The best screen recording software can simplify a variety of tasks for businesses. From announcing product updates and making software tutorials to onboarding new employees, a screen recorder makes it easier for teams to share information. QuickTime player and Free Online Screen Recorder are the best free Mac screen recorders without watermark if you don't want to install any tool. If you're willing to download and install, you can also select OBS and ActivePresenter as your best option. The best screen recorder for Mac that comes with a super easy user-interface and impeccable functionality, Screen Recorder Robot Lite lets you enjoy free screen capturing on your Mac. Unlike several other programs, this tool doesn’t add any type of watermarks to your recordings, even if you’re a free user.
There are times that you want to record your screen to create a training video or share something interesting with your friends. Then, you need an effective screen recorder. But there are a lot of screen recorders on the market, and what is the best free screen recorder?
You will find answer here. This post covers the top 10 best free screen recorder software for Windows and Mac users. To help you find the right software, we pointed out the pros and cons of thesetop 10 best free screen recorder to present the key features. Now read on and explore more information.
Top 1. EaseUS RecExperts
Applies to: Windows 10 /8.1/8/7
Why do I list EaseUS RecExperts as NO.1? Because it is one of the best free screen recorder for Windows 10. It is a full-featured yet easy-to-use screen recorder compared to other screen recording software.
With this program, you can choose to record the full screen, record a selected area, record a fixed area, or record a locked window. Not just that, this software can also meet your every specific need, it enables you to record webcam, record audio, and it can even be useful for people who don't know how to record gameplay on pc. There are some features that can help you understand this software better.
Features:
- Set up the time and duration to make a scheduled screen capture
- Advanced editing functions like Spotlight, Zoom, Screenshot, and Annotate during recording
- Upload and share the recorded video to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, etc.
- Save video format up to 10 types, and audio format up to 6 types
- Support online and offline recording
To show you how to use this program, we offer you a tutorial below. Follow the steps carefully, and you can record the screen successfully.
Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts. You can choose one of the four main functions on the main screen. Here you need to click 'Record Screen'.
Step 2. Click 'Custom' to select a screen area to record. You may choose 'Full Screen', 'Selected Region', 'Fixed Region', 'Locked Window' or to customize window size here. If you want to record the screen and webcam at the same time, make sure you connected a webcam to your computer.
Step 3. Click 'Microphone', and you may choose to record system sound only, record microphone only, record both, or record without audio.
Step 4. Click 'REC' to start recording. After recording completed, the videos will be shown on the 'Video List'.
Step 5. Right-click the video recorded, you may preview, compress, edit, share the video, and do more.
Top 2. OBS Studio
Applies to: Windows 8+/macOS 10.12+/Linux
OBS Studio is free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. The best free screen recorder can be used on both Windows and macOS computer. Besides, the product is entirely free, with no limitations. You can immediately start recording from multiple sources at once, with a fairly nice amount of customization in terms of the options you have. What's more, the application streams with various platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Hitbox, Twitch, and more.
Pros:
- Free and Open Source
- Multi-platform support
- Live Streaming Support
- Good community support
Cons:
- Doesn't work on Windows XP or Windows 7
- Setup takes a little while
- No 'pause' function for recording
- Beginners may find it hard to use
OBS Studio supports both streaming and recording in high definition, with no restrictions on the number or length of your creations. If you want to record the screen on different platforms, OBS is one of your best choices.
Top 3. Movavi Screen Recorder
Applies to: Windows 7/8/10; Mac OS 10.10 or higher
Movavi Screen Recorder is one of the best free screen recorder for both Windows and Mac. Thanks to its compact design, it doesn't get in the way of desktop activities when it's running. With Movavi, you can record screen video, capture sound, grab and edit screenshots, and share the results via social networks. You can use it to record online video, video calls, and any other desktop activity.
Pros:
- Record in full-screen mode, capture a specific screen area or a separate window
- Get high-quality output video thanks to the supporting for hardware acceleration
- Record system sound and microphone simultaneously
- Capture mouse movements and highlight the cursor
Cons:
- A watermark is added to output videos
- You cannot add a description or change tags before sharing the video on YouTube
Top 4. ActivePresenter
Applies to: Windows 7+/macOS
Another all-in-one and free screen recording software is ActivePresenter. It includes all the tools needed to record screen, annotate, edit screencast videos, and create interactive eLearning content in HTML5. It is a solution for creating screencast videos, handouts, manuals, documentation, and interactive training presentations.
Pros:
- Support multi-platform
- Allows creating responsive content, for all types of devices
- Includes smart capture to make almost automatic image tutorials
- Allows working with Green Screen
Cons:
- It lacks video effects that many other video editors offer
- You can only import video files created in ActivePresenter itself
- The free edition has a watermark
If you are not worried about the watermark, you can use ActivePresenter to record and edit your recordings on different platforms.
Top 5. Monosnap
Applies to: Windows/macOS/Google
Monosnap is a lightweight, free screen recorder for PC that is great for instructors who don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Monosnap also allows users to host videos on the Monosnap server. This software can be used to capture a selected window or just a small part of the screen. You can take benefit from hotkeys to a customized screen shooting.
Pros:
- Totally free
- Adjust settings for higher and lower quality recording
- Export to monosnap.com, Youtube, and other cloud platforms
- Easy to operate even for beginners
Cons:
- Video editing is not possible
- Mobile devices cannot be recorded
If you are looking for the best free screen recorder for Windows 10/8/7 or macOS, you can choose Monosnap. It is free and easy to operate even for beginners.
Top 6. Bandicam Screen Recorder
Applies to: Windows only
Another best free screen recorder for PC is Bandicam. This screen recorder is a video and game recording software for users, businesses, and professionals who want to produce short videos for several purposes. It can record various 2D/3D games with 4K UHD resolution at up to 144 FPS. Bandicam can also record the full screen, part of the screen, and external video devices such as webcam and game console.
Pros:
- Three modes according to different needs
- Record full screen, region, webcam, microphone, computer sound
- Draw, add text and take screenshots while recording
- Record high fps games without lag
Cons:
- Windows only
- The watermark in the free version
- Limited video output formats: AVI, MP4
When it comes to high-quality recordings, and includes any settings you might need to make your recordings top-notch, Bandicam Screen Recorder ranks top.
Top 7. Free Cam
Applies to: Windows 10/8/7 32- and 64-bit
Free Cam is a reliable and free screen recording program with a built-in audio/video editor. You can create screencasts, edit recorded videos, and upload videos to YouTube easily. This free screen recorder provides a full set of features for creating professional video lessons and e-Learning presentations. After recording, you can save your screencast on your desktop or instantly share it on YouTube.
Pros:
- No watermark, time limits, or ads
- Records voice-overs and computer sounds
- High-quality resolution
- A wide selection of audio effects
Cons:
- The free version only supports to save recordings to WMV only
- No webcam recording for the free version
If you don't care about the WMV format, you can try Free Cam. This software is super easy to use. Besides, there's no watermark on the recordings.
Top 8. Flashback Express
Applies to: Windows only
FlashBack Express is the best screen recorder for PC, yet a powerful editor. You can capture your screen, along with webcam and microphone, and then make the recording better with built-in editing tools by adding captions, arrows, images, and highlights. It neither sets a time limit on recording nor stamps watermark on the output videos. To gain a better understanding of its function, you can check the picture below:
Pros:
- Well designed interface
- No time limits, watermarks
- Allows you to record from screen or webcam
- You can add distinctive and custom watermarks
Cons:
- Some tools are paid-only
- The free version only supports MP4, AVI, and WMV
- Only free for 30 days
If you are running Windows 10 on multi-monitors, this software would be your best choice. You can either record screens across multiple monitors or limit capturing to a single monitor with this screen recorder.
Video Recorder For Mac
Top 9. QuickTime Player
Applies to: Mac only
If you are looking for the best free screen recorder on Mac, you can't miss QuickTime Player. It is the default Mac video player. But you could use QuickTime Player to do screen recording too! It uses onscreen controls that are similar to a CD or DVD player.
Screen Recorder For Mac Youtube
Pros:
- Conversion of images to different formats
- Records Skype videos in full screen
- Ability to save videos from the web
- Supports a small and attractive interface
Cons:
- Limited recording and editing functionality
- Can support MOV file format only
- System audio recording is not possible
Quicktime is one of the best free screen recording programs for Mac devices to edit music or add audio to video. If you are willing to add audio to video on your own, you can try this tool.
Top 10. VLC
Applies to: Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS
VLC is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It is not only a video player but also the best free screen recorder while considering the convenient and advanced playing extensions on Mac.
Pros:
- Completely free and open source
- Stream media over the network or internet
- A simple and efficient way to create screen recordings
Cons:
- No audio recording options
- No video editing options
- Can only capture the entire screen
Even though creating screencasts with VLC is possible, many better free screen recorders provide more tools for screencasting and video editing.
Conclusion
These are some of the best free screen recorder software available for Windows and Mac. Whether you are a professional video recorder or a hobbyist, having the right set of tools to record your video is necessary to grow your audience. For Windows users, we strongly recommend you to download EaseUS RecExperts since it is full-featured, lightweight, and easy-to-use at the meantime.
People Also Ask
There are hot topics on the internet. Here, I have listed some popular ones about screen recording and video editing. You can read on to solve your problems.
1. What is the best free screen recorder?
Top 10 best free screen recorders:
- EaseUS RecExperts
- OBS Studio
- Movavi Screen Recorder
- ActivePresenter
- Monosnap
- Bandicam Screen Recorder
- Free Cam
- Flashback Express
- QuickTime
- VLC
2. Does Windows have a screen recorder?
Yes. Windows 10 has a secret screen recording tool - Xbox Game Bar. It can be used to capture the screen. It is convenient to use without installing any software.
3. How can I record my screen without background noise?
You can use free screen recorders without an audio recording feature. Like QuickTime Player, it enables you to record your Mac screen without audio.