Best free screen recorder of 2024

The champion free surface recorder gives you each nan devices you request to seizure images and videos, past edit your contented - wholly free of charge.

Our squad has expertly reviewed nan best surface recorders and nan best screenshot devices for Mac, but for free alternatives to apical software, these are nan devices and apps we recommend.

During our ain tests, OBS Studio proved to beryllium nan champion free surface signaling package for astir people. This is an incredibly powerful spot of kit, perfect for webinars, presentations, and streaming. But you'll find plentifulness of options here, each reviewed by us.

As portion of our broad testing process, we comparison performance, media quality, format support, and further features and effects for illustration video and image editing connected free surface recorders crossed Windows and macOS. And we make judge each featured package is wholly free to use.

The champion free surface recorders of 2024 successful full:

Best free surface recorder overall

If you’re looking for free crippled signaling software, OBS Studio is easy nan champion free surface recorder for you. Unlike nan hugely celebrated FRAPS (which only lets you grounds for 30 seconds astatine a agelong unless you’ve bought a license, and applies a watermark to nan resulting footage), OBS Studio is unfastened source, and wholly free to usage without restrictions.

OBS Studio supports some streaming and signaling successful precocious definition, pinch nary restrictions connected nan number aliases magnitude of your creations. You tin watercourse unrecorded to Twitch aliases YouTube gaming, prevention projects and travel backmost to them later, aliases encode your footage successful FLV format and prevention it locally.

Because OBS Studio tin grounds straight from your graphics card, it’s capable to surface seizure games moving successful full-screen mode (many different surface recorders tin only grounds if nan crippled is windowed), pinch customizable hotkeys to power nan recording. OBS Studio tin besides make afloat usage of multi-core CPUs for improved capacity and tin grounds astatine 60FPS (or moreover higher).

However, each those awesome features travel astatine nan costs of a steep learning curve. Newcomers whitethorn beryllium baffled by nan often overwhelming interface. When we tested retired OBS Studio, we recovered a fewer glitches and frustrations, while "it mightiness consciousness a spot overwhelming erstwhile you get started, it possesses galore devices to thief you create awesome content. You conscionable request to get utilized to nan interface." For a simpler return connected OBS Studio however, we urge checking retired Streamlabs.

Still, it's a insignificant gripe for an different top-free surface signaling software. OBS Studio mightiness return a small while to group it up precisely really you want, but nan incredibly powerful instrumentality is by acold nan champion free surface recorder for gaming.

Read our afloat OBS Studio review.

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Best free surface recorder pinch annotation

ShareX is simply a free, open-source surface recorder and seizure instrumentality for PC. You’ll decidedly get Millennium Falcon vibes erstwhile utilizing it: it whitethorn not look for illustration much, but it's sewage it wherever it counts. And you’ll besides request to make immoderate typical modifications yourself to return afloat advantage of each its features. Underneath a sparse interface lies galore devices that tin thief you make your screenshots shine.

These see being capable to prime nan nonstop portion of nan surface you’d for illustration to preserve, by utilizing rectangle, ellipsis, and moreover freehand tools. You besides person a myriad of options for marking and annotating your captured images. These see coloured borders, lines and arrows to constituent to circumstantial areas, matter boxes, sequential numbers, etc. You moreover person nan expertise to pixelate aliases blur delicate sections you’d alternatively not share, aliases usage a magnifying instrumentality to zoom into a designated area.

Taking screenshots is cool, but what astir signaling your screen? What’s wherever nan typical modifications footwear in: though surface seizure is an advertised instrumentality of ShareX, you won’t beryllium capable to usage it without downloading further software, namely ffmpeg.exe. But ShareX makes it a cinch to get it and instal it. It’s a mini value to salary for truthful overmuch powerfulness and versatility.

Read our afloat ShareX review.

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Best free surface recorder for easiness of use

NCH Software’s Debut Video Capture is 1 of nan champion free surface recorders - for location users, astatine least. Commercial users will request to prime up a life licence aliases a subscription that, compared to akin products from rivals, is astatine nan inexpensive extremity of nan spectrum.

Debut is simply a multi-platform surface signaling instrumentality to seizure your computer’s screen, and different connected and compatible devices. And, successful nan main, it delivers precisely nan acquisition you’d expect.

During our testing, we felt nan surface signaling package worked very well, letting users seizure audio and video from aggregate sources pinch comparative ease.

The interface mightiness consciousness a small antiquated, but it comes pinch a wealthiness of features and customization options. The surface recorder app captures each selected devices separately, making it overmuch easier to edit afterwards. However, you’ll person to do that pinch video editing software, arsenic Debut offers small successful nan measurement of editing capabilities, speech from trimming.

There is simply a downside to nan tool. Although this package claims to activity connected a Mac, we had endless issues connected our instrumentality moving Sonoma (MacOS 14.4). Last clip we reviewed Debut, we couldn’t get nan audio to work. This time, moreover though we enabled endless permissions to let nan package to seizure our screen, it kept insisting it wasn’t allowed to do so. After 30 minutes of getting nowhere, we ended up giving up successful frustration.

Read our afloat Debut Video Capture review.

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Best free surface recorder for non-editors

ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) is an absorbing free surface recorder arsenic it offers a batch for free. You tin easy grounds your screen, webcam aliases some pinch conscionable a fewer clicks, and use callouts live, arsenic you execute your talk. The editing is highly minimal, mind.

We recovered nan surface signaling app elemental to use. Unfortunately, nan post-edit and export acquisition is simply a spot of a fto down. After editing and exporting your surface capture, nan footage is automatically and instantly discarded arsenic nan app shuts down. It’s an unnecessary flaw successful an different easy-to-use surface recorder for your browser.

The free surface recorder should work nan needs of astir casual users. However, 3 monthly and yearly subscription packages are available, adding much functionality for master aliases commercialized use.

These paid-for upgrades fto you region nan watermark from surface recordings, arsenic good arsenic nan clip -limited captures. You’ll besides beryllium gaining much video editing tools, and entree to an online media library. The much you pay, nan much you get.

Higher subscription plans adhd banal media, unlimited unreality hosting, video quizzes and polls, and premium contented from Shutterstock. If you request online collaboration tools, there’s Team Business for commercialized use.

Read our afloat ScreenPal (Screencast-O-Matic) review.

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Best free surface recorder for mini businesses

EaseUS RecExperts is 1 of nan champion surface recorders for Windows and Mac connected nan market. It’s quick, it’s easy to use, and it’s afloat to nan brim pinch master screen-capture features.

When we tested retired nan software, we were impressed that RecExperts effortlessly captures your screen, webcam, strategy sounds, and audio from built-in and USB microphones. And it’s elemental to prime what you’re signaling during set-up.

Offering up to 4K/60fps captures, nan free surface recorder has plentifulness of inferior for delivering webinars, presentations, and moreover signaling games.

However, while we highly rated nan features and tools, we recovered nan editing abilities were lacking. Once you’ve recorded your clip, basal options see trimming and watermarking clips, and adding intros and outros. In this area, it’s not dissimilar FlashBack Express.

The large rumor is nan limitation imposed connected nan free version. Without a subscription aliases perpetual license, RecExperts recordings are capped astatine 1 minute. Useful devices for illustration nan fantabulous signaling scheduler are locked down that paywall. Great, then, for quickly showing a friend aliases workfellow really to execute a peculiar task, but not for longer videos.

However, do beryllium warned that if you bid but past alteration your mind - arsenic you are entitled to do - EaseUS tin beryllium awkward astir issuing refunds.

Read our afloat EaseUS RecExperts review.

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Best free surface recorder for unrecorded footage

FlashBack Express offers users a free surface recorder for PC without a watermark. We recovered nan devices activity precisely arsenic you’d expect. The interface is pared backmost and easy to understand, pinch a large ‘Start Recording’ fastener erstwhile you’re fresh to begin.

You tin besides grounds your webcam astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic your screen, arsenic good arsenic outer audio. You moreover person nan expertise to harvest what you’d for illustration to record, aliases conscionable take a circumstantial window.

There are limitations (it is free, aft all), specified arsenic nan signaling size (only 720p), and your post-editing capabilities are practically non-existent: each you tin do is trim nan commencement and extremity of your video.

During our review, we recovered this editing process nan existent debased constituent of different acceptable package - you tin only trim nan commencement and extremity of your recording. After going backmost to nan package since our past review, we’ve noticed that nan “editing” characteristic of FlashBack Express has been renamed to a much realistic and meticulous “Video Trimmer”.

When it comes to exporting, you person entree to nan accustomed online retention options specified arsenic Google Drive and DropBox, and you besides person nan expertise to upload consecutive to YouTube. You tin besides prevention nan record to your computer.

If you request to grounds thing quickly and don’t mind nan deficiency of bells and whistles, we recovered FlashBack Express is 1 of nan champion free surface recorders connected nan market.

Read our afloat FlashBack Express review.

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Best free surface recorder for Mac

While plentifulness of nan champion free surface recorders we urge tally connected macOS, what’s amended than an app that’s already installed connected your computer?

If you ain a Mac, you astir apt usage QuickTime Player each nan clip to play immoderate videos, but location are immoderate not-so-hidden features that move this mundane portion of package into an highly useful casual surface recorder.

Go to nan MenuBar, click connected File and nan first 3 options are each designed to thief you grounds a video utilizing your Mac’s built-in webcam, grounds immoderate audio utilizing your Mac’s built-in microphone, and yet capturing your screen. You person nan action of signaling your full screen, aliases selecting a chosen portion. You tin grounds arsenic agelong arsenic you request but there’s a large caveat: nary audio is captured while you do that. It’s a bully instrumentality but has limitations, which could beryllium deal-breakers for some. Not to mention a complete deficiency of editing capabilities (aside from trimming tools), though you tin ever resistance nan signaling into iMovie, different free app for your Mac.

But if you request to quickly grounds thing that’s happening connected your screen, and you don’t request immoderate audio, it’s beautiful overmuch ideal.

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Best free surface recorder FAQs

How to take nan champion free surface recorder for you

When choosing which free surface recorder is best, make judge to look retired for:

+ Easy experience - make judge nan video signaling package is straightforward to group up and use, nary matter really advanced. Don’t fto it get successful nan measurement of your workflow.

+ Resolution - nan champion free surface recorder package will output successful high-definition.

+ Recording - not each surface recorders are equal. For example, nan best free streaming software for gaming mightiness not activity arsenic nan best video conferencing tools.

+ Editing - if you request much post-production polish, immoderate free surface recorders person video editor capabilities, and moreover nan best video editing package for beginners for illustration Clipchamp see built-in surface recorders.

+ Output - moreover free surface recorders should connection a scope of record formats, for illustration MP4, MOV, and GIFs.

Start by knowing what it is you’re going to capture. Is it a master video seizure for meetings, a surface recorder for YouTube, aliases moreover streaming via crippled signaling software?

Decide if you request proper, professional-grade software, for illustration OBS Studio, aliases whether signaling from your browser will suffice. Next, see what devices you’re capturing from - you’ll find loads of surface recorders for Windows and Mac, but besides Android and iOS apps. Some of nan champion free surface recorders effortlessly seizure webcam footage, too. Ideal for streamers and webinar hosts.

Finally, deliberation astir semipermanent use. If you’re apt to outgrow free options, it mightiness beryllium worthy choosing a package that lets you upgrade to a surface recorder without watermarks, for illustration FlashBack Express aliases Debut Video Capture.

What is nan champion free surface recorder?

OBS Studio is our prime for champion free surface recorder and streaming package overall. After testing, we recovered not only tin nan open-source package grounds everything happening connected your desktop, but besides seizure footage from your webcam and usage it for picture-in-picture video, and moreover grounds audio from a microphone. This free surface signaling package gives you nan action to prevention captures successful a format of your choice, aliases watercourse them via nan work of your choice.

For a agelong time, it’s been 1 of nan champion free surface recorders for Windows 10 - and it’s besides disposable connected macOS and Windows 11, done nan redesigned Microsoft Store. While OBS Studio is an perfect prime for professionals and gamers alike, however, it’s worthy exploring which different free surface seizure instrumentality is champion for your needs. So, let’s opportunity you only request to seizure a fewer minutes of footage - much straightforward free surface recorder package mightiness service you conscionable arsenic well.

Whether you're making an on-screen tutorial, signaling a Let's Play video, aliases capturing a video convention call, location are solutions for everyone.

How we tested nan champion free surface recorders

Our squad of master reviewers person tested hundreds of productivity and video accumulation tools, including nan best video editing software and best free video editing software for contented creation.

When we reappraisal nan champion free surface recorders retired there, we measure nan personification experience, nan performance, nan output, and nan assemblage and use.

Even if nan learning curve is steep, it should beryllium clear really users tin commencement signaling their screens - pinch further support if necessary. Upon export, we trial nan value of outputs, reviewing nan video resolution, record formats, and wide value for lags aliases stuttering.

Free surface signaling package must beryllium unambiguously free. Users shouldn’t person to navigate analyzable charges and hidden fees.

The very champion surface recorders are versatile tools, letting you seizure and grounds everything from meetings to gaming. However, we admit that individual surface signaling apps whitethorn beryllium built for circumstantial purposes, and judge these devices connected really good they present for, say, professionals successful a business situation aliases YouTube creators and streamers.

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