[0:00] Becoming a VTuber in 2026 doesn't need
[0:02] to be expensive. In fact, let me show
[0:04] you some of the easiest ways and
[0:05] cheapest ways to become one. At the end,
[0:07] I'll show you each method in action
[0:08] using Vtuber Omegle. Boop chat. Let's
[0:10] get it. First up, we have Mannequin
[0:12] character generator developed by AR14
[0:14] Works. This program is a 2D character
[0:16] generator for visual novels, JRPGs, and
[0:18] yep, you guessed it, Vtubing. Creating
[0:20] your character is easy and
[0:21] straightforward. If you've ever made a
[0:23] character in a video game, it's
[0:24] basically that. Select from a variety of
[0:26] hairstyles, clothes, and facial
[0:28] features. Or you can click this button
[0:30] right here to allow the program to
[0:32] automatically generate a character for
[0:33] you. The awesome thing is that whatever
[0:35] you make here is automatically rigged
[0:37] without you having to do anything so
[0:39] long as you use the tracking software
[0:40] that is paired with Puppet String. I
[0:42] actually like this application so much
[0:44] that I made an entire video detailing a
[0:46] step-by-step guide on how to set
[0:48] everything up. You should totally watch
[0:49] that after this video. Link is up here
[0:51] and down in the doobly-doo. When
[0:53] everything's done, you should get
[0:54] something that looks like this. However,
[0:56] I understand that the effort it takes to
[0:58] set this up might be a little
[0:59] off-putting. So, the next program
[1:01] requires no setup whatsoever. This is
[1:03] Nisma Live. Nisima Nijima Nimma Nimma, a
[1:08] VTuber tracking application developed by
[1:09] the same people who brought us Life 2D.
[1:12] You know, the software responsible for
[1:13] bringing 90% of VTubers to life. So,
[1:16] they kind of know what they're doing.
[1:17] It's a plug-and-play all-in-one program
[1:19] where all you need to do is select a
[1:21] model and that's basically it. You're
[1:23] basically good to go once you've set up
[1:24] OBS to capture it. You have a lot of
[1:26] model options, male, female, and even a
[1:29] lime. I don't know. I It's a lime. Isn't
[1:33] live being an all-in-one also allows you
[1:34] to pick and choose pre-made backgrounds
[1:36] and even import items that you can
[1:38] attach to your model like this. Now, no
[1:40] one will ever know I am actually alive.
[1:44] And as if that wasn't enough, you can
[1:45] also toggle expressions and animations
[1:48] like this.
[1:49] And if you're worried about the tracking
[1:51] being a little too stiff, well, no
[1:53] problem there at all because you can
[1:55] just adjust your parameters to move the
[1:56] way you move, massively improving
[1:59] tracking quality. Heck, this thing even
[2:00] has its own version of collaboration
[2:02] rooms, similar to Bub Studios. This all
[2:04] seems fine and dandy, but unfortunately
[2:06] there is a drawback in that the free
[2:08] version of Nism Alive only allows you 40
[2:11] minutes of continuous camera use, which
[2:13] means that every 40 minutes you'll have
[2:15] to restart the application, which can be
[2:17] annoying, but at least it's not totally
[2:18] blocked off. The paid version allows
[2:20] unlimited time, but comes at the cost of
[2:22] $360 a month. But while NISM Alive only
[2:25] allows you 40 minutes of continuous
[2:27] tracking, the next program allows you to
[2:29] use it for as long as you want. This is
[2:31] Vtuber kit, another all-in-one package
[2:33] developed by Cupid. Unlike Nism alive,
[2:35] it's completely free and offers the same
[2:36] creation method as mannequin character
[2:38] generator that we mentioned earlier. You
[2:40] make your VTuber using a simple
[2:42] character creator interface, which has a
[2:43] variety of options for things like your
[2:45] hair, your clothes, and even accessories
[2:47] and attachments. It even has built-in
[2:49] Twitch integration that allows you to
[2:51] use its other built-in features for
[2:52] stream interactions like its own
[2:54] throwing system similar to tits and
[2:56] model manipulation. Whoa, whoa, wait,
[2:58] hang on. I'M TRYING TO PAIR. WA! WAIT,
[3:01] WAIT. SO, CHAT can have a lot of fun
[3:02] messing with your VTuber. Vubric is easy
[3:04] to install, easy to use, and as a free
[3:07] all-in-one package, it offers a lot of
[3:09] features that make it a great program to
[3:11] start with. And I've sung at praises
[3:12] time and time again. However, the
[3:14] biggest downside is the art. And by
[3:16] that, I don't mean that the art isn't
[3:18] good. I personally like it, but it can
[3:20] be a hit or miss with some as it doesn't
[3:22] follow the typical anime aesthetic that
[3:23] VTubers are known for. And while Vubric
[3:25] walks down its own path, in that sense,
[3:28] this next method actually embraces it.
[3:30] But unlike previous methods mentioned,
[3:32] this isn't a program or application.
[3:34] It's in fact a website called Booth.
[3:36] Here you can find all sorts of useful
[3:38] VTuber things like overlays, assets, and
[3:40] that's right, models. There is a wide
[3:43] variety, including both 2D and 3D
[3:45] models. However, you do get what you pay
[3:47] for, so most of the high-quality models
[3:49] do require payment, but there are also a
[3:51] lot of free options. And I'll prove it
[3:54] to you. Watch this. I selected two
[3:56] models to prove my point. One male and
[3:58] one female. As you can see, the art
[4:00] style is very high quality and the
[4:01] tracking is pretty decent as well. These
[4:04] were made using Live 2D and work through
[4:05] V2 Studio. Some of them are even VB
[4:07] Bridger compatible, which means you'll
[4:09] get even higher tracking quality if you
[4:11] have an iPhone at your disposal.
[4:12] However, if you get one of these models
[4:14] and find that the tracking is stiff,
[4:15] simply adjust the parameters in Fube
[4:17] Studio to tune the models to how you
[4:19] move IRL and that will dramatically
[4:21] improve your tracking. These things come
[4:23] with a default parameters. So you kind
[4:25] of have to tweak everything to make sure
[4:27] that they move as smoothly as you move
[4:30] IRL because everybody is different. So
[4:32] everybody will have different
[4:33] parameters. So keep that in mind. And
[4:35] while we do have one more left on the
[4:37] list, the booth is definitely my
[4:39] personal favorite method. And I would
[4:40] highly recommend it to anyone starting
[4:42] Vtubing for the first time and want a
[4:44] taste of what it's like to get a proper
[4:46] model without having to break the bank
[4:48] or go through the entire process of
[4:50] getting your own personal name model.
[4:52] You not only get a variety of models to
[4:54] use free of charge, but you also get
[4:56] valuable experience in learning how to
[4:58] use VTuber essential programs like VTube
[5:01] Studio, so that when you do get your own
[5:02] custom model, you'll be better prepared
[5:04] for it. Now, as with all the other
[5:06] models I've mentioned, there is a
[5:08] downside, and that is limitations to
[5:10] what you can do with these models listed
[5:12] in the artist's terms. But thankfully,
[5:14] it all kind of really boils down to
[5:16] credit the original artist properly, and
[5:18] don't use the model for monetary gain,
[5:21] like merch and stuff, but income from
[5:22] stream donations or YouTube ad revenue
[5:24] is usually fine. Basically, just, you
[5:26] know, don't be an ass and have some
[5:28] basic respect, then you're Gucci, fam.
[5:30] But if you do want full ownership with
[5:32] your model, then the last method on this
[5:34] list might be of interest to you. We
[5:37] have good old reliable Void Studio. I
[5:40] know, I know it's old and everybody
[5:43] probably knows it, but there is a reason
[5:45] why I'm mentioning it now, so listen up.
[5:48] First off, I've only mentioned how to
[5:49] get 2D VTubers this entire time. What if
[5:52] you want 3D? What if you want that extra
[5:54] D? [laughter] Then Void's got you
[5:57] covered. It follows a very similar
[5:58] formula to the others mentioned in the
[6:00] list as it uses a character creation
[6:02] style interface. But the key difference
[6:03] here is the sheer amount of
[6:05] customizability and control you have in
[6:07] Void Studio. You're not just limited to
[6:09] predetermined selection of items to
[6:11] piece together, but rather you have the
[6:13] ability to sculpt your own hair, to
[6:14] paint your own textures, and even create
[6:17] your own clothes. But of course, these
[6:19] are more advanced controls, and they do
[6:21] require artistic experience to pull off.
[6:23] However, here's the cool thing. If you
[6:25] go to Booth, you know that awesome
[6:27] website we mentioned earlier, and search
[6:28] up Void. Boom. Look at all these
[6:31] options. Endless, endless choices of
[6:34] anything you could ever want without
[6:35] ever having to touch a digital
[6:37] paintbrush. Ain't that cool? Ain't that
[6:39] freaking amazing? [laughter] Some go for
[6:41] as little as 200 yen, which is less than
[6:43] $2 USD, and a lot are even totally free
[6:47] of charge. I remade Zanna using this
[6:49] method. And if you want to see the
[6:50] entire process of how I did that, I'll
[6:52] link a video here once it's finished and
[6:54] uploaded. It should be soon, hopefully.
[6:57] So, now that we have all of these cool
[6:59] models to play with, how about we take
[7:00] them out on a test drive to see what
[7:02] each of them can do in action?
[7:04] Hopefully, from this, you'll be able to
[7:05] see what you vibe with best and make a
[7:07] decision that you're happy with. And if
[7:08] not, look, they're free. You can just
[7:10] choose another method. I've been
[7:12] recently loving this new website called
[7:13] Voop Chat. And some of you might have
[7:15] already seen a video I made of it a
[7:16] while back. But for those who don't
[7:18] know, it's basically like Omega, but for
[7:20] VTubers. It's especially good for those
[7:22] who are just looking for a more casual
[7:24] approach to Vtubing, like using models
[7:25] for fun to hang out with others and play
[7:27] games, but not necessarily to make
[7:29] content with or stream. And it's just a
[7:30] really cool and wholesome place to vibe
[7:32] with other people who have the same
[7:33] interest as you. VChat recently put in
[7:35] support for OBS virtual camera, and that
[7:37] is huge. Why? because it officially
[7:40] opens up the floodgates [music] for
[7:42] anyone to be able to use any VTuber
[7:45] model. 2D, 3D, PNG, it doesn't matter.
[7:48] Whatever you want, so long as it works
[7:50] in OBS, which most everything basically
[7:53] does. But before we dive into it, I'd
[7:55] just like for you guys to hit that like
[7:56] button and subscribe if you're enjoying
[7:58] this video and getting some use out of
[8:00] the content as it'll push out the video
[8:02] in the algorithm and hopefully help some
[8:04] more people out too. Now, back to the
[8:05] testing. Here's the game plan. We'll
[8:07] talk to other YouTubers using models
[8:08] from each method. And this way I can
[8:10] show you the capabilities of each model
[8:12] to the fullest. Let's begin. First,
[8:14] let's set up OBS virtual camera for VIP
[8:16] chat to use. In OBS, set up a scene and
[8:18] create a source with your desired
[8:20] method. Then, open up the virtual camera
[8:21] settings by clicking on this cog wheel
[8:23] here and select scene as your output
[8:25] type and then select your scene in
[8:26] output selection. My scene name is Voop
[8:28] Chat, so I'm just going to select that
[8:30] and then turn on the virtual camera.
[8:32] Then after signing in on Voop Chat,
[8:34] simply navigate to your profile on the
[8:35] top right corner and go to the cam and
[8:37] mic tab here. Then select OBS virtual
[8:39] camera from the drop down. And with
[8:41] that, you're basically all good to go.
[8:43] Also, don't worry about streaming or
[8:45] recording. You can still switch over to
[8:46] any scene you want without affecting the
[8:48] virtual camera because it'll only output
[8:50] what you've selected even if you're on
[8:52] another scene. Now, let's get started.
[8:54] First up, the mannequin model. Is that
[8:56] Kenny from South Park? Oh my goodness.
[9:00] >> [laughter]
[9:01] >> How you doing, HP?
[9:02] >> Is that you? Oh my god.
[9:05] >> I am. You [laughter]
[9:08] caught me in the middle of making a
[9:09] video.
[9:12] >> Surprise. You're not safe.
[9:15] >> We will find you anywhere in any day.
[9:17] >> You want to say hi to YouTube real
[9:18] quick?
[9:19] >> Hello YouTube. Like and subscribe.
[9:21] [laughter]
[9:21] >> Now let's switch over to the Nisma Life
[9:23] model. Hey, how's it going?
[9:25] >> Hello.
[9:25] >> I see Sauo. I've I've seen that around
[9:28] and I have no idea what it means. Can
[9:30] you explain it, please?
[9:31] >> It means I learned this today actually.
[9:33] It means shut your [ __ ] ass up.
[9:35] [laughter]
[9:37] >> I thought it was just like a random
[9:39] word, but no. No. It means shut your
[9:41] [ __ ] ass up. [laughter]
[9:43] >> I'm going to write that down. I'm going
[9:44] to start using it, too. That's That's
[9:46] too good. Bye-bye.
[9:47] >> You look like a host, by the way.
[9:49] >> Thank you. [laughter] And now, let's go
[9:51] on to the Btuber kit model. Hello. Are
[9:55] you are you just a laboo lab?
[10:00] >> Okay, let's have a gentlemanly
[10:01] discussion. Who is your best wife?
[10:03] Number one girl.
[10:05] >> Yeah, boooo.
[10:06] >> Yeah. Yeah, I get you. I see what you
[10:08] mean. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I totally get it.
[10:10] I totally get it. Good choice. Good
[10:11] choice. Okay, now time for my favorite,
[10:14] the booth models. Male and female
[10:16] variations.
[10:17] >> That is a nice looking model.
[10:18] >> Thank you so much. I actually borrowing
[10:20] it. Uh I got it off booth.
[10:21] >> On booth?
[10:22] >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a free model.
[10:24] >> Yeah, but the tracking looks pretty
[10:26] good.
[10:26] >> Tracking is phenomenal on this one.
[10:28] Yeah, it's really good. I'm only using a
[10:29] webcam, too. Well, that's that's a cool
[10:31] looking set you got there.
[10:32] >> Oh my goodness. Is that just a bunch of
[10:35] reverb? Hang on. Hang on. I can do
[10:37] reverb too.
[10:38] >> Congratulations.
[10:42] [laughter]
[10:43] >> No way. Wait, you modeled your own
[10:45] model?
[10:46] >> I also made my own animations.
[10:47] >> Oh, can I see?
[10:48] >> Uh, yeah, sure. Display introduction.
[10:53] It's voice activated.
[10:54] >> This is my um
[10:56] >> Yes, it's voice activated.
[11:06] Whoa.
[11:09] Whoa.
[11:11] Holy crap. He just nuked that area. And
[11:14] now finally, the Zino model that I made
[11:16] on Veroid Studio.
[11:17] >> Hey, I know who you are. I actually
[11:19] follow your streams and I'm in your
[11:21] Discord. I actually drew you um a little
[11:22] heart emote before cuz I was giving out
[11:24] some love on my own stream.
[11:26] >> Wait, no way. Hang on a [laughter]
[11:28] second. Wait, really?
[11:29] >> Yeah, I used to go by Lunar Kitten.
[11:32] >> Oh, Lunar. [laughter]
[11:35] >> No way.
[11:37] >> Yeah,
[11:37] >> that's crazy. Small world. I'm glad like
[11:41] more people have been using Voop Chat.
[11:43] >> I am a social butterfly with social
[11:44] anxiety. My friend's like, "Hey, you
[11:45] want to make new friends?" Like, I'd
[11:46] love new friends. Been talking their
[11:48] streams. No. [laughter]
[11:50] It's like, "Okay, go here." I'm like,
[11:51] "What is this? It's called speed
[11:53] friendship." I'm like, "I like that."
[11:56] >> That's such a great description, though,
[11:57] because it's basically it. I've never
[11:59] made VTuber friends this quick.
[12:01] >> Same. [laughter]
[12:02] >> So, there you have it. Five different
[12:04] ways to start YouTubing for free in
[12:06] 2026. Which methods are you going to try
[12:08] and why? Let me know down in the
[12:10] comments. Or if you know of any other
[12:11] methods, then I'd love to know as well,
[12:13] and I might just cover it in a future
[12:15] video. and of course credit you in the
[12:17] process like how I did with the
[12:18] mannequin video which you can watch
[12:20] here.