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Picture worth a thousand words, indeed, it is way more convenient to show a video tutorial on anything than provide a wordy description. That’s when a reliable screen recorder comes in handy. There’s an built-in game recorder on Windows 10, however this app doesn’t offer the functionality to record desktop. As a result, you must utilize third-party screen recording software.
A decent screen recorder should provide you with the output videos of high quality, should be able to record your audio and microphone. Some additional features that you should look at are the ability to enhance video such as drawing on video and zooming. A great advantage is the built-in video editor. The 11 best screen recorders for Windows listed below will allow you to do this together with a host of other useful features.
1. Icecream Screen Recorder – the best screen recorder for Windows
Our top pick is the fantastic screen recorder that has a lot to offer – Icecream Screen Recorder. This is a comprehensive program that is also free to use. This is not only a video recorder, the software can also take screenshots and you can use it as an audio recorder.
As a screen recorder, this program has a simple interface that is so easy to use. You can record screen quickly and select the recording area using hotkeys. The program allows you to record audio input such as a microphone along with video. Also you will find it handy that you can annotate your recordings and add items like text and graphic objects. You can edit a video right after recording to trim unneeded parts, speed up the footage or mute it. This makes screen recorder by Icecream Apps excellent for creating business presentations and tutorials.
Add a custom watermark to protect your videos and include webcam recording to personify them. Not only this is a desktop recorder, there’s the “Game Capture” option for full screen game recording. Schedule screen recording and set the recording on timer.
Since 2014 it has been regularly updated and optimized for usage on latest Windows systems which is another winning factor.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 10 / 10
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2. OBS Studio – open source screen recorder
OBS Studio is a great open-source and thus free screen recorder for Windows that you can use to record your screen and game footage. It can also be used for online streaming, and you can record directly to your profiles on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
There is no limitation on recording length unlike in some other programs. Also, you can record desktop in full HD which is vital if you want to provide high-quality gaming footage. This screen recording app can also utilize multi-core processing which can greatly boost the recording speeds and capabilities. As a result, you can also record game footage at 60 FPS which is the maximum that many popular games run at. It is possible to record audio with this program. Thus, you can perfectly record and get YouTube videos with its help.
OS: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8
Licensing: Open-source
Our Rating: 9 / 10
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3. Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder – online screen recorder
Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder is a web-based free screen recorder. To use it, you must first download a small toolbar to your preferred browser. This web screen recording app is easy to use and the controls are not complicated. The toolbar also looks great and is unobtrusive.
This screen recorder is not suitable for recording games, however it makes a great option for a desktop recorder to make tutorials and business presentations, or for recording troubleshooting. To make the process easier, you can customize keys on your keyboard for shortcuts. Also, you can choose from several pre-defined recording resolutions.
OS: Web-based
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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4. ShareX – free screen recorder
ShareX is another open-source screen recorder that is free to use. It is suitable for both screen recording on Windows, and quickly capturing screenshots of your desktop. We also like that you can save your screen recordings as GIF files – this means you could use it to create animated GIFs.
This screen recording software may not be the easiest to use, and its interface may look a little dated. However, once you are accustomed to how it works, you will find it incredibly useful. This Windows screen recorder is also great for sharing, and you can easily share your recordings to social media.
OS: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7
Licensing: Open-source
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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5. Flashback Express – audio and screen recorder
Flashback Express is available as both free and paid options. The paid option of this audio and video recorder does have a greater range of tools, however the free screen recorder version does not impose any annoying restrictions like watermarks. It has a relatively simple interface and is much easier to use than some other screen recording software for Windows.
Also, you can easily create diverse recordings and record your screen directly, or capture from a connected webcam. It also has support for multiple export file formats, and you can record and upload directly to platforms like YouTube. The only downside is that this screen recording app is more of a desktop recorder and it is not the best for recording game footage.
OS: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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6. Game Bar – built-in screen recorder for Windows 10
Game Bar is a native screen recorder of Windows 10 OS. You don’t have to worry about purchasing or renewing a subscription since it’s built in and thus free. This desktop recorder works exclusively with other Microsoft products. It can be used to record PC gaming or Xbox gaming and then broadcast to Mixer, Microsoft’s platform for game streaming.
This is a convenient screen recorder for those who don’t want the hassle of downloads. Moreover, Game Bar doesn’t consume much CPU resources so you can record videos with high FPS. However, Game Bar is not compatible with YouTube or Twitch. You can set up a controller or keyboard shortcut to begin recording on your PC. The Game Bar is often hidden by games. If the screen recording feature malfunctions, you may not notice.
OS: Windows 10
Licensing: Free
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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7. Camstudio – open-source Windows screen recorder
Camstudio is another screen recorder that’s entirely free. It’s made only for Windows products and offers simple tools. This allows beginners to easily record screen to create tutorials and similar videos. Users can also outline the specific portion of their screen to record, which allows users to reference other pages as needed.
Because this free screen recorder is quite basic, it is not ideal for game recording. There are only minor editing tools included in the software. However, open-source coding means you can directly edit Camstudio and expand the editing tools. The main drawback of this program is that you may only save files in SWF and AVI. Thus, you will need to use online or offline video converters to convert the recorded videos to more suitable formats.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
Licensing: Open-source
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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8. Ezvid – screen recorder that uploads videos to YouTube
Ezvid is a screen recorder for Windows that is so easy to use. The toolbar design is clear, and you can control recording through keyboard shortcuts. There are a handful of additional features that users can look forward to. This includes optional text-to-speech narration, a variety of playback speeds, and a way to simultaneously record screen, webcam footage, and microphone input.
One significant drawback to this screen recorder is that files cannot be saved. You have a maximum limit of 45 minutes to record. Afterward, your only option is to upload it to YouTube. This means it can’t be edited further by other software or stored locally.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
Licensing: Freeware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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9. Camtasia – expensive screen recorder for Windows and Mac
Camtasia is marketed as an all-in-one screen recorder. You can film yourself gaming, record desktop, create tutorials, and more. Users also have the option to layer in their webcam recording. The highlights of Camtasia include features that are fairly simple to master. This includes music and sound effect, video effects, and templates to reduce editing time.
Although Camtasia can handle many projects, it is a very expensive screen recorder. Users have to pay for every update to the recording software, even beyond the initial download fee and annual subscription. These paid upgrades are required to share Camtasia videos with other program users. If your screen recording software is out-of-date, you will be unable to view or edit another user’s video.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 7
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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10. Free Cam – screen recorder with video and audio editor
Free Cam is a screen recorder for Windows that is easy to use thanks to clear layout. There are hotkeys that make screen recording of your video straightforward. After you have recorded a video, there are a handful of options to edit it. This includes adding mouse highlights and click, background program noises, and cleaning up audio. These are definitely rather basic features and you will need an additional free video editing software to proceed with some advanced video edits.
More advanced tools are available with a paid upgrade of this Windows screen recorder. This includes the ability to make annotations and combined screen-webcam recordings. Though the video recorder is useful and flexible, it behaves like an older and outdated program. Lag, long saves, and captures that pixelate when enlarged to full screen are some of these issues.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 7
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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11. Tiny Take – screen recorder for easy file sharing
Tiny Take is an interesting screen recorder for Windows and Mac with many recording capabilities. However, there is a dramatic difference between the free and paid versions. The free version will only allow you to make five-minute-long recordings. Then, you’ll only have access to the simplest editing tools.
The paid version of screen recorder includes video annotation and a range of editing tools, with a 120-minute time limit. Users who don’t want to invest in the annual subscription can by short-term passes to Pro. This provides full access to video recorder for a low price, with time periods starting at one week. You can save an export videos via the cloud, emails, and uploads.
OS: Windows 10, 8, 7
Licensing: Shareware
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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Using a screen recorder is an excellent way to share content. For business, gaming, and education, these are incredibly useful tools and can take your content and media creation to new levels. While Icecream Screen Recorder is our top pick – it is easy to use, offers audio, mic and webcam recording, and has some excellent annotation features – the other screen recording software we have listed, both free and paid, would also make suitable choices too depending on your needs.