Screen Recorders can come in handy for various purposes. Maybe you want to livecast your video game or make a YouTube tutorial teaching people how to design, edit, produce music or videos.
Whatever be the case, you’ll need screen recording software to facilitate this. Screen recording software will take screencasts and may even offer video editing features. While most of these screen recording tools provide different functionalities, they share some features in common. Most screen recording software enables unlimited recording time, adjustable video frame and cut-and-paste editing options.
You can choose from a range of free or paid screen recording software, depending on your individual requirements. We provide a comprehensive list discussing the best screen recorders available in the market today, examining the pros and cons of each.
While you can always opt for free screen recording software which will provide you with great screen recording if you are on a budget, paid screen recorders will extend high performance. It may also give expert tech support that a free software just cannot match.
We discuss below a combined list of both types of best screen recorders, so you can choose the best one for yourself!
Best Screen Recorders
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is a free screen recording software, and one of the best in the market at that. It makes video recording and live streaming possible without clamping down a watermark on your screen, as with most free softwares.
It also does not restrict you to any time limit. OBS Studio is the preferred screen recorder for gamers looking to broadcast their live gaming footage. OBS Screen Recording software not only allows you to capture the entire display/window screen – it also lets you sync in recordings from your microphone and webcam.
Before streaming, OBS Studio asks you to select the desktop applications and audio sources you’d like content to be shared from. It also allows you to create layered videos for webcam.
It is an open source program, and you are recommended to download it only from the official website, for security reasons.
Pros
- It is ad-free and does not impose a watermark on recorded video/time limit on usage
- Provides an intuitive audio mixer
- Enables recording from webcam, microphone, window, region, full screen and computer sounds.
- Allows you to stream directly to DailyMotion, YouTube, Mixer, Twitch and so on.
- Enables multiple filter usage to source, scene and audio devices. You can choose from color correction, noise reduction, green screen, audio normalization, crop, image mask/blend and more.
Cons
- Does not have a built-in editor
- Not very beginner-friendly
- Does not make available a “pause” functionality for video recording
Price – Free
Camtasia (Movavi)
Looking for a screen recorder to match your attention to detail? Camtasia is the screen recording software for you. Camtasia recorder permits you to record your audio and video individually and then mix the two together.
You are provided with the ability to add animations, video overlays and effects as you please. Camtasia is perfect for the creation of interactive videos as it allows you to create and add quizzes and other interactivity features into your recorded video content.
Pros –
- Contains and extends a free library of royalty-free sound and music effects
- Makes frame-by-frame editing possible
- Incorporates your webcam
- Allows for video, audio and cursor tracks to be edited separately
- Lets you add callouts, captions and quizzes to your video
- Can import PowerPoint slides, existing videos, music and photos from your device
Cons –
- The multi-track interface can get quite busy
- Significantly slows down when working with data heavy projects
- On the expensive side
Cost – $249
Bandicam
Another paid screen recording software on our list, Bandicam is incredibly popular among gamers. It allows recording of a range of 2D and 3D games with 4K UHD resolution at up to 144 FPS.
The screen recorder can also record screen fully, partially and even external video from your game console or webcam device. There is a free version made available for those that would like to try the software out, but it imposes a watermark on recorded video and only allows for maximum 10 minutes of video recording at a time. Also, you will not find any single video editing feature.
Even if you install the video cutter from its parent company, Bandicut, it is only possible for you to trim, split and join the recorded footage.
Pros
- It is lightweight
- Allows you to draw/add text/take screenshots while recording
- You can add your own logo to the recorded video
- Enables voice mixing facility
- Lets you add animations and mouse click effects while recording
- You can record region, webcam, microphone, computer sound and full screen
- Makes possible 4K UHD resolution recording at upto 144 FPS
Cons
- Does not provide built-in editor facility
- Video output only possible in AVI and MP4 format
- Can capture editing process while recording screen
Price – $39
Loom
Loom provides for online video conferencing along with expert screen recording ability. The freemium screen recorder enables recording of videos from your computer screen as well as your front camera.
Simple and easy to use, you can utilize Loom’s screen recording features to make educational tutorials, office presentation and what have you! The screen recording software also enables integration with existing APIs and communications apps you might have already installed, such as Slack.
Pros
- Simple UI and the facility to alternate between voice and video recording
- Quick and friendly customer support
- Ability to directly share your video from the software to other platforms
Cons
- Bug issues
- Can crash when dealing with data-heavy files
- Does not allow integration of existing videos on your system which have not been recorded on Loom
Price – $10 per month for the Premium Version. Also makes available a trial version for free.
Flashback Express
Flashback Express is yet another freemium screen recorder. The screen recording software allows you to record webcam, screen and sounds. Even when you use the free version of the software, you are not subject to any watermarks marring your video output or restrictions on the duration of screen recording.
When running a multi-monitor system, you may record screens across the multiple monitors or limit recording to a single screen. You can also schedule your recordings to a specific time or when a certain app is being launched.
There are certain differences between the free and paid version of the Flashback Express software. For eg: The free version does not extend video editing features, effects or even annotations.
In addition, you cannot set password protection to secure access to your recorded videos when using the free Flashback Express app. That said, the same recording features are made available for both the free and paid versions. Video sharing options made available on both are also the same.
Pros
- Can record multiple monitor screens
- Allows for scheduling of recordings
- Ad-free, no watermark or time limit imposition
- Enables cursor highlighting
- Provides direct publishing to YouTube feature
- Can record the full screen, microphone, window, region, webcam and computer sound
Cons
- Limits video output to MP4, AVI and WMV formats
- Does not provide a built-in editor
- Does not allow for standalone webcam recording
Price – Free
Screencast-O-Matic
The only web-based screen recorder in the list, you can launch Screencast-O-Matic screen recorder directly from your web browser when you are connected to the Internet. Alternatively, you can always use it as a desktop app once you’ve installed it on your system. Screencast-O-Matic is an effective screen recording software which enables video editing, hosting and sharing facilities along with screen recording.
On the free version, you can also record videos for maximum time duration of 15 minutes with a watermark imposed on the output. Editing features are limited to video trimming and the addition of closed captions. On the paid version, you enjoy no limit on the duration of your video recording.
There is also no watermark imposed on your recorded videos. A full suite of video editing features makes the paid version of this software all the more attractive.
Pros
- Allows you to draw, add text and zoom in while recording your video
- Facilitates scripted recordings
- Lets you record computer sound, webcam, microphone, region, window and fullcreen
- Enables automated speech-to-text captioning and closed captioning
- Can be used to publish directly to video-sharing platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube
- Helps with password protection and unlisting of videos recorded
- Makes available video recording features such as green screen effect, adding zooming and panning, multimedia effects, speed changes and more.
Cons
- Captures editing procedure while recording screen
- Most facilities are only possible in the paid version with no free trial for them
Price – $20/year
CamStudio
Need a screen recording software for occasional usage and minimal editing requirement? You can use CamStudio, a lightweight screen recorder which runs on an open-source program. It allows for screen recording in AVI format that you can later convert to SWF.
Pros
- Lets you create small-sized files
- Enables quality options for video output
- Allows for the creation of screen-in-screen video
- Provides custom cursor
Cons
- Audio can fall out of sync
- Output isn’t compatible with all browsers
- Reports of harmful malware and virus spread
- Only allows for AVI output which can be converted to Flash video format
- Does not allow for animation or interactive features to be added to converted videos
Price – Free
We hope this helped you find the best screen recorders! Check out the best video editing software and best photo editing software to improve your skills!
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