What is a PNGtuber – and how is it different from a VTuber?
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Short answer: a PNGtuber is a streamer who shows a drawn avatar instead of a webcam picture. The avatar consists of a few images – mouth closed, mouth open, often eyes closed – and switches to “speaking” as soon as the microphone picks up your voice. You need one if you want a face on stream without showing your own. If you are happy with a facecam, or with no face at all, you don't.
How does a PNGtuber avatar work?
Your streaming software, for example OBS Studio, shows the avatar as a layer above your game or desktop. A program or web page watches your microphone level: above a threshold it shows the “speaking” image, below it the “idle” image; many tools also let it blink every few seconds. There is no camera and no face tracking involved – the avatar only reacts to your voice.
The name comes from the PNG image format, which supports transparent backgrounds.
PNGtuber vs. VTuber: what's the difference?
“VTuber” (virtual YouTuber) is the umbrella term for anyone who streams or makes videos as a virtual character, on Twitch, YouTube or elsewhere. A PNGtuber is one kind of VTuber – the simplest one:
- PNGtuber: a few 2D images that switch with your voice. No camera, no tracking, no rigging.
- 2D VTuber (Live2D): a drawn model, cut into layers and rigged, that a program moves along with your face via webcam or phone.
- 3D VTuber: a 3D model, for example from VRoid Studio, moved by face tracking or, with more equipment, by full-body tracking.
So yes: if you stream as a PNGtuber, you are a VTuber. How the three ways compare in effort, cost and hardware is on How to become a VTuber without a camera.
Who is a PNGtuber for?
- You want to stay anonymous or simply don't want to show your face.
- You have no webcam, or your room isn't camera-ready.
- You want a recognisable character for your channel without commissioning a rigged model.
- You want something that is set up in minutes: swapping images needs no camera and no tracking.
When is a PNGtuber not enough?
If your avatar should turn its head, mirror your facial expressions or move along with you, you need a face-tracking setup: a rigged model (usually Live2D or 3D) and a program that reads your face from a webcam or phone.
Ways to get an avatar on stream
As of October 2026, details from the providers' own pages (sources below). Other browser-based PNGtuber tools exist as well.
| Browser tool (e.g. EmbedAvatar) | PNGtuber program (e.g. veadotube mini, PNGTuber Plus) | VTuber with face tracking (e.g. VTube Studio) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | None – runs in the browser and as a browser source in OBS | Download a program for your PC | App for PC/Mac (Steam), iPhone/iPad or Android |
| Reacts to | Your voice | Your voice | Your face (webcam or phone) |
| Avatar | Images: idle, speaking, blinking | Images | Rigged Live2D model |
| Cost | EmbedAvatar: free | veadotube mini: free; PNGTuber Plus: free, open source | VTube Studio: free; an optional one-time purchase removes the watermark |
Sources: veadotube mini (“download for free on itch.io”, Windows, Linux and macOS), PNGTuber Plus (Godot project, Unlicense), VTube Studio (Live2D, webcam and iPhone face tracking, Steam, iOS and Android), VTube Studio on Steam (“free to use with all its features”, optional DLC “Remove Watermark” for webcam tracking).
What do you need for a PNGtuber with EmbedAvatar?
- A Google or Twitch account to sign in.
- An avatar: click one together in the character builder – 5 styles from DiceBear under CC0 1.0 – or upload your own images for idle, speaking and optionally blinking.
- Streaming software with a browser source: OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop or Meld Studio.
- A microphone. A headset or a microphone close to your mouth makes voice detection more reliable than any setting.
Then follow the guide for OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop or Meld Studio – or create your avatar right away. More answers are in the FAQ.