15 Best GIF Recorders in 2024 [Windows & Mac]

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Edited by Ben Jacklin
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GIFs used to be mainly for personal use but are now becoming increasingly popular for professional communication and quick tutorials. To make GIFs, you need an easy-to-use, reliable screen recorder for Windows or Mac. In this article, you’ll find the best GIF recorders and step-by-step instructions on how to make a GIF from screen recordings.

Quick summary

For recording any part of the screen and getting a link to share the recording.

Recordit

For capturing screen while playing games and converting video to GIF.

Fraps

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Best GIF screen recorders

Best for: easy screen capture and editing

Movavi Screen Recorder

Movavi Screen Recorder is a program that acts as a GIF recorder and is one of the best ways to make GIFs so that you can later share with others or even keep for personal use. With this GIF screen recorder, you can easily capture videos and create GIFs. It is user-friendly as the screen recording process is straightforward and easy: you turn on the start button to begin recording your video and then convert the recorded video clips to GIF from the screen and finally save it as quickly as possible.

Key features:

  • Capture on-screen activity to on the fly for improved efficiency
  • Add a personal touch to your recordings by including in-app sounds in them
  • Capture on-screen activity to improve efficiency with simple, lightweight recordings

Download Movavi Screen Recorder

Pros:

  • Easy to grab screen or webcam in 4K due to simple interface

  • Ready to customize footage and create videos on the go

  • Available for PC and Mac and runs smoothly on both systems

Cons:

  • No limits to your creativity in the full version

ScreenToGif

Best for: easy screen capture on a Mac

ScreenToGif

This GIF recorder helps you to record videos from your screen to GIFs on Mac. It is an application with a very small size (just 670kb) and allows you to screencast and capture what is on your screen without the interruption of ads. With a built-in editor, you can easily edit all your captured videos with the many GIF tools it offers. It has a clear and concise interface and is available in over 18 different languages.

This is one of the best GIF recorders. Using the app is simple, and it gives you your recorded video in no time, after which you can edit them and later export them to GIF format to be saved on your desktop or PC for later use.

Key features:

  • Good selection of editing tools

  • Record screen activity and webcam

Download ScreenToGif

Pros:

  • Easy to use

  • Free and open-source

  • Still actively being developed

  • Easy saving and sharing options

Cons:

  • Windows only

GIPHY

Best for: creating GIFs on your Mac

GIPHY

This is basically GIF made easy as it is one of the best ways to record GIFs worthy of sharing to the general public. It helps you to record GIFs on Mac, and this program is simple enough for anyone to easily navigate through. You can capture literally anything on your screen to turn to a GIF and edit the recorded video to add captions, adjust the export size, and so much more. This GIF screen recorder also has many tools that can help you do various things like trim clips to one distinct frame. After you have captured what is on your screen to make a video and edited it to your satisfaction, you can then upload your video as it is ready for sharing. Or, if you’re not ready to share it, you can save it to your GIPHY account for later use.

Key features:

  • Trimming tools

  • One-click upload to share

  • Sticker maker tool

Download GIPHY

Pros:

  • No watermark

  • Compatible with Mac

  • Good online customer support library

Cons:

  • Slow customer service

CloudApp is a great GIF capture software

Best for: cloud-based GIF creation and storage

Zight

If you’re looking for a way to make GIF screen capture, then look no further because Zight is the easiest way to make GIFs. Compatible with both Mac and Windows, this GIF recorder offers many tools so that you can easily capture videos and save them to the cloud, and there they will stay until you are ready to share them. As it is an available free version, downloading the program is very easy and can be done in record time. To use this app for GIF capture on Windows or other OS, all you need do is select the GIF icon, note the area you want to record, and you can even choose to record with or without sound.

After recording a GIF, click on finish, and then you can begin sharing your GIF with the public. This whole method can be done in very little time and is a conducive way to create your videos from your desktop or PC.

Key features:

  • Stores directly to the cloud

  • Cross-platform

  • Annotate screenshots

Go to Zight

Pros:

  • Free version available

  • Good customer support

  • Easy sharing capabilities via direct link

Cons:

  • Regular glitches

  • Limited to 50 captures in the free version

Recordit

Best for: desktop-based screen capture

Recordit

  • OS

    Windows, macOS

Recordit is compatible with different platforms, including Windows and Mac. It is a very fast GIF recorder that you should definitely have on your system. Recordit allows you to record any part of your screen, after which you get a link where you can share your screencast. You can also use the program to record a video and then send it to whatever app you want. In this way, you can have Recordit capture your screen and make a GIF out of the recorded video and focus on other details of the screen capturing process. This helps to make the experience as straightforward and as easy as possible.

The GIF screen recorder has a free version that you can easily download, set up, and start using immediately and doesn’t require much input from you during the editing process.

Key features:

  • Records screen GIFs, mouse movements, and audio

  • Fast export

  • High-resolution video

Download Recordit

Pros:

  • Easy to use

  • Free version available

  • Available for PC and Mac

Cons:

  • No editing tools

Program

Best for

Download

Easy screen capture on a Mac

Creating GIFs on your Mac

Best for: recording screen for animated GIFs

Gifox

Gifox allows you to easily create wonderful GIFs as it helps to capture whatever is on your screen. This GIF recorder also doubles as a sharing app, so after your GIF is created, with as easy as one click, you can share your video to whomever you want to share it with and through whatever platform you want to share it on. Gifox has many features, such as the window selection mode, which allows you to continuously capture whatever is on your screen and gives you total control over what quality you want your captured video to be in and what size you want it to be outputted as. The program also lets you pick the elements you want to be added to your screen recording, and you get to choose how exactly you want it recorded.

Key features:

  • Selective screen capture

  • Advanced compression options

  • Window selection mode

Download Gifox

Pros:

  • Easy to use

  • Simple to share and store

Cons:

  • No trimming tool

GifCam

Best for: creating animated GIFs

GifCam

  • OS

    Windows

If you want an easy and fun animated GIF screen recorder, GifCam is the one for you. It is a practical app without so many add-ons so screen recording to make a GIF is a simple and straightforward process. To start recording, click on ‘Rec', and the program starts capturing whatever is on screen. You can easily edit delays by clicking on the ‘Edit' button. Edit features include adding text to the video, choosing frame rate options for a smoother GIF, adjusting a frame, and lots more. When you are done recording and editing your video, you can save your GIF in 5 color reduction formats.

Key features:

  • Simple, clean interface

  • Built-in editing tools

  • Offers options to add filters, colors

Download GifCam

Pros:

  • Lightweight program

  • Portable

Cons:

  • Windows only

LICEcap

Best for: basic screen captures to create GIFs

LICEcap

Perfect for creating simple animated GIF’s, LICEcap is a program to have. It is suitable to capture GIFs through screen recording as it can save captured videos directly to .gif to ease the process for you. LICEcap is suitable with a host of platforms, including Windows and macOS. Recorded videos are outputted in high quality and can be compressed to whatever size suits you best.

Key features:

  • Easy to use

  • Saves directly to GIF format

  • Move the screen capture frame during recording

Download LICEcap

Pros:

  • Very simply and suitable for beginners

  • Compatible with PC and Mac

Cons:

  • No editing tools

Best for: screen capture for gamers

Fraps

Fraps is a Windows-based application popular with gamers for real-time screen capture and benchmarking. It records video and audio and allows you to edit and save in GIF format.

Key features:

  • Automatic names/timestamps on screenshots

  • Real-time recording

Download Fraps

Pros:

  • Easy to navigate

  • Customizable settings

  • Simple screen capture to GIF feature

Cons:

  • Windows only

  • Uses a lot of resources

  • Outdated interface

Best for: easy screen captures

ShareX

ShareX is a free and open-source screen capture tool known for its simplicity and high-quality results. It offers lots of features to trim, edit, resize and enhance your content, with easy upload and sharing functionalities.

Key features:

  • Region capture

  • Annotation tools

  • Editing tools

Download ShareX

Pros:

  • Simple interface

  • Free and open-source

  • Lightweight

  • Easy-sharing capabilities

Cons:

  • Not available for macOS

Best for: short GIF captures

Gyazo

Gyazo is a simple tool that allows users to capture short clips of meetings and other content as a GIF before sharing to others. The clips can be up to seven seconds in length if you’re using the free version, but for more, you need to pay a fee for the full version. 

There are browser add-ons as well as standalone apps to allow users to quickly and easily capture using Gyazo.

Key features:

  • 7-second replays

  • Unlimited capture and uploading

  • Automatic link copying

Download Gyazo

Pros:

  • Easy to copy, paste, and upload video content

  • Pinpoint specific moments of videos when sharing

  • Works on pretty much any OS version

Cons:

  • Free version has watermarks and banner ads

Best for: assigning shortcuts for recording

Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

Aiseesoft Screen Recorder works for both Mac and Windows 10 computers. If you pay for the full version, you get a lot of functionality, including control over the screen capture and even some basic editing.

This GIF maker is good for capturing things in a hurry as there are plenty of options to set simple shortcuts, meaning you can hit a couple of buttons and start the process.

Key features:

  • Easy cropping

  • Simple audio capture

  • Capture from an Android device or iPhone

Download Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

Pros:

  • Easy controls with hotkeys

  • No watermark on your videos

  • Lots of formats to choose between, including GIF

Cons:

  • More expensive than some options

Best for: locking to one browser

AceThinker Aqua Demo

  • OS

    macOS, Windows

AceThinker Aqua Demo is one of the more lightweight options on the list but still has some good features, including the option to set up timed recordings. You can output to a lot of different file types, including GIFs. 

Aqua Demo also has features, such as mouse effects, which can be great if you are making tutorials. The locking window also means it can record what is going on in one window rather than the whole of your screen. It can turn the screen recording to GIF files as well as many other video types.

Key features:

  • Audio codec options

  • Locking window

Download AceThinker Aqua Demo

Pros:

  • Easy to record one area of the screen

  • Schedule your recordings

  • Choose from a variety of codecs and formats

Cons:

  • More expensive than many options

  • Interface isn’t as smooth as some others

Best for: capturing GIFs in a browser

Capture to a Gif

  • OS

    any, works in Google Chrome

Capture to a Gif is lightweight software that is simple to use, but it does come with quite a few limitations. As a Chrome add-on, it can only capture things that are inside your Chrome browser.

It is also easy to make errors as you have to click the element you want to record on the screen. This can be frustrating and mean you miss the thing you wanted to record in the first place.

Key features:

  • Control FPS, quality, width, and height

  • Shortcut keys supported

  • Capture directly from the browser

Download Capture to a Gif

Pros:

  • Lightweight

  • Simple controls

Cons:

  • Easy to record the wrong part of the screen

Best for: audio-free short clips

Animated Gif Capture

  • OS

    any, works in Google Chrome

Animated Gif Capture is another free browser-based option for capturing. It has no audio option, so it is only suitable for short visual clips.

The app is free, lightweight, and can be added to your Chrome browser in seconds, so it is good for those in a hurry who want a simple GIF creator.

Key features:

  • Customizable options for recording

  • GIF downloads automatically

Download Animated Gif Capture

Pros:

  • Quick and easy to download video capture

  • Easily creates short video clips in a GIF format

Cons:

  • No audio option

  • No option to add shortcuts

Lightweight yet effective

ScreenToGif
Bestseller

Easy screen capture and editing

Movavi Screen Recorder

Record GIFs on Linux

LICEcap

How to record a GIF on Windows or Mac

Movavi Screen Recorder makes it simple to capture and record a GIF from virtually any source. Follow the steps below to learn how to record GIFs on Windows and Mac computers.

Step 1. Download and install the program

Download Movavi Screen Recorder using the correct installation version for either a PC or Mac, and then follow the instructions to install and launch the software.

Step 2. Alter the settings before starting

Click the Screen recording button to select your recording area. If you want to add your webcam video to the GIF, click the Webcam icon.

Step 3. Start recording

When you are ready, you can hit the REC button to start the process. Use the pencil icon if you want to annotate anything during the recording. At the end, simply hit Stop to end the recording and move to the editing stage.

Step 4. Save your GIF

There are some editing features built into the software to tweak the video and trim sections you don’t need before saving and getting ready to send. After editing, hit the Export button, select GIF as the output format, and click Save.

Tips on choosing an app for recording GIFs

Choosing the best GIF app for your purposes comes down to a few key criteria. Keep in mind the following when making your selection:

  • Ease-of-use: An intuitive interface is a plus for all levels of experience. Don’t waste time trying to master software that is beyond your capabilities. You will want a solution that makes your life easier, not harder.

  • Ease-of-sharing: If you are creating GIFs, they are meant to be shared. Be sure your chosen software allows you to share and upload in just a few clicks.

  • Budget: Do you need to go with a free GIF recorder, or do you have the budget to pay for a more sophisticated option? That said, there are some excellent free software solutions available. Depending on your project needs, the right GIF tool might be totally cost-free.

  • Features: Make a list of the features you consider to be non-negotiable. What is most important, and what can you live without?

  • OS requirements and supported file formats: Check your technical requirements and be sure they match the software. PC or Mac or online? Can you save directly to GIF?

  • Technical/customer support: How will you solve a potential technical issue. What if you need support with a billing or access issue? Do you prefer personal contact, or would FAQs and user guides be sufficient? This is often a deal-breaker for those who feel unsure of how to manage technical glitches.

Conclusion

Whether you’re wondering how to record a GIF on Windows 10 or a Mac, there are many options on the market. Capturing software tends to be quick and simple to use, but some have limited features. Make sure the app you use is capable of making a GIF from your screen recording.

Movavi Screen Recorder

The perfect way to record anything from your screen

Disclaimer: Please be aware that Movavi Screen Recorder does not allow capture of copy-protected video and audio streams.

Frequently asked questions

How do I record a GIF?

Recording a GIF is easier than you think, even for beginners. To record a GIF with Movavi Screen Recorder, follow these 5 easy steps:

  1. Download Movavi Screen Recorder and open it.

    Download Movavi Screen Recorder for Windows

    Download Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac

  2. Select the area of your screen you want to capture.

  3. Adjust the settings and press REC to record.

  4. Use the built-in editing tools to finalize your recording.

  5. Choose GIF format and save it to your computer.

Can I make a GIF from a video?

Yes, there are plenty of screen-recording programs you can use, check this article for available options. If you watch a video on your screen and capture using these programs, you can easily generate a GIF.

How do you record GIFs on Android/iPhone?

If you are on the go and want to create a GIF on your phone, it is simple.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide for using GIPHY on your Android or iPhone:

  1. Download, install and open the app.
    Download GIPHY for iPhone
    Download GIPHY for Android

  2. Create an account.

  3. Click the Create button on the top right-hand side of the home screen.

  4. Select the gallery icon and then choose your video.

  5. Select the scissors icon to trim the video and use stickers and filters to customize it.

  6. Click Proceed and then Share GIF.

What is the best GIF recorder?

Here are some of the best options:

  • Movavi Screen Recorder

  • ScreenToGif

  • GIPHY

  • Zight

  • Recordit

  • Gifox

  • GifCam

Movavi Screen Recorder

The perfect way to record anything from your screen

An easy way to record from your screen in HD. Make video footage of any application, record online streaming video, webinars, even Skype calls, and save clips in all popular formats.

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