Top 15 Best Screen Recording Software [Free & Paid]

Data consumption has gone for manifold increased due to COVID-19 induced lockdown. The consumers of this data surge are not hard to find. Video streaming websites, gamers and professional on video conferencing. Even the students studying at home are attending online videos sessions.

With so many video streaming use cases, there is a lot of need for screen recording software as well. You might need a screen recording software to record a webinar, an online tutorial session, office meeting, your favourite show on Netflix or Amazon Prime and what not. In this article, we will be looking at the best screen recording software for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android operating systems. Whatever might be your use case, we have you covered in our list of best screen recording software below.

1. Top 15 Screen Recording Software [Free & Paid]

#1 Camtasia (Mac and Windows)

It would be a sin if I don't start my list of best screen recording software with the mention of Camtasia. Camtasia is probably the most widely used screen recording application by professionals. It features a studio-like interface where you can do video editing , mixing and creating the end product right at one place.

In Camtasia, you can group your frequently used tool at one place. This help you avoid switching across multiple toolbars. There is a “Green Screen” feature in Camtasia which helps you superimpose yourself in a recorded video after the recording. It pairs with a mobile app called Techsmith Fuse which lets you import photos and videos to your computer from your iOS or Android smartphone. There is also a feature to convert short videos to GIF. It is much better to share a GIF than a heavy video to your colleague for a small demo.

No doubt why it is the first choice for screen recording software of any professional. It is a nifty one-stop solution for most of the video recording and video editing requirements. However, it does have a learning curve attached to it and can be quite difficult for an amateur to get started with it. It is premium software available at a premium price.

Price: $249

#2 Open Broadcaster Software Studio (Windows, Mac, Linux)

More commonly known as OBS, this tool is open source project written in C and C++ and is maintained by the OBS Project. It is a powerful free screen recording software along with screencasting abilities. You need a select a combination of source and scene before you can start recording. A scene is like a container in which you select the source of your video and audio. It helps you easily manage your production assets.

It encodes your video using H264 and AAC and makes use of Bilinear or lanczos3 resampling. If you don't want to go much technical, know this that OBS is a powerful tool. However, you need to have experience with production technology to be able to use it. As a free tool, it offers you a host of features but you need to fine-tune the settings to find the right balance between quality and quantity (file size). You can generate output file in FLV or MP4 format.

Price : Free

#3 ScreenFlow (Mac)

In the list of best screen recording software, ScreenFlow is next to Camtasia in terms of popularity. If you look at the user experience of both software, you will find that ScreenFlow is actually better that Camtasia for amateurs. While the interface feel can vary from user to user, the features of ScreenFlow are no less than what are offered by Camtasia.

It offers both screencasting and video editing on Mac. You can edit the recorded video and add the all usual callouts, annotations and motion images. It has a big library of stock images, audio tracks, transitions and backgrounds that you can use in your videos. However, the built-in stock media stack is static and you are limited with what comes with the installation. After connecting your iPhone, iPad, or iPad Touch, you can also record the screen of your iOS devices. The videos recorded with ScreenFlow at of high quality at 30fps.

Before I proceed to the next best screen recording software, allow me to mention our favorite feature in ScreenFlow – the Motion control feature. This feature allows you to zoom in on any part of the frame to focus on the topic of interest. It is a great way to help your viewers focus on the same area where you want them to.

Price: $129.99

#4 QuickTime (Mac)

QuickTime is the default video player on Mac but it can also do screen recording. To use its screen recording feature, launch QuickTime > go to File > select the New Screen Recording option. Select the area on which you want to do screen recording, start recording and stop it when done. The output file will be saved with a .MOV extension at the end. It is a handy screen recording software but offers limited features for capturing video and doing post-production activities.

Price: Free (native Mac app)

#5 Snagit (Mac, Windows)

Snagit is a product from the house of TechSmith, the same company that sells Camtasia. Snagit is a watered-down version of Camtasia but equally reliable. With the effects and timeline control of Camtasia missing in Snagit, it feels lighter and easier to use. You can add annotations to still and moving pictures. With Snagit, you can also make picture in picture video by recording the screen and video from webcam simultaneously. Self narration audio can also be added through a mic.

The Fuse app for Camtasia works with Snagit as well. And if at any point of time, you feel that you need the more advanced features of Camtasia, you can seamlessly export the Snagit project to Camtasia.

Price: $49.95

#6 Icecream Screen Recorder (Mac, Windows)

There is a free version of this screen recorder software as well as a paid one. The free one allows you to record only 5 minutes of video and puts a watermark on it. These limitations are removed with the paid version. You can record games, webinars, presentations and what all comes to your mind. You can select any part of your Mac screen to record. The application is quite lightweight and no learning curve is required to start using it. You can just start the application and use it to capture your screen or take a screenshot on the fly.

The videos are exported in MP4, MKV, and WebM and there are hotkeys to start, pause or stop the recording. The limitation is there are very limited tools for doing any video editing. So, if you need heavy post-production work on the video, this tool is not for you. However, for light and casual screen recordings, this is your tool of choice.

Price: Free with limited features, $29.95

#7 Screencast-o-Matic (Chrombook, Mac and Windows)

This is one interesting screen recording software in our list. Interesting why you ask? That’s because this tool is mostly online. It works by installing a small piece of software on your computer. After that, the recording is started from the website.

There are both free and paid versions of this tool. The price of the tool at $1.5/month is quite affordable. With the free version you can record video of up to 15 minutes in length along with the mic audio and webcam video. With the paid version you can record an unlimited length of video and you also get access to tools for real-time editing, recording system audio, post-production editing and more.

Price: Free, $1.5/month

#8 Monosnap

Monosnap is a free screen recording software that is lightweight and can capture both screen and webcam videos. It can take screenshots as well. After installation it runs in background and adds itself in the taskbar as a background running process. You can click on this icon to access the recording features of the application. You can even set hotkeys for recording, pausing and stopping screen recording. You can add annotations and effects to the video. And once the video processing is complete, you can upload the video to a cloud storage or FTP right from the application.

Price: Free

#9 Movavi (Windows, Mac)

Movavi is a worthy entry in our list of screen recording tools both because of the functionalities it offers and the affordable price point. It offers an easy to learn interface. It does not have many high-end features that professionals might look for but as a budget tool, it is a good contender in our list of best screen recording software.

Select the area of the screen to record, do any customizations if required and start recording. You can set the hotkeys as well from the settings menu of Movavi screen recorder software. Its unique features are recording schedules, mouse effects and the SuperSpeed tool that will export your video in HD. The video editing tools available with the recorder are quite limited. Movavi looks at it as an opportunity to get its users to buy the Movavi video editor as well. However, you can make use of any video editing tool of your choice for editing your recorded video.

Price: $59.95

#10 ActivePresenter (Mac, Windows)

This is a free screen recording software to take screenshots and create screencasts. You can use it to create video from your presentation in AVI, WMV, MPEG-4/MP4, FLV, HTML formats. You can even use it to create AJAX and Flash interactive simulations. Though it is a free screen recording software, there is no limit on the length of the video you can record and neither is any watermark added on it. As for video editing, you have the basic options of cut, crop, merge, delete and volume adjustment.

#11 ApowerREC (Windows, Mac)

ApowerREC from Apowersoft is a capable paid screen recording software. It records any activity on your screen in real-time be it capturing a live video stream or a video call. You can create picture in picture videos, record from webcam, record only your screen and use computer audio and/or mic audio. Besides these, you can add annotations, callouts and do basic video editing like cropping and adding watermark. The end output video can be directly uploaded to YouTube or Google Drive from the application.

Price: $69.95 lifetime or $39.95 annually

#11 MadCap Mimic

This screen recording software comes with 3 modes for screen recording – manual, automatic and full-motion detecting. You can create variables callouts and images so that you don’t need to recapture the video if you decide to edit something. There is a 30 day trial period during which you can test its capabilities. It comes with some video effects that you can use but the interface is a bit complicated for most users.

Price: Product is available as part of a package

#12 Ezvid (Windows)

Ezvid is a free screen recording software and a powerful one at that. It packs cutting edge features and effects that you can add to your screen recording. You can do both video and voice recording. There is a feature for doing voice synthesis, screen drawing and video speed control.

Written in C++, it utilizes the latest development libraries and computer resources to generate HD videos. You can later edit these videos non-linearly to add text, image slides, do speed changes and much more to generate a video of your specifications. The only drawback is that it takes up a lot of space on your computer to work properly and might be buggy on old machines.

Price: Free, though you can consider donating to keep its development going

#13 TinyTake (Windows)

It is a freemium screen recording software that advertises it as the best screen recording software. However, the tool is not optimum for detailed graphics like a game and is better suited for a stable imagery. It has a free version that comes with 2GB of online space to store images and videos. You can only take 5 minutes of recording and the application comes with ads. There are no annotations in the free version.

You can though opt for one of the premium plans depending on your need. Higher the plan you take, longer the video you can make along with more online storage.

#13 Apowersoft (Web-based, works on Windows, Mac)

While ApowerREC is a paid software, there is a free web-based screen recording utility from Apowersoft too. You still need to download a small installer though for it to work. The best thing is that there is no limit on the length of the recording you can make with this tool. You can export the file in MP4, WMV, AVI, FLV, MPEG, VOB, ASF and GIF formats. It can record web camera as well as computer screen. Fullscreen or a part of it can be recorded as well.

Price: Free

#15 Loom (Windows, Mac, Chrome)

Loom is available as a screen recording software and also as a Chome add-on. The Chrome add-on makes it extremely handy to use to create videos faster than you would write an email. You can capture screen, webcam and audio with this tool and share it instantly within your team. There is a Loom for Team too that is currently in beta version that you might want to checkout.

The downside is no video editor and that your video is stored on Loom.com rather than locally. You need to sign up for an account to use this software.

Price: Free for personal use, $10 to $45 paid plans

2. How to Record Screen and Edit Video on Mobile Phone

Recording computer screen is a common required. But now with gaming ecosystem expanding on handheld mobiles as well, there is screen recording need there too. Let us see how you can record screen video of your mobile phone and edit it too.

Recording iPhone, iPad or iPod screen with DVDFab Screen Recorder and Editor for iOS

DVDFab iOS screen recorder is a powerful application that allows Apple users to record their portable device screens from their Mac or Windows laptop. You can record your iPhone, iPad or iPod screen along with its audio and their use the powerful video editing tools of DVDFab to make stunning videos. Use it to make tutorial videos, record your iOS game gameplays and whatever else comes to your mind.

Steps to Record Screen with DVDFab Screen Recorder

Step 1. Installation of DVDFab Screen Recorder & Editor for iOS

Download and install the latest version of DVDFab

Step 2. Connecting your iOS device

Launch the DVDFab applications and in the Utilities tab, you will find Screen Recorder & Editor for iOS. It will open another window which will give you the instructions how to connect to your iOS device via AirPlay Mirroring.

Step 3. Configure your recorder settings

Your iPhone or other iOS device screen should now be visible on your computer. By default, only the screen is recorded. But, if you need the audio as well, use the toggle switch present on the left side of the timeline to add your iOS device audio.

Similarly, if you want to create a picture in picture effect by adding your webcam video, use the “Add Video Track” button. You can add the video through the computer webcam or an connected camera. Use the “Add Audio Track” button in the same way to add audio from your mic connected to the computer. Once you are all set, click on the red recording button to start recording.

Step 4. Edit and export recorded video

Stop the recording and use the preview button to verify that you have got the recording as you wanted. The button is present near the top right corner. Next, start with any editing you need to do like trimming any unwanted portions, cropping area of the screen you don’t want and adding any text or watermark in the video. Click on the Save button once editing is done. The file is saved in MP4 format on your local drive storage.

3. FAQs

1. Which is the best screen recording software?

It depends on what purpose you need a screen recording software. If you a professional YouTuber who regularly uploads tutorial or gaming videos, Camtasia is the best choice for you. If you upload gaming videos from your iPhone then you should go for DVDFab Screen Recorder & Editor for iOS. However, if you need it just as a one-time thing, choose a free tool like Ezvid.

2. How to record screen in Windows 10 without any software?

There are web-based tools like Screencast-o-Matic and Apowersoft that help you record videos without installing any software. However, you do need to install a small utility for these to work. Another option is to make use of Loom add-on of Chrome browser with which e you don't need to install anything at all expect for the extension.

3. What is the best screen recording software for gaming?

For gaming, you need a tool that is stable and fast but also doesn't eats up too much computer resources. The light weight screen recording software which are good for gaming are ActivePresenter, Apowersoft online tool and Snagit. If you are gaming on your iPhone or iPad, you should go for DVDFab Screen Recorder & Editor.

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