Where OBS Plugins Go and How to Find Them

OBS Studio stores plugins in a specific folder on your computer, and the exact location depends on your operating system. On Windows, plugins live in C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins or C:\Program Files (x86)\obs-studio\obs-plugins depending on which version you installed. On Mac, they go in /Library/Application Support/obs-studio/plugins. On Linux, the path is usually ~/.config/obs-studio/plugins, though some distributions use /usr/lib/obs-plugins instead.

Before you install anything, you need to know what kind of plugin you have. Most plugins come as a compressed folder (a .zip file) that you download from the plugin creator's website or from a repository like the official OBS Project plugin directory. Some plugins come as installers that do the work for you — those are rare, but they exist. The compressed folder method is far more common, and that is what this guide covers.

The plugin folder may not exist yet on your computer. If it does not, you can create it yourself by opening your file manager, navigating to the path above for your system, and making a new folder called obs-plugins. OBS will recognize it the next time you start the program.

Key Takeaways

  • Most OBS plugins come as compressed folders that you extract into your system's obs-plugins directory, which varies by Windows, Mac, or Linux.
  • You must restart OBS completely after adding a plugin folder before it will appear in your Tools menu or settings.
  • Some plugins require additional software installed first, such as .NET Framework on Windows or specific libraries on Linux — check the plugin's readme file before extracting.
  • If a plugin does not show up after restart, check that the folder structure inside the compressed file matches what OBS expects: usually a folder containing a .dll, .so, or .dylib file plus a data folder.

The Basic Installation Steps for Windows

Download the plugin as a .zip file from the creator's website or the OBS Project plugin directory. Open your file manager and navigate to C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins (or the x86 version if that is what you installed). If the obs-plugins folder does not exist, create it.

Right-click the .zip file you downloaded and select Extract All. When Windows asks where to extract it, paste the path to your obs-plugins folder. Windows will create a new folder inside obs-plugins with the plugin's name — this is correct. Do not move the files out of that folder; OBS expects them to be in a subfolder.

Close OBS completely if it is running. Open it again. The plugin should now appear in Tools menu or in Settings > Plugins depending on what the plugin does. If it does not appear, restart OBS again — sometimes it takes a second launch to register.

Installation on Mac

Download the plugin .zip file. Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open the Go to Folder dialog. Type /Library/Application Support/obs-studio/plugins and press Enter. If the plugins folder does not exist, create it by right-clicking in the Application Support folder and selecting New Folder, then naming it plugins.

Double-click the .zip file to extract it. Finder will create a new folder with the plugin's name inside your plugins directory. This is the correct structure — leave it as is. Close OBS entirely and reopen it. The plugin should now be available in your Tools menu or Settings > Plugins.

If you see a security warning saying the plugin cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer, you may need to allow it in System Preferences. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and look for a message about the plugin. Click Allow Anyway if it appears.

Installation on Linux

Linux installation varies slightly depending on your distribution, but the principle is the same. Open a terminal and navigate to your plugins directory with cd ~/.config/obs-studio/plugins. If the plugins folder does not exist, create it with mkdir -p ~/.config/obs-studio/plugins.

Download the plugin .zip file. Extract it into the plugins directory using unzip filename.zip (replace filename with the actual name). This will create a subfolder with the plugin's name, which is correct. Close OBS and reopen it. The plugin should appear in Tools or Settings > Plugins.

Some Linux plugins require additional libraries. Check the plugin's readme file for dependencies. You may need to install packages using your distribution's package manager — for example, sudo apt install libqt5core5a on Ubuntu-based systems. Install these before extracting the plugin.

What to Do If a Plugin Does Not Appear After Installation

First, make sure you restarted OBS completely. Closing and reopening the window is not enough — you must fully quit the program and launch it again. Some plugins take two restarts to register.

Check the folder structure inside the plugin's folder. OBS expects to find either a .dll file (Windows), .so file (Linux), or .dylib file (Mac) directly inside the plugin's main folder, along with a subfolder called data that contains configuration files. If the structure is different — for example, if the .dll is nested two folders deep — the plugin will not load. Open the plugin's readme file to see what the correct structure should be.

Look at OBS's log file to see if there is an error message. On Windows, go to Help > Log Files > Show Log Files in OBS. On Mac and Linux, check the terminal output or look in ~/.config/obs-studio/logs. Search the log for the plugin's name to see what went wrong. Common errors include missing dependencies, incorrect folder structure, or a plugin built for a different version of OBS than the one you have installed.

Checking for Plugin Dependencies and Compatibility

Before you install a plugin, read its readme file or installation instructions. Some plugins require additional software on your system. For example, some Windows plugins need the .NET Framework or Visual C++ Redistributable installed first. Mac plugins sometimes need Xcode Command Line Tools. Linux plugins often need specific libraries that your distribution may not include by default.

Check which version of OBS the plugin was built for. If you have OBS 28 but the plugin was built for OBS 27, it may not work. The plugin's page or readme will state the compatible OBS versions. If there is a mismatch, you can either update OBS or look for a different plugin that matches your version.

Some plugins are 64-bit only, while others support both 32-bit and 64-bit OBS. On Windows, check whether you installed the 64-bit or 32-bit version of OBS by going to Help > About OBS Studio and looking at the version string. Match your plugin to that architecture.

Removing or Updating a Plugin

To remove a plugin, close OBS completely. Open your file manager and navigate to your obs-plugins folder. Delete the plugin's subfolder entirely. Restart OBS. The plugin will no longer appear.

To update a plugin, download the new version and extract it into the obs-plugins folder. When your file manager asks if you want to replace the existing folder, select yes. Close and reopen OBS. The new version will load. If you want to keep the old version as a backup, rename the old folder before extracting the new one — for example, change plugin-name to plugin-name-old.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install plugins from inside OBS without using the file manager?

Some newer versions of OBS have a built-in plugin browser in Tools > Plugins that can download and install plugins for you. If your version has this, you can click the plugin and select Install. However, not all plugins are listed there, and manual installation through the file manager still works for any plugin you download.

What if I get an error saying the plugin is not compatible with my OBS version?

This usually means the plugin was built for a different version of OBS than the one you have. Check the plugin's page to see which OBS versions it supports. You can either update OBS to match, or find a different plugin that works with your current version. Do not try to force an incompatible plugin to load.

Do I need to restart my computer after installing a plugin?

No. Restarting OBS is enough. You do not need to restart your entire computer unless the plugin's instructions specifically say to do so, which is rare.

Can I install plugins in a portable version of OBS?

Yes. Portable OBS stores plugins in a plugins folder inside the portable installation directory rather than in the system paths listed above. Extract plugins into that folder instead, then restart the portable OBS application.

What does it mean if OBS crashes right after I install a plugin?

A crashing plugin usually means it is incompatible with your OBS version, your operating system, or your system architecture. Delete the plugin's folder and restart OBS. Check the plugin's page to confirm it supports your setup. If it does, try reinstalling it. If it crashes again, the plugin may have a bug — contact the plugin creator or try a different plugin instead.