What is Anomalist?
Anomalist is a free, self-hosted stream overlay control system for OBS. It gives you a live canvas editor, a full widget library, Twitch integration, and a permission system — all running on your own server.
Think of it as the open-source alternative to Poltergeist, built for streamers who want control over their setup without a subscription or a third-party dependency.
How it works
Anomalist runs as a small server on your machine (or a VPS). Your OBS browser source points at the overlay URL. Your dashboard — open in any browser — lets you add, move, and configure widgets in real time. Changes stream instantly to your overlay via WebSockets.
What you can do
- Build layouts visually — drag, resize, rotate, and layer widgets on a canvas
- Use built-in widgets — text, images, timers, counters, marquees, clocks, shapes, soundboards, chat overlays, custom HTML
- Connect Twitch — get follow, subscribe, and raid alerts; run chatbot commands; manage your stream title and game
- Control access — give moderators exactly the permissions they need, nothing more
- Save and restore scenes — switch between preset layouts instantly
Who is it for?
Anomalist is built for streamers who are comfortable with Docker and want to self-host, and for developers who want to extend the widget library. The dashboard is designed to be usable by non-technical moderators once the owner sets things up.