15 Best Screen Recorders with Free Downloads [2023]

Best for: creating 4K screen-recorded videos with webcam footage and high-quality audio

OS: Windows, macOS

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5, 50 reviews

Movavi Screen Recorder is a very popular screen recorder with a free download for PC or Mac. The free-download screen recorder lets users get a good feel for how the software works. Users can record screen footage on a laptop or desktop while recording webcam footage, and the program makes it easy to capture system audio and/or microphone audio. However, the real value is in the full version of the program. For a reasonable price, Movavi Screen Recorder gives users the power to create live drawings and annotations, highlight keystrokes and mouse activity, and make other enhancements to their screen recordings. You can also easily edit and share your videos directly from Movavi Screen Recorder without downloading any additional software.

Key features:

• Simultaneous microphone and system audio recording

• Built-in editing capabilities

• Live-drawing and annotation features while recording

OBS Studio is an open-source screen recorder with a free download. Because the program is completely free and includes streaming capabilities, it’s popular with a lot of streamers on Twitch, especially gaming streamers. However, like a lot of freeware programs, this screen-recording software does have a bit of a learning curve. If you’re not used to figuring out how to use less-than-intuitive programs without a lot of support, this may not be the best screen recorder for a PC with a free download for you. However, if you’re up to the challenge of teaching yourself to use it, OBS Studio is highly customizable with a lot of convenient hotkey options to streamline the recording process.

Key features:

• Live-streaming capabilities

• Customizable hotkey functionalities

• Video- and audio-editing capabilities

TinyTake is a simple, user-friendly option if you want to download a free screen recorder. The program includes several hotkey options to make it easy to record your full screen or part of your display. Along with customizable screen-recording features, TinyTake also allows users to zoom in and out while recording, which can create a cool effect and/or direct the audience’s attention to a specific part of the screen. If you need to record longer sessions with the free version, though, this isn’t the screen-recording software for you. Free recordings are capped at five minutes, and the paid version only allows users to record up to 120 minutes of video footage at a time.

Key features:

• Webcam recording feature

• Cloud storage option

• Customizable screen captures

Bandicam is a Windows-compatible screen-recording program. For users looking for a screen recorder for Windows 10 and free download with audio, this is a good option. As powerful as this program is, it’s also fairly lightweight and can run alongside multiple other programs at the same time without bogging down your CPU. The free version does limit recordings to 10 minutes, and video exports include Bandicam’s watermark.

Key features:

• Simultaneous webcam- and screen-recording capabilities

• Microphone and system audio capture

• Screen capture capabilities for connected devices

Flashback Express is a screen recorder with a free download for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Like other top desktop screen recorders, FlashBack Express gives users the option to capture a customized area of their screen, a specific window or app, or the full screen. You can also capture your system audio and/or record with voice from your microphone audio. One of the biggest benefits of this app is there’s no watermark on the screen recorder. Download the free version of the software, and you can export videos without any branding from FlashBack. However, the free version is pretty stripped down, and you’ll need to get the full paid version to get more functions and features.

Key features:

• Record your screen with or without audio

• Direct exports to video-sharing platforms

• Multi-source recording capabilities

Fraps isn’t the latest screen recorder to download for free on the market today, but it’s still a popular option, especially for gamers. Its main uses are to benchmark gaming settings and record video footage of gameplay. However, plenty of people use Fraps for its free screen-recording capabilities as well. 

Key features:

• FPS counting capability

• High-quality video capture

Icecream Screen Recorder is one of the more bare-bones screen recorders available today. It’s a versatile app, with compatible versions for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. While it doesn’t boast a ton of features, it is extremely lightweight and allows users to record screen activity while running other apps without lag. If you want to record more than five minutes of footage, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version.

Key features:

• Customizable screen capture

• Multiple video file format types with the paid version

CamStudio is an open-source screen-recording program that allows users to capture screen activity for free. Along with the ability to customize your recording area, CamStudio also offers lossless video encoding and includes on-screen caption capabilities. Like a lot of freeware, though, you’ll need to be resourceful if you run into any challenges with the software, as customer support is almost nonexistent.

Key features:

• Lossless video encoding

• Customizable recording area

• On-screen captions

Formerly known as Screencast-o-Matic, ScreenPal is a screen-recording platform with an emphasis on video communication for multiple purposes. It’s designed to work well as an educational tool for remote classrooms, a presentation aid for professionals, or as a fun tool for personal videos. While you can download the software for free, you’ll need the full version to enjoy features like unlimited recording and video editing.

Key features:

• User-friendly video-editing program

• Customizable screen capture area

• Direct video sharing to multiple social media sites

ShareX is a popular free screen recorder for beginners. It’s very user-friendly and easy to learn, even if you’ve never used a screen-recording program before. It supports most popular video file formats, and you can save recordings as GIFs too. However, if you need to edit your screen recordings, or if you’re looking for features like annotations or live-drawing to enhance your presentation, you may find ShareX lacking. 

Key features:

• The full screen or one active window recording

• Automatic capture feature

• Direct export to social media sites

Free Cam is a freeware screen recorder for Windows. Its capabilities include customizable recording areas, voice-over functionality, on-screen highlighting, and other enhancements. It also includes basic editing functions, including trimming and cutting. So, if you just want to make a few small edits to a video after you finish recording, you don’t need to export it to a completely different editing platform to finish up. However, while it’s 100% free and easy to use, Free Cam doesn’t support 4K video recordings and only allows up to 720p resolution for video exports.

Key features:

• Customizable recording areas

• Basic video-editing tools

• Microphone and system audio capture

Debut Video Capture isn’t the most attractive screen recorder on the market today, but it does have its perks. The software is easy to use and allows users to quickly customize their recording areas before capturing screen activity. Debut also gives users the power to change their video resolution, color settings, and other settings, as well. Plus, you can share videos directly to social media and video-sharing sites. The only big downside to Debut is that users report having difficulty accessing some features.

Key features:

• Built-in recording scheduler

• Real-time editing capabilities

• Direct video sharing

For users looking for an extremely simple screen recorder, DVDVideoSoft’s Free Screen Video Recorder could be a good option. The software is very simple, but still allows users to customize the area of their screen that they want to capture. If you need to export your videos in a file format other than MP4, though, you’ll need to use a video converter or opt for a different screen recorder.

Key features:

• System and microphone audio capture

• Screenshot capabilities while recording

• Customizable screen capture area

Ezvid is a cool option if you want to add narrations to your screen recordings without recording your own voice-over. That’s because one of Ezvid’s key features is computer-generated text-to-speech narration. So, if you want to jump onboard the computer-voice trend on TikTok, Ezvid can do it for you. All you have to do is write your script, put it in a text file, and let Ezvid do the rest. Of course, you can also opt to record your own voice-over, as Ezvid supports both system and microphone audio capture. 

Key features:

• Computer-generated text-to-speech narration

• Simultaneous webcam and microphone recording

• Direct uploads to social media and video-sharing sites

PassFab Screen Recorder is a professional-level screen-recording program with a few key benefits. It allows simultaneous screen and webcam recording, and it can capture system and microphone sound at the same time. It also has several useful presets to help users get going quickly with video and audio settings designed for specific purposes (e.g., online presentations, gameplay, etc.). There’s no time limit on the free version, but you’ll have to pay for a subscription if you want to get rid of the watermark.

Key features:

• Simultaneous webcam and screen recording

• Live annotations

• Video-editing tools