Bitfocus Satellite is a free, open-source macOS application that acts as a remote control-surface gateway — it connects Stream Deck and other compatible input devices on your local machine to a Bitfocus Companion server running anywhere on your network, turning a single Companion installation into a fleet-wide control hub.
What is Bitfocus Satellite?
Bitfocus Satellite is the thin-client half of the Bitfocus Companion ecosystem. Companion itself is the industry-standard open-source broadcast control platform that powers countless live production desks worldwide — from bedroom streaming rigs to touring broadcast trucks. Satellite exists because real-world productions rarely have just one operator position. Install it on any Mac (or Windows or Linux machine) and every Stream Deck plugged into that machine registers with the central Companion server over the network, behaving exactly as if its USB cable ran directly to that server. The result: one Companion config, many physical surfaces, zero duplicated setup.
What does Bitfocus Satellite do best?
Satellite's greatest strength is its near-zero friction. Point it at a Companion server — by IP address or hostname — and it connects within seconds. All your Stream Deck buttons light up with whatever pages and actions Companion has defined for that client ID. There is no per-device configuration beyond giving the client a name; everything else lives on the Companion side.
I run it at a second operator desk during multi-camera live streams. While the A-operator handles OBS scene switching and ATEM camera cuts from their Stream Deck XL, my position across the room controls graphics triggers and replay commands from a smaller deck — all driven by the same Companion instance. Latency over a gigabit LAN is imperceptible. Even across a VPN at a remote venue, button response feels instantaneous for anything that isn't frame-accurate broadcast switching.
- Multi-surface live production — one Companion instance drives every operator desk simultaneously
- Remote venue support — connect over VPN when Satellite is on a laptop at front-of-house
- Instant reconfiguration — update buttons on the server and all Satellite clients refresh automatically
- Mixed-OS environments — Mac, Windows, and Linux Satellite nodes work together on the same Companion server
Who should use Bitfocus Satellite?
If you run a single Stream Deck at a single desk with Companion on that same machine, you have no need for Satellite — Companion's native USB support handles that case perfectly. Satellite is for the next tier: broadcast directors juggling multiple operator positions, AV integrators centralising conference-room control, or solo streamers who want a second surface on a living-room laptop while the main encoding rig sits in a back office.
The learning curve is essentially nil for anyone already fluent in Companion. If Companion is new to you, start there first — Satellite is inert without a running Companion instance to connect to. Think of it like any thin client in traditional IT: powerful and purpose-built, but fully dependent on its server.
Is Bitfocus Satellite free?
Yes — completely free to download and use, with no paywalls, subscription tiers, or premium features gated away. The project is open source, actively maintained by the Bitfocus team, and accepts community contributions. Companion itself is also free. Your only real expenditure is the Stream Deck hardware and whatever broadcast gear you wire into Companion.
What are the best Bitfocus Satellite alternatives?
Nothing else occupies this exact niche within the Companion ecosystem — Satellite is the official, purpose-built bridge for remote surface connectivity. The blunt alternative is running a full Companion instance on every machine, but that means keeping multiple configs, databases, and update cycles in sync, which becomes genuinely painful at scale.
Outside Companion entirely, tools like TouchOSC or Osculator can relay OSC and MIDI commands over a network to control broadcast software directly. They are capable, but they lack Companion's deep integrations with hundreds of professional devices and have no equivalent of Companion's button-state synchronisation. For broadcast-grade surface extension at zero cost, Satellite is effectively the only game in town.
