15 Best Screen Recorders with Free Downloads [2024]
Check out Movavi Screen Recorder:
High-definition (up to 4K) screen recordings
System and microphone audio capture
In-app editing and sharing
There are so many screen video recorders available online today – which should you choose? Let’s walk through a few of the best screen recorders with free downloads, so you can make an informed choice for your next video project.
Quick summary
For easy, professional screen recording: Movavi Screen Recorder
For streaming and recording: OBS Studio
For recording short videos: TinyTake
Here’s what Movavi’s team does to provide you with verified information:
When selecting products to include in our reviews, we research both demand and popularity.
All products mentioned in this article have been tested by Movavi Content Team.
When testing, we aim to highlight the best features of a product and what it’s best suited for.
We study user reviews from popular review platforms and make use of this information when writing our product reviews.
We collect feedback from our users and analyze their opinions of Movavi software as well as products from other companies.
Best screen recorders for a PC with free downloads
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:
Pros:
Extremely user-friendly screen recorder with a free download
Allows you to capture your entire screen, or just a part of it
Can record your voice as a commentary to the video
Offers a scheduler feature to capture pre-planned online events
Direct sharing from the app to YouTube
Cons:
A subscription plan of your choice will unlock more features
Best for
Live-streaming gameplay and online presentations
OS
Windows, macOS, Linux
4 out of 5
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
Pros:
100% free open-source software
No watermark on export videos
Cons:
Has a steep learning curve
Lacks customer support
Best for
Short video recordings for beginners
OS
Windows, macOS
4.3 out of 5, 17 reviews
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
Pros:
User-friendly interface
Up to 2 GB of free cloud storage
Zooming capabilities while recording
Cons:
Limited recording times on free and paid versions
Commercial use prohibited with the free version
Best for
Screen recording on Windows computers with limited resources
OS
Windows
4.3 out of 5, 39 reviews
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
Pros:
Lag-free screen recording
Up to 4K video exports
Game overlay feature
Cons:
Watermark on the free version
10-minute limit on free recordings
Best for
Recording videos without watermarks for free on a PC
OS
Windows
4.5 out of 5, 4 reviews
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
Pros:
No watermark on the free version
No recording time limits
User-friendly interface
Cons:
Limited functionalities on the free version
File output restrictions on the free version
Best for
Capturing video game footage on a PC
OS
Windows
4.2 out of 5, 47 reviews
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
Pros:
Automated FPS monitoring
Easy to install and run
One-click screen recording
Cons:
Screen recording can cause computer lag
Delays and glitches with audio recording
Best for
Taking quick screen recordings on mobile devices
OS
macOS, Windows, Android OS
4.1 out of 5, 26 reviews
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
Pros:
Quick and easy screen recording
No lag when recording while running multiple applications
Cons:
Five-minute recording limit on the free version
Only supports up to 720p resolution
Best for
Capturing free screen recordings on a PC
OS
Windows
4.5 out of 5
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
Pros:
Intuitive interface
No cost for the full version
No watermark
Cons:
Little to no customer support
Not compatible with macOS
Best for
Creating engaging presentations for school, work, or fun
OS
Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chromebook
4.3 out of 5, 68 reviews
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
Pros:
Webcam recording capabilities
Cloud storage
Video-editing capabilities
Cons:
No editing options on the free version
No system audio recording on the free version
Paid subscription required for unlimited recording
Best for
Taking simple screen recordings for free
OS
Windows
4.5 out of 5
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
Pros:
Easy-to-learn user interface
Multiple video file formats
GIF capabilities
Cons:
No video-editing capabilities
Lacks video enhancements, like live-drawing and annotations
Best for
Recording and editing screen activity on a Windows computer
OS
Windows
4.1 out of 5, 17 reviews
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
Pros:
Unlimited recording times
No watermark on free recordings
User-friendly interface
Cons:
No support for 4K resolution videos
Only allows WMV video exports
No Mac-compatible version
Best for
Live-editing screen recordings on the fly
OS
Windows, macOS (10.15 and later)
4.5 out of 5
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
Pros:
Highly customizable
User-friendly and easy to learn
Easy pre-scheduling and automation for recordings
Cons:
Unattractive interface
Challenges finding and using some features
Best for
Capturing simple screen recordings as MP4 videos
OS
Windows
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
Pros:
User-friendly interface
Mouse highlighting capabilities
Cons:
Lacks a lot of features included with other screen recorders
Requires a third-party video converter for anything but MP4 files
No Mac-compatible version available
Best for
Creating videos with computer-generated voice-overs
OS
Windows
3 out of 5
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
Pros:
Easy-to-use software
Text-to-speech capability
Cons:
Video recordings limited to 45 minutes
No Mac- or mobile-compatible version
Best for
Taking screen recordings with live annotations and video editing
OS
macOS
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
Pros:
No time limit on free or paid videos
Presets for easy setup and recording
Up to 4K video exports
Cons:
Watermark on free videos
Tips for choosing the best free-download screen recorder
There’s not much risk in choosing a free-download screen recorder, but choosing the wrong program can be a frustrating waste of time. So, before you hit the “download” button on one of these products, you may want to keep a few things in mind:
Cost: after the free trial is over, how much will it cost to continue to use the software? Is it in your budget?
Functionality: does the program do everything you need for your videos, or will you have to find a third-party video-editing app to polish your projects?
Video and audio quality: make sure you choose a program that allows high-resolution video exports and that the sound quality will be up to par on your videos.
Customer service: if something goes wrong, will you be able to get in touch with customer support and get the problem resolved quickly?
Summary: Capture pro-level screen recordings with the right software
With the info in this article, you should hopefully have everything you need to find the best free-download screen recorder for your next presentation, video stream, gaming session, tutorial, or any other type of screen recording. If you’re still not sure which to try, we recommend checking out Movavi Screen Recorder today.
Movavi Screen Recorder
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