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No matter how much money you have, the best free screen recorders let you record cameras, windows, browser tabs, and your whole desktop. The best screen cameras often have advanced features and premium effects like transitions, video editing, and 4K recording. These features are often used to record webinars, meetings, training, and even games. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money on classes.
All the tools you need to let other people see what you see come with free screen recording software. Some apps are really easy to use, but some of the more powerful free screen recording software might take some time to set up on your best business laptop. If you’re working on more complicated projects, like making clips for social media or editing videos for YouTube, you should know that some of the best video editing software also has screen capture apps built in.
We tried the best free screen recorders for Windows and Mac to help you find the right app. As part of our review process, we looked at how easy it was to use, how fast it was, how well it worked, what extra tools it had, like the best free video makers, and what paid upgrades you could get.
Best Free Screen Recorder Comparison Table
| Product | Features | Platforms | Download Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Cam | – Screen recording | – Windows | Download Now |
| DVDVideoSoft’s Free Screen Video Recorder | – Screen recording | – Windows | Download Now |
| OBS Studio | – Powerful and customizable streaming and recording software | – Windows, macOS, Linux | Download Now |
| Debut Video Capture | – Screen recording | – Windows, macOS | Download Now |
| Loom | – Screen recording | – Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Download Now |
Free Cam
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Screen recording | Capture your screen with high-quality video and audio |
| Webcam recording | Record videos from your webcam for tutorials or video messages |
| Audio recording | Capture system audio or external microphone input |
| Editing tools | Trim, cut, or merge recorded videos for a polished final product |
| Annotation tools | Add text, shapes, arrows, and highlights to your recordings |
| Cursor effects | Emphasize mouse clicks and movements for better understanding |
| Export options | Save recordings in various formats (MP4, AVI, WMV, etc.) |
| Easy sharing | Share your recordings directly to YouTube or other platforms |
| No watermarks | Record without any annoying watermarks on your videos |
| User-friendly UI | Intuitive interface for a seamless recording experience |
Free Cam is a fairly straightforward and user-friendly piece of screen recording software that comes with an integrated audio and video editor. You can record either the entire screen of your computer or just a section of it using its appealing and user-friendly interface; the size of the area that you need to capture can be adjusted to suit your needs.
This screen recorder doesn’t leave a watermark, and it doesn’t have any ads either, despite the fact that it’s free. In addition, it does not impose any time constraints, allowing users to record videos of any length they choose.
The Good
- Interface that is easy to use
- Offers a wide range of tools for editing
- Makes high-quality videos with no time limits or watermarks
The Bad
- Compared to other software, it doesn’t have as many advanced features.
- May run into bugs or crashes every so often
DVDVideoSoft’s Free Screen Video Recorder
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Screen recording | Capture your screen with high-quality video and audio |
| Webcam recording | Record videos from your webcam for tutorials or video messages |
| Audio recording | Capture system audio or external microphone input |
| Editing tools | Trim, cut, or merge recorded videos for a polished final product |
| Annotation tools | Add text, shapes, arrows, and highlights to your recordings |
| Cursor effects | Emphasize mouse clicks and movements for better understanding |
| Export options | Save recordings in various formats (MP4, AVI, WMV, etc.) |
| Easy sharing | Share your recordings directly to YouTube or other platforms |
| No watermarks | Record without any annoying watermarks on your videos |
| User-friendly UI | Intuitive interface for a seamless recording experience |
Free Screen Video Recorder is a Best Free Screen Recorder that has all of the features you need but is still quite lightweight. It was developed by a company that is known for its free conversion software. Because it is capable of recording Skype chats without any restrictions, it is excellent for recording Skype meetings as well as online conference calls.
Additionally, individual Windows apps can be selected out and stored separately as their own distinct element. Included in the package is a fundamental image editor that has a friendly interface and is surprisingly useful for achieving a professional look.
The Good
- Free to use in every way
- Different kinds of records
- Easy to use and navigate
- Offers simple editing options
The Bad
- May not have enough advanced features for business use
- There are some ads in the software.
OBS Studio
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Live streaming | Stream your screen and webcam footage in real-time |
| Customizable layout | Arrange and resize various elements on your screen |
| Video recording | Capture high-quality video and audio of your screen |
| Audio recording | Capture system audio or external microphone input |
| Scene transitions | Create smooth transitions between different screen layouts |
| Filters and effects | Apply filters, effects, and overlays to enhance your videos |
| Multiple sources | Add multiple sources to your scenes (screens, webcams, images) |
| Plugins and scripts | Extend functionality with third-party plugins and scripts |
| Streamlined settings | Customize output settings for optimal streaming and recording |
| Cross-platform | Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux |
If you want to record games for free, OBS Studio is by far the Best Free Screen Recorder you can get. Unlike the very popular FRAPS, which only lets you record for 30 seconds at a time unless you buy a license and stamps the footage with a watermark, OBS Studio is open source and totally free to use.
OBS Studio lets you stream and record in high definition, and there are no limits on how many or how long your works can be. You can stream live to Twitch or YouTube Gaming, save projects and come back to them later, or encode your video in FLV format and save it offline.
The Good
- Free and open-source
- Settings that can be changed a lot
- Multiple platforms and devices are supported.
The Bad
- Beginners will have to learn more quickly.
Debut Video Capture
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Screen recording | Capture your screen with high-quality video and audio |
| Webcam recording | Record videos from your webcam for tutorials or video messages |
| Audio recording | Capture system audio or external microphone input |
| Video encoding | Compress recorded videos to reduce file size |
| Scheduled recording | Set a specific time and date for automatic recording |
| Video effects | Apply visual effects, filters, and overlays to your recordings |
| Cursor highlighting | Highlight mouse movements and clicks for better visibility |
| Snapshot capture | Take screenshots during your recording sessions |
| Export options | Save recordings in various formats (MP4, AVI, WMV, etc.) |
| Burning to DVD | Burn recorded videos to DVD for playback on compatible devices |
Debut Video Capture from NCH Software is one of the Best Free Screen Recorder for home users. Commercial users will need to buy a lifetime license or a subscription, which is on the cheaper end of the range compared to similar products from competitors.
Debut is a tool that lets you record the screen of your computer and other devices that are connected and suitable. And, for the most part, it gives you exactly what you’d expect. During our testing, we thought the software for recording the screen worked very well. It made it easy for users to record audio and video from various sources.
The Good
- Easy to use and understand
- Helps a lot of different video formats
- Offers options for scheduled recording
- Includes tools for basic editing
The Bad
- There are limits and watermarks on the free version.
Loom
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Screen recording | Capture your screen with high-quality video and audio |
| Webcam recording | Record videos from your webcam for tutorials or video messages |
| Audio recording | Capture system audio or external microphone input |
| Cloud storage | Store your recordings securely in the cloud for easy access |
| Instant sharing | Share your recordings with a unique link or through integrations |
| Team collaboration | Collaborate with team members by sharing videos and comments |
| Trim and edit | Cut unnecessary parts and add captions to your recordings |
| Privacy settings | Choose who can view your recordings (public, private, or unlisted) |
| Analytics | Track views and engagement for your shared videos |
| Mobile apps | Record and access your videos on the go with mobile apps |
Give Loom the Best Free Screen Recorder a try if you want to quickly record something and share a link. When it’s time to record, Loom isn’t too hard to use. You can choose to record just your screen, your screen and your webcam, or just your webcam. As soon as you’re done, your movie will be sent to Loom. You can make simple changes to the movie in your browser, or you can copy the link to share it. Everything happens quickly, which makes it the best PC screen recording overall.
You can keep up to 25 videos of up to five minutes each with the free version of Loom. Even though it’s limited, it’s a great way to quickly show something to a partner, friend, or even an archenemy. And if you’re getting close to 25 movies, you can always download them and store them somewhere else.
The Good
- Easy and quick to record the screen
- Cloud storage makes it easy to share files
- Features for video messaging that are built in
The Bad
- Fewer ways to change things
- Needs an internet connection to work properly.
FAQs
A screen recorder is a piece of software that lets you catch and save what’s going on on your computer screen, like desktop actions, games, presentations, tutorials, and more.
A screen recorder can be used for many things, such as making video tutorials, recording games to stream or share, catching online conferences or webinars, writing down software problems so they can be fixed, and making demos or presentations.
Yes, there are a number of free screen recorders that let you do simple screen recording without having to pay anything. If you only need to record simple things and don’t need advanced features, these tools are a good choice.