11 Best Free Screen Recorders to Try in 2023

Want to create tutorials or instructional videos? Or maybe you need to collaborate with your remote team over video? 

A screen recorder can help you capture audio, screen, and webcam, eliminating the need to go back and forth in emails and spending hours explaining the context of your message. 

The best free screen recorders out there let you record cursor movements to guide viewers,  annotate on your screen to highlight important points, and even edit your videos. 

Here’s the catch: there are plenty of free screen recorders available, making it hard to choose the perfect one. 

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about screen recording software. From what features to look for based on your needs and the different types of recorders you can choose from.

Jump to a specific section:

• 11 best free screen recorders to try in 2023
• A quick comparison of our top 11 free screen recorders
• How we evaluated every screen recorder
• Desktop recorders vs. online recorders: what’s the difference?

[#TOC1]11 Best Free Screen Recorders To Try In 2023[#TOC1]

Choosing a screen recorder can make or break your video creation experience, more so if you’re a creator who regularly records their screen. While there are many screen capture software available, not every tool is built the same. 

Some screen recording apps only offer the ability to record your screen and share it. While other apps provide a more comprehensive video editing suite, allowing you to not only record but edit your recording as well. Think of adding subtitles, annotations, call-to-action buttons, stock music, and animations. 

To help you, we tested and evaluated dozens of screen recording apps based on the criteria we set for the category. We finally shortlisted the 11 best free screen recorders that are worth a shot. Each tool mentioned in this guide has distinct features, so you can easily select the one that fits your needs best. 

Here’s an in-depth breakdown of all the 11 free screen recorders we tested. 

1. VEED Screen and Webcam Recorder + Editor

The best all-in-one tool to record, edit, and share your videos.

VEED is as simple as screen recorders come, while giving you a powerful video editing suite to help you record, edit, and share videos in a single place. What’s different with VEED’s screen recording software is its screen recorder offers one-click features that help you add personalization and change the look and feel of your video.

Creating a video for your course, social media, or team? Make it on-brand by customizing the background of your video — add an image, pick a solid color, or upload a custom background from your own library! 

If you’re recording for a specific platform — like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat — simply choose the dimensions for your video. No need to rack your brain about different aspect ratios, or edit screen recordings in a different tool; VEED gives you all you need to produce a high-quality video right there in the recorder itself. 

Because many people feel more in control and confident when reading from a script, or just simply have a lengthy topic to share, VEED offers a built-in teleprompter that’s only visible to you aka the video creator. You can add your script, adjust the speed of the prompter, change the font size and color of the text, and select a dark/white theme for better readability. 

Not only that, VEED comes with a clean and intuitive UI that makes it a cakewalk to use and offers simple to advanced AI-powered editing features, making it truly the best screen recording software for beginners and pros alike. 

Here are some of the incredibly helpful AI features: 

• Magic Cut to automatically edit out filler words, outtakes, pauses, and repetitions from your video 
• Eye Contact Correction to fix your gaze to look straight into the camera in your video, while you’re reading off your notes or a script
• AI Avatars to help you create animated talking avatars for promotional, sales, or training videos without actually recording yourself 
• Audio Cleaner to automatically remove background noises and sounds so you can have production studio audio quality 
• AI Background Remover to remove your video’s existing background and replace it with a new one  
• AI Script Generator to auto-write scripts for videos based on the prompts you provide it 

The best part? In comparison to other tools here, VEED has an easier learning curve. The interface gently nudges you forward like a helping hand guiding you. And the extensive how-to-use content and video tutorials for each feature makes learning the tool easier. 

All in all, VEED’s screen recorder is a solid choice. It’s a lightweight online recorder with tons of cool features, like on-screen writing, sticky notes, and a magic button for confetti. The icing on the cake is the fact that the screen recording automatically exports into an online video editor when you’re done. 

VEED is a complete package for content creators and educators, making it one of the best free screen recorders in the market.

The Final Verdict

All in all, VEED’s screen recorder is a solid choice. It’s a lightweight online recorder with tons of cool features, like on-screen writing, sticky notes, and a magic button for confetti. The icing on the cake is the fact that the screen recording automatically exports into an online video editor when you’re done. 

VEED is a complete package for content creators and educators, making it one of the best free screen recorders in the market.

2. Loom

The best recording software for basic videos.

Right off the bat, Loom is a simple screen recorder. You can choose between multiple on-screen recording layouts, and it records your webcam too. Loom isn’t the most powerful in terms of features. Unlike other screen recorders, you won’t be able to add on-recording notes. The drawing feature is limited to paid users as well, which is a bummer.

On a brighter note, you can use Loom as a dedicated desktop application or through a Chrome extension. Giving users the option to choose between both is a plus in my book, just keep in mind that some user reviews do find the desktop app buggy. Other than that, you can also adjust the size of your webcam video during the recording. This is a great way to shift the attention of your viewer from your content to your face, especially when you need to explain something through your webcam.

Right off the bat, Loom is a simple screen recorder. You can choose between multiple on-screen recording layouts, and it records your webcam too. Loom isn’t the most powerful in terms of features. Unlike other screen recorders, you won’t be able to add on-recording notes. The drawing feature is limited to paid users as well, which is a bummer.

On a brighter note, you can use Loom as a dedicated desktop application or through a Chrome extension. Giving users the option to choose between both is a plus in my book, just keep in mind that some user reviews do find the desktop app buggy. Other than that, you can also adjust the size of your webcam video during the recording. This is a great way to shift the attention of your viewer from your content to your face, especially when you need to explain something through your webcam.

A couple of key things you should consider before using Loom is that they only allow a 5-minute recording limit. They also have a 100-video and screenshot limit to free accounts, but that’s more than enough for most people.

One thing that Loom does right is that it’s convenient to share your video around. The finished output is automatically uploaded when you’re done and you can just send a link to your co-workers to access the video.

However, the signing up process for Loom is quite lengthy. If you’re looking for a simple and quick screen recording software, signing up alone might be more trouble than it’s worth. Loom also asks about your work background, which should give you specialized experience. It doesn’t really change the features though, so it’s probably asked just to track your behavior and usage.‍

The Final Verdict

In conclusion, Loom is simple to use and has been a staple for corporate and online freelancers. It’s a convenient record-and-save screen recorder, but you’ll have to register for an account to use it. Unfortunately, signing up does take a bit of effort, so we don’t recommend Loom to users who are looking for quick screen recording.

Finally, Loom doesn’t support on-screen drawings and sticky notes for free users.

3. ScreenPal (Formerly Screencast-O-Matic)

The most affordable screen recorder.

ScreenPal is one of the oldest screen recorders in the market. But did it age well?

ScreenPal has taken a lot of drastic changes lately. First off, they’re no longer a browser-based editor. You have to download a program called the WebLaunchRecorder to get started. The interface is very straightforward, and while that’s good to see, it’s lackluster because of how laggy it can get. 

Considering that this is the first desktop recorder on this list, ScreenPal does give a lot of flexible recording options on your computer. You can pick between specific areas on your screen or your full resolution. I wouldn’t recommend this recorder for streamers and gamers though. The free plan doesn’t record your computer audio, so your viewers wouldn’t be able to hear the video game during your stream.

Once you’re done recording, ScreenPal shows you a preview and playback of your video. If you’re happy with everything, saving it will move the video to a simple editor. Here, you see the sound waves and trim the video. The editor controls are very limited, so you might be better off with a dedicated video editing program.
‍

The sharing is simple though. You can immediately upload it on Dropbox, YouTube, Google Drive, and more. Key praise for the recording is that ScreenPal highlights your mouse cursor on the screen. Aside from supporting native resolution quality, you also don’t have to sign up for an account. I always give plus points for convenience.

The Final Verdict

ScreenPal has been one of the best screen recorders for a long time. The company itself was founded way back in 2005, so it catered to the very early days of YouTube and online content creation. That being said though, the software and features don’t seem to have aged well. There’s a limit to the editing, and no screenshot, pauses, or on-screen drawing.

If you’re looking for a simple screen recording software that has been in the market for years, ScreenPal is a reliable choice.

4. Bandicam

The original gaming screen recorder

Screen recording with Bandicam only lasts up to 10 minutes with the free version. So, you’re going to struggle with sending out complete and thorough video briefs in that limited amount of time.

That said, Bandicam has aged beautifully since it was released. It’s a complete desktop screen recorder full of all the features you need and didn’t know you needed. A quick overview of Bandicam’s features includes:

• Screenshot capture
• Record videos from TVs, PlayStations, Xbox, and smartphones
• Records multiple screens at once
• Draw and add text while recording
• Mouse click effects and highlights
• Add your own logo to the screen capture

All this while remaining lightweight on your computer. Bandicam is very versatile and intuitive to use. Although there are more options and customizations here than any of the screen recorders combined, Bandicam makes it easy to configure the recorder to your personal needs.

Quick trivia: Bandicam is also what Pewdiepie uses to record and stream his videos!

Live streamers and gamers alike definitely have something here. Bandicam is a great beginner-level program and a good way to record some early YouTube videos for your channel. The logo watermark isn’t huge. That being said, live streaming will be difficult with the program if you don’t have a paid version. 

Bandicam doesn’t come with a video editor. But you can get a free version of Bandicut, a program from the same Bandicam company, which only offers trimming and splitting. 

The Final Verdict

Bandicam is a staple desktop recorder with a solid history of reliability. The company’s pricing system alone (one-time purchase for the app) and the lifetime warranty are green flags. The software itself is simple, intuitive, and powerful for a desktop recorder. Although you do get a watermark and a 10-minute recording limit, that’s more than enough to snip multiple clips for YouTube tutorials.

If you want a dedicated desktop recorder, Bandicam is the way to go. Just remember that it doesn’t come with any type of video editor, so you’ll need a separate program for that.

5. Screencastify 

The flashiest screen recorder for browsers.

Screencastify’s on-screen features are more diverse than most recorders on this list. Users can choose between on-screen pens with different colors. These stay permanently on your screen until you either clear all the drawings or erase them with the eraser.

The cool thing about Screencastify’s pens is that they track the area that you drew on. So, if you scroll up and down, your drawings will scroll together with the window. This is a really neat feature, especially for long videos.

Sharing is where everything gets easier. Videos automatically save to your Google Drive, and you get the option of publishing them to YouTube, sending them as links, or posting them in a Google Classroom. Screencastify’s sharing system is one of the best here for educators and teachers.

Grade school teachers will especially benefit from the on-screen emojis. This can add a layer of style and color that helps younger children focus throughout the videos.

Screencastify does require you to sign into their platform. You’re asked to sign into your Google account, which can feel annoying if you aren’t the type to easily link your Google account to just any site. The signup process is fairly simple, with only 4 pages of quick questions to go through before you can start recording.

The Final Verdict

Screencastify has a lot going for them. Their free plan allows on-screen writing, and the drawings themselves track to your screen. That feature alone feels like a premium tool. Teachers can make use of on-screen emojis too and rectangles to keep children focused throughout the video.

However, for creators that consistently use screen recorders, Screencastify falls short with a lack of advanced editing capabilities and recording limitations.

6. AnyMP4 Screen Recorder

Good for simple and on-brand screen recordings

In comparison to other tools, AnyMP4's screen recorder sticks out like an outlier. It isn’t your run-off-the-mill screen recorder that just lets you capture your screen and edit it. AnyMP4 offers a very unique set of limited but powerful features, making it a perfect match for a specific group of users.

It offers some out-of-the-box features like a wide range of frame rates including 20 fps, 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps to choose from. In addition, it has advanced recording modes, so you can record your camera, game, window, phone, and more. Plus, it allows you to export in various formats: WMV, MP4, MOV, F4V, AVI, TS, MP3, WMA, AAC, M4A, MOV, M4V, GIF, and CAF. 

If you’re a gaming professional looking for a screen recorder that gives you complete control over your stream’s technical specifications, AnyMP4 is a great option for you. 

Other key features include:

• Logo: You can add your logo as a watermark while recording to protect your content (no need to edit the logo into the video after recording)
• Scheduled Recording: If you have a recurring task you find yourself needing to record you can set a time every day that your screen starts to record.
• Mic Noise Reduction: Distracting background noise is removed (or noticeably reduced) while recording your voice from your mic.

There’s no limit on the resolution or length of the recording itself. The only catch is: you can save video recordings of only up to 3 minutes, making it usable only for short video recordings. For instance, quick explainer videos or feedback/reviews within a team.

AnyMP4 has a free version of their tool. The main limit is your recordings can only be up to 3 minutes long

‍The Final Verdict

If you are often making screen recordings and need them stored to your desktop for editing (perhaps on more advanced editing tools) then AnyMP4 is a solid choice for you. If you're a more casual user who needs to make the occassional 5-10 min screen recording for coworkers then a more easily shareable and freer option is better. The main deciding factor is really how often do you need to record and where do you need those files to live?

7. FlexClip's Screen Recorder

Best for solely recording screen (no webcam)

FlexClip’s screen recorder is as simple as it can get. Its user interface is so remarkably simple and intuitive that it feels like a guiding hand is showing the user around. It’s a free tool, ideal for beginner video creators. Since it’s web-based, there’s no need to download an application that takes up the bulk of your laptop’s storage space.

All you need to do is select the scenes you want to capture (screen, webcam, or both), allow microphone recording, and hit Start Recording. Once done, you can re-record the video or download and edit it in a separate video editing tool.

Because FlexClip has no editing capability, it's not suitable for professional screen recorders, educators, or streamers.‍

The Final Verdict

FlexClip offers a pretty sweet deal if you need unlimited amounts of screen recording (with no webcam) and entirely for free. There are few simple-to-use tools out there that have no limits on how much you can use them. However, if you do need to record yourself and access slightly more advanced capabilities while recording then another tool on this list might be best for you.

Overall, FlexClip is a solid choice for anyone with pretty simple needs when it comes to screen recording.

8. OBS Studio

The ultimate screen recorder for gamers

If you’ve been looking for a screen recorder for a while, chances are you’ve already heard or read about OBS.

Open Broadcaster Software, popularly known as OBS Studio is considered the precursor to streaming software, and for good reason. It’s an incredible open-source screen recording tool that offers high-performance real-time audio and video capturing and mixing.

You can record scenes made up of multiple sources including browser windows, capture cards, images, text, window captures, and more. And then you can set up an unlimited number of scenes so you can switch easily with custom transitions. For instance, switching from “stream starting soon” to “going live in 3,2,1…” to “real-time stream”..and so on.

OBS also provides advanced customization and control over audio with pre-source filters like noise gate, noise suppression, and gain. Plus, you can set hotkeys for almost every action such as switching between scenes, starting/stopping streams, muting audio sources, and more.

Combine this with the platform’s ability to broadcast streams across various platforms like Twitch, Facebook Live, and YouTube Live and you have the perfect screen recorder for gamers. However, its free usage comes at the expense of a steep learning curve. OBS is fairly complex to use for beginners and creators who are accustomed to simpler, leaner software.

The Final Verdict

The hype around OBS is justified and makes sense for gamers, given its advanced controls and ability to stream directly on multiple platforms. That said, for content creators, educators, or teams that want an easy and quick screen recorder, OBS isn’t a suitable platform. It lacks some key features like audio files as sources, a low variety of plug-ins, and a lack of advanced editing tools.

9. ShareX

A great lightweight recorder for simple tasks

ShareX is an open-source screen recorder perfect for casual recorders or beginners who just want to record and share videos. It offers a rich variety of capture modes including full screen, active window, active monitor, custom region, scrolling capture, and more.

You can set a timer to delay capture, customize cursor visibility, and select from a range of annotation tools. If you’re a regular user, you can customize hotkeys for different actions so it’s easier and faster to record videos.

As an easy-to-operate tool with simple functionality, ShareX is a no-brainer screen recording that anyone can use. But if you want additional features like editing capabilities, customizations, audio mixers, or export formats, ShareX may not be the best option.

The Final Verdict

If you want a lightweight screen recorder that lets you simply record your screen and share it — minus heavy customizations or advanced editing tools — ShareX is a great fit for you. That said, if you’re looking for a more comprehensive tool to regularly record longer videos, with post-recording editing tools, ShareX may not be the best option for you.

10. Free Cam

A good no-fuss recorder that’s perfect if you just want to record a few videos

Free Cam makes it super easy to create screencasts, edit recorded videos, and share them. It comes with a clean interface that’s easy to navigate and an in-built editor with basic editing tools that come in handy for entry-level folks. 

You can record custom screens using the drag-and-drop window and choose what to display precisely. There’s also a voice-over recorder to correct outtakes and a webcam recorder in case you want to record both your screen and camera. 

In its free version, Free Cam offers the ability to record mic and system sounds, highlight cursor, trim videos, remove noise and adjust volume, and directly upload files to YouTube. It’s worth noting the recording quality is up to 760p in WMV format for free users. 

The pro version, on the other hand, gives you access to notable features including a multi-track timeline, video and music uploads, the ability to add text, shapes, and pictures, and Transition effects. Plus, it lets you record videos in 1080p in MP4 format. 

With Free Cam, you get what you see. It’s a free tool with no bells and whistles. It instead has basic features that let you do the core job — record your screen, webcam, and audio. You can’t expect to control the production quality of your video, and you’ll need to invest in a different tool for a complete palette of editing features.

The Final Verdict

In terms of functionality, Free Cam is extremely limited with only basic screen recording and editing features. You’ll need to signup for a separate video editing platform to use features like auto-subtitles, transitions, templates, background remover, audio enhancer, and collaboration tools. However, if you’re looking for a no-fuss, quick screen recorder to record just one or two videos for your blog or newsletter, it might be worth a shot.

11. Debut Video Capture Software

A strong screen recorder, suitable for beginners

Debut Video Capture Software boasts a strong suite of screen recording features — offering multiple capture modes, mouse highlighting, and photo snapshots to help you create engaging videos easily. 

A notable feature is that it lets you record external devices such as a webcam, network IP camera, or video input device (e.g., VHS recorder), so you can combine feeds from different sources and enhance the overall production quality of your video. 

There are also lightweight editing features like keystrokes, background remover, subtitles, and video effects that you can dabble into. On top of that, adjusting video resolution, size, and frame rate for capture gives you more control and flexibility. 

You can schedule recordings one time, daily, or weekly — automatically record scheduled meetings or capture gameplay streams without actually hitting the record button. 

Fun fact: you can even record time-lapse videos! And then once you’re ready, you can edit these videos right within the Debut tool. However, if you want to access advanced features like auto-subtitles, AI eye correction, transitions, stock video uploads, we recommend checking out VEED.

The Final Verdict

Debut Video Capture Software strikes a fine balance between simplicity and versatility — offers  an extensive range of video formats, capture modes, and editing options that are perfect for amateurs. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use screen recorder with decent editing capabilities, Debut Video Capture Software can be a great addition to your tech stack. That said, if you need to produce high-quality production videos more efficiently, consider using a comprehensive video editing platform (like VEED). 

[#TOC2]A Quick Comparison of Our Top 11 Free Screen Recorders[#TOC2]

We understand that with so many options, it can be difficult to pick the right screen recorder. To simplify it for you, we’ve created this quick comparison chart with essential information to help you see how all the tools fare against each other.

[#TOC3]How We Evaluated Every Screen Recorder[#TOC3]

Evaluating different screen recorders can be tough because each one comes with its own set of unique features. While they might have some overlap (capture modes, export formats, etc), no two tools are exactly alike. 

For this guide, we delved into third-party research, read online reviews, watched YouTube comparison videos, and finally tested each tool to understand the factors that separate good screen recorders from the best screen recorders. 

We shortlisted 4 key criteria that can make or break your experience with a screen recorder:

Simplicity

Recording your screen shouldn’t be a hair-pulling experience. And the best screen recorders know it; they make it a no-brainer for users to record screens with a clean and clutter-free interface. An ideal screen recorder should guide users, helping them find tools and editing features quickly. 

Export High-Quality Videos

The export quality is where most free screen recorders limit their features. You shouldn’t need anything more than a 1080p recording, especially if your monitor doesn’t natively support a higher resolution. Most free screen recorders add watermarks when exporting at 1080p quality, so watch out for that. 

Multiple Recording

Advanced screen recorders offer the option of recording through your webcam, microphone, and computer audio. Recording all of these at the same time is a powerful way to increase the quality of your video clips, especially if you’re making YouTube videos. 

Live Streaming

Having the best screen recording software is definitely a must for live streamers reading this. You’ll want to look for programs that let you adjust your volume on the fly, switch between recording screens or apps, and efficiently stream 1080p content. 

Live streaming programs need to record multiple things at once, so a powerful desktop recorder is better. This doesn’t tax too much on the internet as well, if you don’t count the live video that’s being streamed. 

Case in point, different users will need to look for different features. However, we’ve taken into account your varying needs with the selection of screen capture software above. 

[#TOC4]Desktop Recorders vs. Online Recorders: What’s the Difference?[#TOC4]

Most screen recording software can be categorized into one of the following: desktop and online. Depending on your requirements, each brings something to the table.

Desktop Recorders

Desktop screen recorders are full programs that you have to download into your computer. These are more powerful and work locally through your system. This means that you can run them even if your internet is down. 

Since these are full-on applications, you can expect them to have more features as well. The only bottleneck or limit for desktop recorders is pretty much the power and speed of your computer. So, if you have a complete powerhouse PC at home, then you’re more than equipped to run these types of programs.

These recorders are commonly used by streamers and gamers. You can also use this for video tutorials or instructional videos, but the process of exporting and editing will have to be moved to a different program altogether. With this caveat, online screen recorders like VEED come in.

Online Recorders

For users who want something simple, convenient, and straightforward: online recorders are the easiest ones to use. 

You can use these straight from your browser, only requiring a Chrome extension to download. These recorders rely on your internet, especially to upload the finished recording. Online recorders are also light, so you don’t need a beefy computer, and you can keep your recorded files stored online. 

These recorders are perfect for video tutorials, in-browser guides, or instructional videos for your employees. The beauty of some online recorders is that they also offer video editing features. So, you can easily record your screen and then edit it immediately after you’re done. The process is quick, simple, and very intuitive. 

What is the Best Free Program for Screen Recording?

The best screen recording software depends entirely on your budget, content goals, and technical requirements. If you want to share a video just once, you could consider a tool as simple as Free Cam. But if you’re a content creator, an educator, a podcast host, or a gaming professional, a screen recorder with advanced editing features like VEED will be the perfect choice for you. 

VEED makes it super easy for users to record, edit, and share videos — all in a single space! Give it a try yourself today.