13 Ways to Record Streaming Videos for Free

Wondering how to record a streaming video of your own? There are several options that will allow you to record a streaming video for free: desktop screen recorders, online tools, browser extensions, iOS apps, and Android apps.

Look at the table below to get more information on different live stream recorders: their main purpose and the OS they’re operating on. Whether you want to record streams from your PC, smartphone, or online, you can find the appropriate software here.

Desktop software offers you some of the best streaming video recorders. If you're looking for ways to save a streaming video of your own, desktop software can offer the features needed to take your content from the Internet directly to your PC.

OS: Windows 7/8/10/11, Mac OS Х 10.13 or higher

Best for: Making screencasts

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, 47 reviews

Price: free trial version, $99.95 for a lifetime license, $94.95 for a 1-year subscription

Movavi Video Suite offers the ability to easily set up recording parameters, grab audio and video, and edit the recording and save the file. By setting up recording parameters, you can choose the specific capture error, which means you'll capture only the area you actually want to keep from your screen.

Movavi’s live stream recorder does not require clunky hardware or cumbersome add-ons. Instead, it makes it simple to capture screen activity and save it to popular video formats.

Main features:

• Audio-only recordings

• Captures video and audio streams separately or simultaneously

• The program can take screenshots and edit them

• Shows keystrokes and mouse use

• Easy sharing to YouTube or Google Drive

Pros:

• Create screencasts

• Schedule recording

• Capture webcam output

Cons:

• It takes up a lot of space

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10, Linux

Best for: Boosting productivity

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars, 40 reviews

Price: Free

ScreenRec is a free app for capturing any screen activity on Windows 10 or lower, as well as on Linux. Although it was mainly designed as a productivity app, capturing a video with it is also entirely possible. With its small size and simple interface, it’s a great choice even for those who have weak PCs or are not that savvy in stream recording software. For a more demanding user, ScreenRec provides recording videos in 4K and analytics to see how your videos are watched. It also promises complete privacy, which is important for a cloud-based service. The app has over 90,000 active users.

Main features:

• Taking informative screenshots by adding arrows, shapes, and bubbles

• Recording your screen activity with system sound, microphone, and webcam

• Sharing your screenshots and recordings via a cloud service

• Hosting your materials in an online gallery

Pros:

• No watermarks or time limits

• Lightweight screen recorder

• Absolutely free

Cons:

• If you don’t create an account, cloud sharing and recording for more than 5 minutes are unavailable

Follow the link below to download ScreenRec:

Go to the program’s website

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Best for: Creating GIFs and demo videos

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars, 1,097 reviews

Price: Free plan, Pro plan starting at $9.95 per month, and Team plan starting at $8 monthly per user

CloudApp makes it easy to instantly capture and share material directly from your screen. With this software, recording a live stream on your PC is easy. CloudApp is screen recording software for Mac, Windows, Chrome, and iOS. It focuses on making meetings easier and more streamlined: instead of sitting through the whole video, you can use CloudApp's streaming video capture software to record the meeting for you, then go back later to check context and look for more information.

Main features:

• Capture or record your webcast

• Share pictures, GIFs, and videos through a convenient link

• Create GIFs based on your captured content

Pros:

• Convenient hotkeys

• Some features are specifically designed to solve business issues

• The app enables users to create call-to-action buttons

Cons:

• The free plan doesn’t include some of the advanced features

Follow the link below to download CloudApp:

Go to the program’s website

OS: Windows 8.1/10/11, macOS 10.13 and above, Linux

Best for: Video recording and live streaming

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Price: Free

If you're looking for a platform that will allow you to rip a streaming video of your own, OBS Studio provides you with an easy solution. The platform provides high-performance, real-time video and audio capturing and mixing, which makes it easy to make scenes made up of information from multiple sources. You can seamlessly switch between an unlimited number of scenes.

OBS supports multiple streaming platforms, which makes it ideal for users who may want to integrate those platforms as they create professional-quality productions. This open-source program is free, convenient, and makes it easy to record your screen.

Main features:

• The ability to use window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams, and capture cards

• An intuitive audio mixer with multiple options

• Multiple, easy-to-use configuration options

• Easy layout rearranging

Pros:

• OBS supports recording from multiple sources

• The program supports streaming and recording in HD

• Video-editing tools are included

• Highly customizable

Cons:

• Can be a bit confusing for beginners

Follow the link below to download OBS Studio:

Go to the program’s website

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.7.5, Linux

Best for: Recording the entire screen without audio

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars, 496 reviews

Price: Free

VLC offers a free, open-source platform that is billed as being simple, fast, and powerful. It is primarily a media player, but you can also use for recording your streaming video. This platform runs on all platforms, from Windows and Linux to Mac OS X and Android: in short, a variety of options. It's completely free: it contains no spyware, no ads, and no user tracking. It also plays files, discs, webcams, devices, and streams and makes it easy to download and use the platform. Users do note that the VLC media player has a very basic interface and does not have the visual appeal of newer design apps.

Main features:

• A video player with a lot of additional functions

Pros:

• Free-to-use

• Supports many video formats

Cons:

• No microphone recording

• No screenshotting function

• No customization of the capture area size

Follow the link below to download VLC:

Go to the program’s website

In many cases, you may find yourself wondering how to capture streaming video online. You may not want to record the meeting on your PC, or you might simply want to store it on the web. If you want to grab screen videos using an online tool, try some of these programs.

OS: web-based, supported by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera

Best for: Making fast recordings online

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars, 353 reviews

Price: free version, premium from $9.95/month or $39.95/year

Screencapture.com is a free online screen recorder that works on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. It offers the advantage of easy recording direct to the Internet, where you can easily copy your files or share them with others. Screencapture.com makes it easy to capture your browser activity or your computer desktop, record sound, or include your face in a recording via webcam. This new, free tool does add a small watermark to the recording, which some users do not like.

Main features:

• Doesn't require a download

• Offers a high degree of privacy and security

• Saves video fast, in HD

Pros:

• Simple interface

• Multifunctionality

• No lengthy or complex prerecording settings

Cons:

• A single output format – MP4

• No video-editing tools

• The free version watermarks the recordings

Follow the link below to access this online recorder:

Go to the recorder’s website

OS: web-based, supported by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera

Best for: Easy and quick recordings

Rating: N/A

Price: free Basic plan, Standard plan for $1.99 per month, Premium plan for $4.99 per month

Screenapp.io is an online video stream recorder with a large number of five-star reviews and an average of 60,000 successful recordings every month. It's 100% free, with no registration or payment required, and allows for instant live video recording: no software downloads, no extensions, and nothing to clutter up your PC or make your usual tasks more difficult than usual. This platform also makes it easy to quickly download your recordings to your computer. While this ripper does make it easy to record your web stream online, it might not be the best way to handle longer recordings: its recording time is limited to about 15 minutes.

Main features:

• Free and quick recordings

• Allows its users to record multiple windows

Pros:

• Easy screen record

• Simple trimming features

Cons:

• Overpriced compared to the features offered

Follow the link below to access this online live video recorder:

Go to the recorder’s website

Do you use Google Chrome as your web browser? If so, you might find that the best video recorder for your needs is a Chrome extension.

OS: web-based, supported by Google Chrome

Best for: Creating video messages

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars, 10,049 reviews

Price: free version, premium from $8/month

Loom provides extensive recording options that are compatible with your device and the platform you already use. It bills itself as being perfect for onboarding new employees, troubleshooting customer issues, or managing code reviews. It lets you record your screen, voice, and face, then instantly share your video in less time than it typically takes to put together an email: the ideal way to share content straight from your device to someone else's. Loom is a great solution for modern workers, many of whom are looking for new ways to communicate while working from home. It's free to use and easy to get started with.

Customer service for Loom is, according to reviewers, somewhat lacking compared to other platforms. However, Loom has a huge number of monthly users and downloads being one of the most popular streaming video recorders on Chrome.

Main features:

• A free, easy-to-use platform trusted by millions of users

• A free-to-use platform that includes up to 25 collaborators

• Integration with various business services

Pros:

• Helps to organize and simplify work processes

• Free-to-use

Cons:

• Lacks customer support or guidance

• It might be choppy at times

Follow the link below to install this extension:

Go to the extension’s store page

OS: web-based, supported by Google Chrome

Best for: Educational purposes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, 11,693 reviews

Price: Limited free version; unlimited recording length and unlimited export cost $49 per year each

Screencastify bills itself as a user-friendly tool. It offers a simple, intuitive platform that functions as a Chrome extension. Millions of users engage with Screencastify to record, edit, and share videos – and it's easy to get started. In fact, the platform is so simple that it takes no time at all to get started using it.

Screencastify is a simple way to deliver a simple, more effective message. Rather than having to type up long emails, you can capture your screen and easily share that information with other users. It does not, however, work as well on recordings that aren't in web browsers, according to some reviewers.

Main features:

• Basic editing allows trimming of videos

• Export as MP4, GIF, or MP3

• Share recordings via the Google Drive link

Pros:

• Simple and easy to use

• Easy trimming

• No registration for storing or downloading videos

Cons:

• Not great for high-resolution recording

Follow the link below to install this extension:

Go to the extension’s store page

Are you using iOS to record your screen? Using a phone or tablet is a little different from using a desktop device. You may not want as many features, or you might want to streamline use when you're tapping rather than clicking or using your keyboard. Fortunately, there are screen recorders that you can easily use directly from your iOS device.

OS: iOS 12.0 or later

Best for: MP4 recording on iPhone

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars, 264,4K reviews

Price: free version, Pro version costs $4.99

Record it! has the best rating in the App Store, and with good reason. Out of more than 1.7 million reviews, it holds a whopping 4.6 stars. Record it! is ideal for recording games and apps for tutorials, game walkthroughs, video demos, and training demonstrations. You can add commentary as you go or put it in later in your app to make a cohesive, easy-to-follow video.

Main features:

• Face Cam reactions

• Keep recordings organized in the app

Pros:

• Records entire screen

• Includes a powerful video editor

• Easy sharing

Cons:

• The file-saving process is slow on some devices

• Some users report issues with audio quality

Follow the link below to install this app:

Go to the app’s store page

OS: iOS 11.0 or later

Best for: Recording videos for YouTube

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, 56,6K reviews

Price: free version, Pro version costs $4.99

While not as high as Record it!, Go Record does offer a high average rating, with 4.5 stars out of 39.6 K reviews.

This simple platform makes it easy to put together screen recordings and capture reactions all at the same time. As a result, you can streamline your digital video recordings and easily figure out how to capture a video. This program is simple, intuitive, and easy to put together on your iOS device.

Main features:

• One tap screen recording, making it easy to start the process

• Face Cam addition so you can put in your reactions

Pros:

• Easy-to-add audio commentary

• Easy uploading to YouTube

Cons:

• Features of the free version are limited

Follow the link below to install this app:

Go to the app’s store page

Don't worry, Android users: there are streaming video capture software options available for you, too. If you want to save your stream to an Android device, these platforms are simple, highly rated, and offer the high-quality recording you need.

OS: Android 4.4 or later

Best for: Making recordings with intros and outros

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, 3,235,446 reviews

Price: free version, pro version costs $2 per month billed annually

While Mobizen does offer an option that will allow you to record videos for free, the app does contain in-app purchases and ads, which can prove clunky and distracting for some users.

While Mobizen is a highly popular screen capture software, it does come with some clunky features. Sometimes, the in-app ads start along with the video recorder, which can disrupt the recording experience. Sometimes, that may mean losing some of the content, which can't always be retrieved. The screen recorder also takes up a number of assets on your Android device, which means that it may cause frustrating lags in videos and games. Nevertheless, it does remain an easy, fun way to quickly record videos, especially if you're looking into it for personal or leisure purposes.

Main features:

• Allows you to put in intro or outro videos with a few short taps

• Records your reactions freely, including both your face and the sound of your voice, thanks to Face Cam

Pros:

• Offers a highly effective screen recording profile

• Allows you to edit, trim, and cut your images

• Records a clean screen without a watermark

Cons:

• Ads appear from time to time

Follow the link below to install this app:

Go to the app’s store page

OS: Android 5.0 or later

Best for: Creating GIF animations on Android

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars, 1,558,604 reviews

Price: free version, pro version costs $2.99

AZ Screen Recorder offers all the features that many users are looking for in their screen recording software. It makes it simple to start recording: just one tap makes it easy to get started. The app delivers high-quality videos with clear sound, so they're easy to follow, highly professional, and ideal for your needs.

Users note that AZ Screen Recorder is an incredibly useful app, filled with great features. It offers high-quality video recording that's highly reliable. Users do, however, note that it doesn't offer the same high-quality audio recording that it does when it comes to video: it tends to record whatever sound is happening around the phone or device, and sounds tend to make it indiscriminately into the video. While that's an excellent testament to the power of your device's microphone, it might not fit your video recording needs. It's also important to note that AZ Screen Recorder does include ads and in-app purchases.

Main features:

• Full HD game recording

• Screen recording with Facecam

• Internal sound recording

• Gameplay recording with external sound

Pros:

• Advanced video-, audio-, and image-editing options

• Video compression option

Cons:

• The free version has annoying ads

Follow the link below to install this app:

Go to the app’s store page

We hope this article has been useful in helping you choose the right screen recorder. The following list has the most important aspects to consider when choosing a recording tool:

Features: Choose a screen recorder according to the result you want to achieve with your screen recordings. If you simply want to record what happens on your screen, any screen capture software will probably meet your needs. If you’re going to do advanced editing or stream live on YouTube, take those features into account as you choose your program.

Ease of use: Some programs are user-friendly and simple. Others are more complicated and have a steeper learning curve. Consider the amount of experience you possess and choose a screen recorder accordingly.

OS: Make sure to choose a screen recorder that works on the system you will be using (Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, etc.)

Support: Try to find a program that offers easily accessible user support if you run into problems during the screen recording process.

Reviews: Check out user reviews and articles of professional blogs or magazines to determine how well the program performs before buying it.