switch between them. OBS supports hotkeys and Studio Mode, so you can prepare a scene before putting it live. obsproject.com

The tradeoff is that OBS takes more initial setup than Ecamm.

My recommendation

For a typical tutorial, I'd set up just 3 scenes: Camera → Screen + PiP → Screen Only. Then you can switch between them with one click/keyboard shortcut instead of rearranging your layout every time.

If you tell me Mac or Windows, I can recommend the simplest exact setup for your computer and streaming platform.