The best free Twitch overlay tools
We make Layrs, so it’s on this list. We’ve tried to be fair and to say where others are better. Every fact about another tool comes from that tool’s own page, linked next to it and checked 5 November 2026. We didn’t sign up to each one, so where a page doesn’t say, we say “not stated”.
Updated
Two kinds of “free overlay”
- Live overlay tools give you a link for OBS. Alerts, chat, goals and timers on it react to your stream as it happens.
- Template shops sell or give away designs: frames, panels and scenes you download and place in OBS. They look great and don’t react to anything by themselves.
Most streamers end up with one of each: a look, and a tool that makes it move.
The list, side by side
| Tool | Kind | What’s free | Kick | Your team edits the overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layrs | Live overlays in your browser | Every overlay and widget; 1 GB of uploads; 3% on Stripe tips | Yes, in the same overlays | Yes, with roles, live |
| StreamElements | Live overlays and a bot | “100% FREE customizable alerts & widgets” | Says it supports Kick (setup and overlays work the same way); its chatbot works in Kick chat | Yes: its Editor access level manages overlays and alerts |
| Streamlabs | A streaming app with alerts and widgets | The app, alerts and “Hundreds of free stream overlays and widget themes”; Ultra adds thousands more | Streams to Kick; its Alert Box plays Kick follows, subs and KICKs | Shared Access roles; an Administrator gets complete access to your account, except donation and sharing settings |
| Vision (1up.vision) | Live overlays in your browser | 1 overlay with up to 10 layers; roles from €10 a month | Yes | Roles on paid plans |
| Meld Studio | A streaming app | The whole app, “no time limits, watermarks, or paywalled core features”, and a free Overlay Gallery; Spark is paid, with a free tier | Streams to Kick | Not stated |
| OBS Versions | No-sign-up web tools | A chat overlay and a starting soon screen | Not stated | No accounts, so no |
| KickBot | Kick alerts and a bot | Free to start; Premium $9.99 a month | Built for Kick | Team roles; admins get every area, widgets included; 3 people on the Free plan |
| OWN3D | Template shop, plus its own tool | A chat widget, chatbot, tip page, countdown and goal bars; packs and alert designs are paid, one at a time or all with the Stream Pass | Has Kick overlay packs | Not stated |
Live overlay tools
StreamElements: best for an all-in-one free setup with plenty of tutorials. Its home page promises “100% FREE customizable alerts & widgets for live streamers” (StreamElements), it says setup works the same way on Kick (setup guide), its chatbot works in Kick chat (help center), and you can give a mod Editor access to manage your overlays and alerts (dashboard access). Coming over? Import your overlays.
Streamlabs: best if you want one app that streams, records and runs alerts. The app is free with hundreds of themes, and the paid Ultra adds thousands more. It streams to Kick (Streamlabs Desktop), and its Alert Box plays Kick follows, subscriptions and KICKs (setup article). Mods get Shared Access roles. Layrs and Streamlabs.
Layrs: best for Twitch and Kick in the same overlays, 7TV emotes in chat (and name paints, on Twitch), and a team that builds the overlay with you, live, with free roles and an undo history. It doesn’t stream (OBS or another app does) and doesn’t connect to YouTube or TikTok channels. Everything in it is free: there’s no paid tier.
Vision (1up.vision): best for shows, tournaments and sponsors if you’ll pay for roles. The free plan has 1 overlay with up to 10 layers, and roles start on Basic at €10 a month (pricing). It works on Kick too (Kick page). Layrs and Vision.
Meld Studio: best for a whole free streaming app. It says it’s free “with no time limits, watermarks, or paywalled core features”, and Spark, its overlay builder, is paid with a free tier (FAQ). Layrs and Meld.
OBS Versions: best for one chat box or a starting soon screen in a minute, with no account (its tools). Its chat overlay shows 7TV, BTTV and FFZ emotes. Need chat without signing in from us too? Our free chat overlay.
KickBot: best for Kick-only alerts, goals and chat boxes. It’s free to start, Premium is $9.99 a month, it needs to be a mod in your Kick chat, and your team gets roles to help run it, 3 people on the Free plan (KickBot, team docs).
Template shops
OWN3D: best for a designed look. Free users get streamer tools like a chat widget, chatbot, tip page, countdown and goal bars, and the paid Stream Pass gives “500+ overlays, 12,000+ stream designs, and 500+ alerts” (OWN3D Pro). Its own tool, PRO, sets the designs up on your stream, alerts included.
Making your own frames and panels in a design tool? The same goes: put the live parts (alerts, chat, goals) on top with a live tool.
Which one should you use?
| You want | Try |
|---|---|
| Twitch and Kick in the same overlays | Layrs; Vision, for chat and layers; Streamlabs’ Alert Box, for alerts |
| Your team builds and runs the overlay with you | Layrs, live and free; StreamElements, with Editor access; Vision, on its paid plans |
| One app that streams too | Streamlabs or Meld Studio |
| One chat box, no account | OBS Versions, or our free chat overlay |
| A designed look | OWN3D’s packs, set up with its PRO tool |
| Kick only | KickBot, or Layrs’ Kick overlays |
FAQ
What’s the best free overlay tool for Twitch?
It depends on whether you need a design (a template pack) or live alerts and chat (a live tool). Most streamers use one of each.
Are free overlays really free?
Check what’s locked. Some cap overlays or layers, some keep part of the library for a paid plan, and some take a fee on tips.
Which free overlay tools work with Kick?
Layrs, StreamElements, Streamlabs, Vision and KickBot say they do, Meld Studio streams to Kick, and OWN3D sells Kick overlay packs.
Can my mods edit my overlay?
In Layrs, with free roles, live. In StreamElements, with Editor access. In Vision, on its paid plans. Streamlabs has Shared Access roles, and KickBot has team roles.
Do I need an account?
For a chat overlay, no: OBS Versions’, Vision’s and Layrs’ free chat tools need none. OBS Versions’ starting soon screen needs none either. Every tool here with alerts asks you to sign in.