There are now so many reasons why you might want to record a video screen capture of your desktop or even your smartphone or tablet display. There are clear business reasons for doing so, not least for adding to presentations due to the increased support for video file files in Power Point. Alternatively, you may want to put together a video for training or education purposes, which may require adding images, video, or website content from multiple sources and is easier to capture and record to video.
- Screen Recording Software Mac
- Best Screen Recorder For Mac With Audio
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- Best Screen Recorders For Mac Gamers
The best screen recorder for Mac is high recommended for you to capture everything on the screen with top quality. MacX Video Converter Pro can also help you record screen and convert it into MP4, AVI, FLV, MPEG4, MOV etc for playback on your iPhone, iPad or Android. Best Screen Recorders for Windows PC and Mac. Here we have compiled some of the tools that we think of as the best. We will list the best screen recorder for PC and smartphones accordingly, but choose to start with the platform that has takers everywhere. The ones we have picked have been selected based on their optimisation abilities, crystal clear recording, and ease of editing. 10 of the Best Free Screen Recorders for Mac (2018 edition) 1) Monosnap [Overall Best screen recording tool for Mac] Monosnap is widely regarded as one of the best free screen recorders for Mac due to a plethora of features that it possesses.
AceThinker Mac Screen Grabber Pro. When talking about the best screen recorder for Mac, AceThinker Screen Grabber Pro for Mac should definitely not be ignored. It’s an effective tool for recording screen, making tutorial videos, capturing a video, movie or gameplay on Mac OS 10.8 and above. After evaluating a number of screen recorders for Mac, we found that in some way the above 10 listed screen recorders are the best ones in the market by now. When you go for Mac free screen recorder, please keep in mind, many of them will come with time-limited recording, or some features will be missing.
Alternatively, you might be a consumer looking to put together a video for a YouTube channel, especially if considering a career as a YouTuber. Alternatively you may simply be an online gamer looking to share your adventures directly with friends or family.
There are many different reasons why you might need a capture your display, so here we'll look at the best screen recorders on the market. Some of these are paid-for, others are free, and others a hybrid where you are allowed so much recording time before you need to upgrade.
- Check out our list of the best free screen recorders.
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1. Camtasia
TechSmith Camtasia
Packed with video editing features
Options overload for many users
Camtasia (Windows, macOS) has been in the screen recording game longer than most, and offers more features than most too – as well as capturing what's on screen with aplomb, this fully fledged video editing solution can also add plenty of extras and edits on top too.
Whatever you want to record, from games to PowerPoints, Camtasia can take it all in its stride – with or without audio, with or without a webcam feed, and so on. Annotations, extra media files, transitions, titles and more can then all be dropped in with your footage.
Despite all its features, the software never feels too complex, thanks to an intuitive timeline interface. On the downside, it is expensive at $249 (£240), but you can test it out for 30 days for free. For something cheaper and simpler, try SnagIt from the same developer studio.
- Want to try Camtasia? Get hold of your free trial here
2. OBS Studio
Handles multiple audio and video files well
Not that easy to pick up from scratch
People who don't want to pay for their screen recorder tools tend to flock to OBS Studio (Windows, macOS), and with good reason: it lets you effortlessly blend different sources and audio tracks together, packing in features you'd usually have to spend heavily to get.
Built with gamers in mind, live streaming options feature prominently, but you can just as easily save your recordings to disk. On top of that you get advanced features like noise reduction (for your voiceovers) and the ability to set transitions between your scenes.
All of this is overkill if you just want to record a quick clip – and to the complete beginner, OBS Studio perhaps isn't the best of the options listed here – but you get a pile of fine screen recording and live streaming features for free, and that's difficult to argue with.
- Think OBS Studio is the recorder for you? It's a free download
3. Icecream Screen Recorder
Swift and simple screen recording engine
Sparse interface isn't always intuitive
Not everyone wants the hefty feature sets of the likes of Camtasia or OBS Studio, and Icecream Screen Recorder (Windows, macOS) is a more compact and friendly alternative. Fire it up, click the record button, select the part of the screen to record, and you're off.
Choosing your recording area and saving your footage couldn't really be any easier, though it's not the most precise tool we've ever come across. The program lets you draw on your footage, add a webcam feed, zoom while recording, and choose your final video quality.
Upgrade to the Pro version of the software ($29.95/£19.95), and you can break through the five-minute time limit, as well as select from more output formats, convert between formats, add watermarks, and schedule screen recordings – features which can all come in handy.
- Ready to give Icecream Screen Recorder a go? Here's the download
4. TinyTake
Couldn't be easier to get going
No advanced source selection tools
Continuing the theme of smaller, simpler screen recorders, we present TinyTake (Windows, macOS). It has all the features you're likely to need, none of the fluff you don't, and is particularly good when it comes to sharing captured videos and photos with other people.
Screen Recording Software Mac
As for the main capturing process itself, once you've created an account (which isn't optional), you can be recording your computer screen in a couple of clicks. Drag out the area you want to record, click the start button, and TinyTake effortlessly handles the rest.
And that really is all there is to it – if you want to add annotations, or record anything longer than five minutes, you'll need to upgrade to the paid-for version of TinyTake ($29.95 or about £22 a year). For simple screen recording and easy sharing to places like YouTube, though, it's ideal.
- Tempted by TinyTake? Head here to download the software
5. ScreenFlow
Comes with a fully featured video editor
Not quite as advanced as some other options
Apple macOS actually comes with some screen recording tools built in – more on that in a moment – but ScreenFlow (macOS) is a serious upgrade on what Apple's desktop software can do on its own, plus it adds a pile of handy features and extra video editing tools.
For example, you can crop, pan, and zoom around different parts of your video recording, as well as add annotations and callouts on top of the footage you've captured. It's a fully featured and intuitive video editor as well as a comprehensive tool for screen recording.
As for the actual capturing bit, it couldn't be any easier to use: pick your video source(s), pick your audio source(s), and away you go. Footage from your webcam can be easily added into your main video, and the whole process is slick and streamlined throughout. It'll set you back $129 (about £94) but a free trial is available.
- Want to put ScreenFlow through its paces? Click here
6. Screencastify
Works right inside your browser
Limited in terms of capture options
If you don't want to install extra software on your computer (well, apart from a browser extension), Screencastify (Chrome) is one of the best options. To use the extension without a watermark and for more than 10 minutes at a time, a premium upgrade ($24 or about £17 a year) is required.
Just because the program is an add-on for your browser doesn't mean you're restricted to recording browser windows, although you can do that if you want. Best mac makeup for redheads. Screencastify is able to record in full-screen mode as well, and supports audio from your system or a microphone.
The extension is even smart enough to embed a feed from your webcam as well, so you've got lots of flexibility, even if you don't get quite as many bells and whistles as you do with other programs. On-screen drawings and annotations are supported in Screencastify too.
- Want to add Screencastify to your browser? You can get it here
7. AZ Screen Recorder
Support for timelapses and more
May not work at higher-res on older devices
AZ Screen Recorder (Android) is one of the top choices for Google's mobile operating system, bringing with it easy-to-use controls, plenty of recording options, and even a lightweight video editor if you want to trim down your recordings before sharing them.
Everything is handled with a little pop-up window that disappears when you start recording. You have the option to illustrate screen touches, and include microphone audio capture too, depending on what you need from your Android screen recording.
Delve into the settings and you can adjust the video recording resolution, frame rate and orientation, and even add a timelapse effect if necessary. It's got just about everything you could want from a screen recorder tool on an Android device.
- Ready to try AZ Screen Recorder? Here's the Google Play Store link
8. Record It!
Free to use
Cheap upgrade
Record it! is a screen recorder specifically for iOS devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and it's available as an free download from the iTunes appstore.
The app is surprisingly good for what you get. As well as recording the whole screen, it can also use the Facetime camera to record your face for reaction videos. Additionally there is a video editing option, and sharing available via AirDrop and Open In.
It's more ideally suited to iOS 12 or higher for full one-touch functionality, and the video editor comes with a small but decent range of features such as the ability to trim your video, add filters, adjust playback speed, change the background, and rotate the image.
Recordings are filed within the app for easy access, but as well as being available to save in your camera roll, there's also an easy export option for uploading to YouTube.
While the main app is free, there is a pro version available for $3.99 which allows sharing of videos more than 3 minutes long.
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- On a budget? Check out our guide to the best free screen recorders
A free screen recorder is just what you need if you're looking to make a video of what's happening on your desktop. Like an advanced version of a screenshot, screen recording enables you to create demonstration videos, record gaming achievements for posterity, and create videos than can be shared online on the likes of YouTube.
It is important to choose the right free screen recorder depending on what you intend to do with the footage you capture. Different recorders offer a range of differing features, can save captures in varying formats, or capture footage from external sources such as a webcam – and some even give you the opportunity to upload to the internet directly from within the program. Some run nicely on average hardware, while others are more demanding. The point is that there is plenty of choice.
No matter what you're hoping to do with footage captured from your computer, you need the right tool for the job. And this is where our look at the best free screen recorders can help – take a look and see which one is best for you.
1. OBS Studio
The best free screen recorder for capturing or streaming games, packed with features to help you achieve high-quality recordings
No restrictions on video length
If you’re a keen gamer, OBS Studio is easily the best screen capture software for you. Unlike the hugely popular FRAPS (which only lets you record for 30 seconds at a stretch unless you’ve bought a license, and applies a watermark to the resulting footage), OBS Studio is open source, and completely free to use without restrictions.
Free screen recorder OBS Studio supports both streaming and recording in high definition, with no restrictions on the number or length of your creations. You can stream live to Twitch or YouTube gaming, save projects and come back to them later, or encode your footage in FLV format and save it locally.
Because OBS Studio can record directly from your graphics card, it’s able to capture games running in full-screen mode (many other screen recorders can only record if the game is windowed), with customizable hotkeys to control the recording. OBS Studio can also make full use of multi-core CPUs for improved performance, and can record at 60FPS (or even higher).
It might take a little while to set it up exactly how you want, but OBS Studio is by far the best and most powerful screen recorder for gamers.
2. FlashBack Express
Another feature-packed screen recorder that's ideal for recording games and capturing footage from your webcam
Built-in video editor
OBS Studio is our top choice for recording from a desktop or webcam, but Flashback Express comes an extremely close second. Despite being a free version of a paid program, FlashBack Express won't put ugly watermarks over your recordings or impose time limits, and it's packed with features and tools that rival many premium programs. Its interface is less intimidating than OBS Studio, so if you've never used a screen recorder before, it's an excellent choice.
You can record from your whole screen, a window, a selected area, or a webcam. Once you’ve finished, your recording will appear in a simple editor, where you can crop and trim it to suit your needs, then export it to YouTube, an FTP server, or your PC.
That’s all fairly standard fare for a free screen recorder, but take a minute to dive into Flashback’s advanced options and you’ll find a wealth of thoughtfully designed settings that will make your desktop recordings look truly professional. The recorder can automatically obscure passwords entered on screen, replace your silly wallpaper with a plain one, hide messy desktop icons, and highlight your mouse pointer to make it easier to follow. There's also a dedicated gaming mode that lets you define the number of frames recorded per second.
There’s no limit on the length of your recordings unless you choose to set one, which can be useful if there’s a chance you might accidentally leave the recorder running. You can also choose to break long recordings up into chunks – a brilliant touch that helps you avoid creating huge, unwieldy files. Your recordings won’t be watermarked, either.
Following a recent update, Flashback Express can export in WMV, AVI and MP4 formats, eliminating the need for a separate video converter, and it no longer requires a free license key for activation – just install the software and you're ready to start recording. Best mac computer for photographers.
Developer Blueberry Software has also released a free screen recorder designed specifically for games – FBX. This recorder captures HD in-game footage, with hardware acceleration for AMD and Nvidia cards, and Intel CPUs.
If you're thinking about upgrading to FlashBack Pro, Blueberry software is offering TechRadar readers an exclusive 25% discount.
Best Screen Recorder For Mac With Audio
3. Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder
An in-browser recorder more powerful than most desktop apps
Lots of export options
If you want to record a presentation, software demonstration or tutorial, give Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder a try. It's a browser-based tool, which means it's not suitable for games, but for any other tasks it's ideal.
The first time you use Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder, you'll be prompted to download a small launcher application. You'll then be provided with a control bar packed with more options than you'll find in most desktop screen recording software. You can capture footage from your desktop or a webcam, and record audio from your PC, microphone, both or neither.
You can record the whole screen, select an area manually or choose one of the preset resolutions – ideal if you’re recording a clip for YouTube, for example, and don’t want to use a separate video editor to resize it later.
Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder also offers customizable keyboard shortcuts for speed and convenience. You can choose whether or not to include the cursor in the recording and take your pick from a range of output formats including MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV and many more. You can even add annotations during the recording.
Once you’re done, you can save the recording as a video file or GIF, upload it directly to YouTube or Vimeo, or send it to Google Drive or Dropbox. You can also edit the clip. Selecting this option will download an additional component – Apowersoft Video Editor – which lets you make simple adjustments before exporting your video in your preferred format. A truly exceptional tool.
Note that the 'Download desktop version' button links to a program called Apowersoft Screen Recorder Pro. This is a trial version of a premium application, and is more limited than Online Screen Recorder.
4. Debut Video Capture
Amazingly flexible, and capable of much more than just screen recording
Pro Edition Quarterly Plan
$3.33
Home Edition
Pro Edition
Scheduled recordings
Looks a little dated
Debut Video Capture is a new addition to our roundup of free screen recorders, and although its slightly dated design does it few favors, it's an extremely powerful program that can do much more than just capture what's happening on your PC monitor.
In addition to basic screen recording (with no time limits or watermarks), Debut Video Capture can also record footage from external devices, including webcams and security cameras. It can even record on a regular schedule, which means it can become the main hub of a home security system. Not too shabby for a program that's totally free for personal use. https://trucktree495.weebly.com/best-reference-software-for-mac.html.
There are no post-production editing tools, but you can apply filters and add your own captions and watermarks before you begin recording. There's no option for exporting videos directly to YouTube or Facebook, but they can be saved in all the main formats, including MP4, MOV and AVI (to name just three).
Debut Video Capture is currently in public beta, so we look forward to seeing the final release version with a lick of extra polish soon.
5. ShareX
Best Screen Recorder For Mac Gaming
A fine choice if you want to share your screen recordings online
Best Screen Recorders For Mac Gamers
Dozens of export options
Unintuitive interface
ShareX is an open source app for capturing still screen grabs and recording videos. There are no watermarks or time limits to worry about, but the interface isn't the most intuitive in the world so you’ll be best off using keyboard shortcuts. For quick reference, you can start a recording by tapping Shift + Print Screen, and stop it again using Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen.
You can also use this free screen recorder to save your capture as a GIF rather than a video file, which can be extremely useful for sharing on forums and social media.
Not only is ShareX a brilliant free screen recorder, it can also capture an entire scrolling webpage, capture and identify text via OCR, and even capture your screen according to a schedule.
Another of its best features is the ability to send your captured grabs and videos straight to a file-sharing or social media site. There’s a vast array of options, which you can check out on the project’s site.
Unfortunately, ShareX doesn’t support taking screen grabs or recordings from games running in full-screen mode. Other than that, it’s a superb screen recorder that will serve you extremely well.
Watch our rundown of our favourite free video editors:
- Read more: our guide to the best free video editing software