Stream Deck and Marketplace: Your questions answered

Since the introduction of Elgato Marketplace, some of you have shared important questions about the new Stream Deck experience.

Questions like:

• Why do some Stream Deck assets have a price?

• What happens to my legacy plugins and icons?

• Why should I create a Marketplace account?

• What if I don’t want to create an account?

We understand there are genuine concerns, so let’s address the most common questions we’ve seen, one by one.

By the end, we’re confident you’ll see why these changes not only deliver a better Stream Deck experience, but also empower Makers to create better assets than ever before.

Catching up

In case you missed it, the legacy Stream Deck App Store will soon be unavailable. Marketplace is the new home for all your favorite digital assets, like plugins, icons, and — for the first time —  profiles. To install assets and receive automatic updates, you must first create a Marketplace account. 

There are two ways to create an account:

1. Enter your email, location, and preferred currency

2. Link your Discord, Twitch, Facebook, or Google account

In all, account creation takes only a few seconds.

Additionally, community Stream Deck contributors, known as “Makers,” now have the ability to price their products. On Marketplace, Makers can choose to either distribute a product for free or set a price and earn cash.

(As we explain later, your legacy plugins and icons are still free and that won’t ever change.)

Learn more about Elgato Marketplace.

Answering your questions

Now that we’re up to date, let’s answer six frequently-asked questions:

Why aren’t all Stream Deck assets free anymore?

Marketplace introduces paid digital products for two main reasons.

First, it helps Makers do more of what they love. 

Consider a developer who spends countless hours building a plugin. When you purchase their product on Marketplace, money goes directly into their pocket. This reward not only acknowledges the Maker’s hard work, it also fuels their ability to continue developing and innovating.

We believe Makers like these deserve more than just recognition. They deserve the choice to offer a product for free or to price it as they see fit. They deserve an opportunity to earn not just extra cash, but a living — while doing what they love most. 

In turn, we hope this inspires more Makers to contribute to Stream Deck, and to feel confident doing so.

Second, paid products help to grow a more robust Stream Deck ecosystem. With the opportunity to earn real cash, Makers have an incentive to deliver high quality assets. After all, the better the product, the more they can directly profit. 

For you, the creator, this translates to a variety of benefits:

• Wider selection: Higher rewards attract new Makers and assets to Stream Deck

• Improved features: The more problems a product solves, the more it can earn

• More innovation: Makers have more to gain by pushing the limits of technology

• Better support: Helpful support means happy, long-term customers

• Regular updates: A well-maintained product is more likely to attract attention

For the first time, Makers have real motivation to address these expectations. If they don’t, they may lose out on valuable business.

Additionally, Elgato takes a small 30% cut from digital purchases. This helps us better maintain and grow the Marketplace platform, to deliver an even smoother experience over time.

In summary, paid assets not only empower Makers, they raise the bar of the entire Stream Deck ecosystem.

So do I need to pay for assets now?

Nope. As we mentioned, Makers still have the option to offer any product for free.

Indeed, for many Makers, free products are an excellent strategy. They not only offer a competitive edge, they can help build an audience and brand recognition.

So don’t worry; free products are here to stay. In fact, you can anticipate an even greater variety than before.

And all the legacy Stream Deck App Store assets? They’re still free and always will be. So no, you won’t suddenly be charged to continue using your favorite plugin or icon pack. We’re committed to ensuring that Makers cannot simply abandon their legacy products to favor paid versions. While Makers have the option to sell a 'Pro' version of any product, they must continue to support and maintain the free legacy asset. 

To put it simply, free products play a key role in the Stream Deck ecosystem, and they will continue to do so moving forward.

Why did you build an account into Stream Deck?

Just like Apple ID for an iPhone, your Marketplace account connects Stream Deck to the Elgato ecosystem. From digital plugins to apps like Wave Link to your favorite hardware, with an account it all works together seamlessly. And when everything’s connected, creating becomes easier and faster.

Moreover, an account system makes paid assets possible. To verify your ownership of a product, Stream Deck communicates directly with your Marketplace account. This protects Makers from fraud and ensures uninterrupted access to your purchases.

What advantages does an account offer me?

For Stream Deck specifically, your account unlocks an array of benefits:

• Better experience: With a Marketplace account, view and manage your entire digital collection in one place. When you change computers, your Stream Deck assets go with you. And if you encounter a problem, we’re able to provide faster, more accurate support.

• More selection: Access the latest Stream Deck assets, including — for the first time — profiles and screensavers. With new Makers joining Marketplace every day, there are more styles and products to explore than ever before.

• Quick install: Select a Marketplace asset, then open it directly in Stream Deck with a click. There’s no need to manage or upload files; all the hard work is done for you.

• Streamlined purchases: There’s no need to reenter billing information at checkout; your payment methods are stored securely and readily accessible. Need to find a specific transaction? Marketplace keeps a history of all your orders for easy tracking.

• Real-time notifications: Monitor download progress and receive alerts in Stream Deck when an asset is ready to use or receives an update. You can even select which plugins update automatically and which ones you'd like to update manually.

Looking ahead, your Marketplace account will offer even more advantages. As we explore new Stream Deck functionality — like cloud backup and expanded quick install — your account will play a key role.

Can I use Stream Deck without an account?

Yes, with some limitations.

All core Stream Deck functionality will continue to work as normal. 

This includes:

• System and device actions (e.g., Open, Hotkey, Timer, Sleep, etc.)

• Navigation (e.g., folders, pages, profiles, etc.)

• Multi actions

You can use your existing assets — like plugins, icons, and sounds — as you like. They will continue to operate just as before Marketplace.

However, without an account, you won’t receive automatic updates to your assets. That means you’ll miss out on the latest features and bug fixes, unless you install each new version manually — via one of the methods shared below.

To add new assets without an account, you can sideload from GitHub or any non-Marketplace website. For example, we host the latest version of all Elgato plugins, available here open source. Many Makers also list icons and profiles on third-party websites, which you can upload to Stream Deck.

Will you spam me with promotional emails?

No, absolutely not.

If you create an account with your email, you have the choice to subscribe to our newsletter. For users outside of the United States, this option is turned off by default. Those in the United States can opt out with a simple toggle.

As a result, you’ll only receive emails from Elgato pertaining to your account or transactions. We will never send you promotional emails without your explicit consent.

Moving forward with Stream Deck

We understand that Marketplace represents a big change for many of you, especially for those who prioritize privacy or work in corporate environments — where logins sometimes pose IT challenges.

That said, we stand by our decision. At Elgato, our mission is to make pro content creation accessible to everyone, and we view Marketplace as a major step towards that goal.

We ask for your trust and invite you to embark on this journey with us. Marketplace introduces so many exciting possibilities; we can’t wait to share what’s next for Stream Deck.

That said, if you remain firmly opposed to these changes, we respect your choice and welcome your feedback. Connect on social media and tell us how we can improve your experience. Until then, happy creating!