22 Best Free Screen Recorders [2024]

Best for: beginners and professionals

OS: macOS, Windows

Price: free trial, HK$169 for a 1-year license, HK$269 for a lifetime license

Windows Report review

Movavi Screen Recorder is the ultimate all-rounder for users who are looking for a top quality screen recording tool on Windows and Mac. At a basic level, it will record your screen (with microphone and system audio) and save it in a high-quality file format of your choice.

You can use the built-in tools to edit the recording, capture your webcam alongside the recording, or annotate it with on-screen drawing tools. It also allows you to set up a scheduled recording, automating the process entirely. Movavi Screen Recorder is free to try, but to remove the watermark and other limitations, you’ll need to upgrade.

Key features:

• Capture every detail, even keystrokes and button clicks

• Capture video in Full HD and 4K
• Draw shapes and lines on recordings
• Grab webcam and audio at the same time or separately to create video instructions or podcasts
• Schedule recording of important live events you can’t attend to watch them later
• Edit screenshots by adding text, arrows, or frames

While ActivePresenter is a powerful desktop recorder for all users, it’s aimed squarely at the professional e-learning market.

It allows you to create interactive materials around your screen recordings, letting you annotate, customize, and export your recordings in a number of video formats, including MP4 and WebM, as well as the web-friendly HTML5.

Key features:

• Allows you to import non-video content (e.g. PowerPoint presentations)

• Able to interactive features to recordings

• Exports to web-friendly formats

• Powerful annotation and editing features

Download ActivePresenter

OBS Studio is one of the best free screen recorders for live streamers and HD gameplay recordings. You can record video and audio streams from a number of different sources, whether it’s a browser window, full-screen gameplay, or from your webcam. You can also use professional capture cards to record gameplay from consoles.

You can customize OBS Studio extensively, adding overlays, hotkeys, and sound effects to your recordings.

Key features:

• Includes live streaming and on-screen recording features

• Customizable interface with hotkeys and layers

• Built-in video and audio editing

• Special effects and transitions

Download OBS Studio

ShareX is one of the best free screen recorders for Windows 10. It’s not as feature-filled as OBS or Movavi Screen Recorder, but it’s a good entry-level app for recording your PC or laptop screen. You can customize the recording area, allowing you to capture individual windows or the whole screen.

It supports a number of common video formats, but you can also export recordings as web-friendly GIFs.

Key features:

• Offers full screen and active window recordings

• Includes automatic capture functionality

• Allows you to export to social media and video platforms

Download ShareX

Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder is a great, cross platform free video recorder that allows you to capture your browser or PC window with just one click.

There are no time limits, no limitations, and no watermarks in Apowersoft recordings. You can record audio from a mic or on-screen, capture your webcam, export to video sharing sites, or save locally as an MP4, AVI, and other major formats.

Key features:

• Records from multiple sources

• Includes real-time editing and annotation

• Supports watermarks and video trimming

• Offers scheduled and timed recording

Go to the Apowersoft website

Icecream Screen Recorder is a minimalist screen capture tool for Windows, Mac, and mobile users. It’s aimed at recording on-screen apps and games while keeping system resource usage low.

The free version has some limitations, including a five minute video limit and a watermark.

Key features:

• Simple interface for screen recording
• Offers video conversion functionality (in pro version)
• Able to customize recording area

Download Icecream Screen Recorder

FlashBack Express has all of the functionality you’ll need to record your screen, allowing you to customize the area, select individual app windows, and add your camera feed.

It isn’t time-limited like Icecream Screen Recorder, and it doesn’t include watermarks. If you need more functionality, you’ll need to upgrade.

Key features:

• Record from multiple sources

• Add external audio commentary

• Export to video sharing sites directly

Download FlashBack Express

Free Cam is a free Windows screen recorder that makes screen recording simple. It’s free to use, has no time limitations, and doesn’t apply a watermark to videos.

You can customize the recording area, add voice overs, highlight on-screen interactions, and more. If you need to edit the recording, you can trim and cut your video and customize the audio feed.

Key features:

• Able to customize the recording area

• Supports microphone input capture

• Allows for basic video editing

• Up to 720p quality recordings

Download Free Cam

Debut Video Capture Software isn’t the most modern-looking screen recording program, but it offers a number of useful features.

Debut is customizable, allowing you to control the recording area, video resolution, brightness and color settings, timings, and more. You can also export videos to video sharing sites directly.

Key features:

• Supports multiple recording sources

• Allows you to schedule recordings

• Real-time video editing

• Supports video-sharing sites

Download Debut Video Capture Software

If you’re interested in screen recording without excessive features, Free Screen Video Recorder from DVDVideoSoft is the tool for you. It’s simple to use, with the ability to determine the record area on-screen, and it’s a free PC screen recorder.

Video recordings are only available as MP4 files, but you can save screenshot images.

Key features:

• Customizable recording area

• Records PC audio and microphone input

• Takes screenshots

Download Free Screen Video Recorder

It’s difficult for completely free video recording software to stand out, but Ezvid is an intriguing option for users. It offers one-click screen recordings on Windows PCs, with camera and microphone capture built-in.

Ezvid is able to create computer generated speech from a text file for narration, or you can add your own audio using your microphone.

Key features:

• Supports webcam and microphone recording

• Includes picture-in-picture mode

• Computer generated narration

• Supports uploads to video sharing sites

Download Ezvid

TinyTake is a beginner-friendly screen recording tool that lets you capture an area, window, or your entire screen. It supports webcam capture, allows you to use various keyboard shortcuts, and includes 2GB of free cloud storage for your video files.

You can also export videos directly to video sharing sites, as well as view your captures on-the-go using TinyTake’s web gallery. There are some limitations in the free version of TinyTake, however, including a five minute recording limit.

Key features:

• Customizable capture area

• Supports webcams

• Cloud storage included with online gallery

Download TinyTake

Screencast-o-Matic is a hugely popular screen recording tool for all major platforms, including Chromebook users. It allows you to customize your capture area, add a webcam feed, and include narration to your screen recordings.

Screencast-o-Matic includes a simple-to-use video editing tool that allows you to add text and shapes, trim your videos, add music and sound effects, and more. The free version doesn’t allow you to annotate your videos or record system audio, however.

Key features:

• Supports multiple platforms and file formats

• Customizable recording area

• Supports direct sharing to social media and video sharing sites

Download Screencast-o-Matic

Acethinker is a one-click freeware recording tool (once you’ve installed the background recording app) that lets you record your screen, include or exclude system audio, and capture the input from your microphone.

Acethinker supports all the major formats, including MP4 and WMV, and allows you to export directly to video sharing sites and cloud storage.

Key features:

• Customizable recording area

• Support for all major video file formats

• Includes microphone audio capture

Go to the Acethinker website

Screencastify is completely web-based, meaning no install required to use it. This Google Chrome extension lets you record your browser window, capturing individual tabs or the entire browser. You can edit videos, save them to Google Drive, or upload them to social media.

As a web-based recorder, it can’t record outside of the Chrome browser window. It does allow you to capture your audio and webcam feeds and annotate your recordings, however.

Key features:

• Powerful web browser screen recording tool

• Supports camera and microphone recording

• Offers basic video annotation and editing

• Supports uploads to cloud storage, social media, and video sharing sites

Download Screencastify

Loom is a modern, easy-to-use screen recording app for all major platforms. Aimed at the business market, Loom allows you to create collaborative screen recordings that you can share with colleagues. You can use it to record your monitor and make changes to the final video before publishing it.

Loom recordings are stored in the cloud, allowing you to share links to your video. You can control who has access, as well as monitor reactions in real time.

Key features:

• Cloud-based screen recording tool

• Collaborative features

• Able to share videos online with control over permissions

• Includes webcam and microphone capture

Download Loom

Bandicam is a powerful screen recording for Windows users. It’s lightweight, with a lower system resource footprint than other screen recording tools. Bandicam offers certain presets for different recording types, such as game recording with a built-in FPS counter. It also allows webcam and microphone capturing.

You can use Bandicam to record up to 10 minutes of footage without upgrading. Free users will see a watermark, but upgrading will remove this.

Key features:

• Supports major file formats

• Offers different preset settings profiles

• Includes webcam and microphone recording

• Lightweight app with low memory footprint

Download Bandicam

PassFab Screen Recorder is a simple but powerful screen recording tool. There are no time limits, it supports webcam and microphone capture, and has different scenario presets (such as game recordings).

You can draw on-screen during a recording, schedule a recording, capture your mouse and keystrokes, and more. The only limitation is a watermark in the free version.

Key features:

• Unlimited recordings

• Advanced picture-in-picture mode

• Real-time editing and annotation

Download PassFab Screen Recorder

AnyMP4 Screen Recorder supports basic video editing in popular formats, including MKV. It’s designed with various scenarios in mind. For instance, you can use it to easily record high-quality gameplay, allowing you to share the recordings on social media.

You can also use AnyMP4 to create e-learning courses, record meetings and conferences, and more, thanks to audio and webcam capturing. You can also annotate and edit recordings in the app itself.

Key features:

• Settings for different scenarios

• Supports webcam and microphone capture

• Allows annotation and editing

Download AnyMP4

If you want to record your work meeting in the morning, but your gameplay in the evening, iTop Screen Recorder is a good option. This multi-purpose screen recorder is flexible, allowing you to customize the capture area, creating no-lag recordings at the highest resolutions.

It supports multiple file formats, is easily customizable, and allows you to edit your recordings without exporting first. iTop Screen Recorder is available as a free download with no limitations.

Key features:

• Multi-purpose screen recorder

• Optimized for limited system resources

• Includes video-editing features

Download iTop Screen Recorder

ApowerRec is a cross platform recording tool. You can use it to customize your recording area, capture your microphone and webcam feeds, add annotation in real time, and more.

It also allows you to zoom into a recording area, schedule recordings in advance, place a spotlight in certain areas during recordings, and more. ApowerRec also supports direct uploading to social media and cloud storage services.

Key features:

• Customizable recording areas

• Real-time annotation

• Online uploading

Download ApowerRec

Soapbox is a web-based screencast tool for Google Chrome users. Aimed at the professional market, you can use it to make commercial videos to share on social media and by email.

Soapbox supports webcam and audio recording, offers basic video editing tools, and includes some special effects and transitions. With built-in sharing tools, you can share your recording widely, but downloading the video requires a paid upgrade to full version.

Key features:

• Screen recording tool with marketing features

• Includes webcam and microphone capture

• Offers transitions and special effects

• Able to share videos on social media and through its own platform

Download Soapbox