15+ Screen Recording/Capture Software For Windows

Screen recording is becoming an increasingly popular way to share information. It can be useful in a wide variety of situations.

In a business environment, you may want to screen share for training purposes or product demonstrations. For classrooms and universities, screen recording can be used for testing or recording lessons or lectures. In addition, it’s a great tool for gaming or creating those How-To videos we all love to see when we want to be walked through something step-by-step.

I’m sure you’ve tried setting up something in the past, whether a computer or 1000 piece table from IKEA, and only had an instruction manual to refer to in order to get it set up. I’m sure you became frustrated, or could see how a person could get annoyed in that situation, especially if the manual isn’t very intuitive, or doesn’t seem to explain each step you’d need to take in the process.

This is where screen recording is a fantastic benefit, because it’s like having someone there with you to guide you through each part of the process. In addition to being easier to follow along, screen recording allows you to rewind, pause or replay the video at your leisure.

Best Screen Recorders for Windows

You may be wondering, “Why do I need a screen recording software, when I can just hit Print Screen?” While Print Screen is easy to grab a screenshot, it doesn’t save it or allow you to share it. In addition, you would have to manually press “Print Screen” through each frame you wished to record, which would become a hassle after awhile.

Meanwhile, screen recording software would let you just click a button to start, pause or resume your video. It will also allow you to edit your screen captures, and some of the programs we’ll be discussing have effects you can add into the recording, like blurring the screen or zooming in to certain areas of the screen.

Before we discuss the best screen recording software, you may be wondering what you should be thinking about when deciding what tools to use. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when making your decision:

• Is it easy for me to navigate and use? The last thing you need when you’re trying to record a video is the stress of a complicated process. Before downloading a program, look at some of the screenshots of the interface so you can make sure you can get you need with just a few clicks.

• What features do I need? What features do I use, or will I be using on a regular basis? If your recording or editing process doesn’t involve a lot of features, don’t fall into the trap of overwhelming yourself with feature-heavy software.

• Is higher quality or smaller file size more important to me? Some of the options we’re going to share with you include lossless Codec recording, which is great if you want to share better quality recordings. However, with that being said, higher quality recordings are quick to take up space on your hard drive. There are also options in this list that will allow you to convert your files into smaller formats so they won’t eat up all your storage.

With these questions in mind, now we will discover the best screen recording software to fit your needs.

Windows 10 Game Bar

You may be surprised to learn that Windows 10 has a built-in screen-recording tool. However, don’t let its name fool you, because the Game Bar can be used to record anything you want on the screen, not just games.

With that being said, you have to run the Xbox app in order to record from the Game Bar.

Use the following steps to access the Game Bar:

1. Open the Xbox app.

2. Press the Windows key and the G key at the same time.

3. You’ll see a pop up asking if you want to run the Game Bar. Click “Yes, this is a game”.

4. Press the red circle to begin recording.

5. If you wish to stop a recording, press the red circle or press the Windows key, Alt and R keys at the same time.

A great feature with the Game Bar is that you can input the maximum amount of length each video should be. After you adjust this in the Settings section, it will automatically cut off the recording if it goes past the limit you set, which is great for you because it’ll save you space on your hard drive.

The videos are saved under Videos/Capture with this tool, and will be saved as MP4s.

Icecream Screen Recorder (Free and Pro)

Icecream Screen Recorder is a product from IcecreamApps.com and it supports all the versions of Windows operating system. Icecream Screen Recorder is available in 2 different versions: Free or Pro, which is a one-time cost of $29.95. The free version will allow you to record up to 10 minutes at a time, and Pro has no limit on the amount of time you can record.

One of the benefits with Icecream Screen Recorder is that you can easily choose where you’d like to record on your screen. You can set up hot keys to start, stop and resume recording. In addition, you can record screenshots and use effects from the Drawing Panel to focus on certain parts of the screen.

With Icecream Screen Recorder, you will be able to record screens, capture screencast and create video reviews of software or websites and also record games in windows or full-screen mode. You can select the area of which you want to take a screenshot or create a video and you can also draw or add texts in the screenshots or videos. With a ton of amazing features, Icecream Screen Recorder is one of the best screen recorders for Windows platform.

Icecream makes it easy for you to share screenshots, by giving you a URL link to each one. Also, you can copy and paste your screen grabs to other programs, should you wish to do so.

ActivePresenter (Free)

Available in 3 versions: Free, Standard and Professional, ActivePresenter will assist you in creating videos, training modules, tutorials and demonstrations. It allows you to convert to multiple file types, including:

Video:

• MP4/MPEG4

• AVI

• WMV

Web:

• HTML

• HTML5

Additional Formats:

• DOCX

• PDF

• XLSX

• PPTX

With its SmartCapture feature, ActivePresenter allows you to get a screen shot when you press a certain key or click your mouse. In addition, you have the ability to immediately edit audio and video without compromising the integrity of your recording.

CamStudio (Free)

CamStudio is the most popular screen recorder software for Windows and has been downloaded more times then any other free or premium screen capturing tool. CamStudio will allow you to record audio and video in AVI format. You can convert it into Streaming Flash Videos (SWFs) if you’re concerned about file size.

CamStudio is able to convert the files into a smaller size because it has its own lossless Codec. This means that the quality of the file is maintained when its converted. This software allows you to add captions to each frame of the video. In addition, you can insert a picture within a picture.

CamStudio does not offer a lot of features because it is a free software, but it does give you the ability to create the best video by capturing your computer screen and adding music to your video easily. The user interface is clean and easy-to-use so that everyone can start recording their screen without any difficulties.

Snagit (Premium)

Snagit is your one-stop shop for screen capturing. Using their All-in-One Capture allows you to click and hold your mouse to get what you need, whether you want to record the full screen or just a section of it. You can add effects like blurring the frame, arrows, or text.

This software is easily personalized to fit your needs. Just drag and drop the tools you use most frequently into the toolbar, and you can arrange them however you like.

In addition to recording your screen, Snagit allows you to record from your microphone or webcam. They make it easy to edit in just a few clicks.

Another great feature of Snagit is that you can add animated GIFs to your video. Just click where you would like to add the GIF, and select “GIF”.

Version 13 of Snagit is available for a one-time cost of $49.95. Or if you have an older version of the program and wish to upgrade, you may do so for $24.95.

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Open Broadcaster Software (Free)

OBS is a free and open source video recording and streaming software. It has many customizable plug-ins, including:

• Scene Switcher: Makes it easy to seamlessly switch to whichever window is focused on your screen.

• Remote: Lets you control OBS from a web browser’s window on another computer, without it showing up on the video recording.

• DirectShow Audio Source: Allows you to record from any audio/video device not already supported by OBS.

OBS is free, but donations are always welcome to encourage continuous development of the software.

Jing (Free)

If you do lots of quick recordings of 5 minutes or less, Jing is a great option to look into. It gives you a no-fuss way to record video or capture screenshots.

Just click where you want to record on your screen, and Jing will record everything in that section. Jing’s videos record up to 5 minutes per video.

When your recording is complete, it’s easy to upload and share your video through social media, email or IM.

Camtasia Studio (Premium)

Camtasia Studio has been developed by the same company that is behind Snagit and since it is a premium product, you can expect some really amazing features in it. This precise software comes with a hefty price tag of $299.00, but in this case, “you get what you pay for” definitely applies. This software is a worthwhile investment, because it takes away the guesswork of recording and editing your screen and will give you all the tools you need to make the process as painless as possible.

When you’re finished recording, Camtasia separates the video, audio, mic and cursor so you can edit each section individually. The editing timeline lets you make changes to any frame throughout the video.

With Camtasia Studio, you will not only be able to record your videos but you can also customize your existing videos with the tool. The video editor allows you to customize your videos by using the various themes and animated backgrounds, graphics and more and will allow you to share your work easily with other people.

You can improve the audio of your recordings with the noise removal feature, or use levelling to adjust the audio as you wish. In addition, you can add an entire new layer of interactivity to your content, by adding quizzes, animation, text boxes, arrows and highlighting. Camtasia also has a green screen that will remove the background colour from your video.

If you’re worried you made an irreversible mistake, you can relax in knowing that Camtasia always saves the original recording. This is the ultimate tool to give you complete control over your screen recording.

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Rylstim Screen Recorder (Free)

Rylstim Screen Recorder is a very simple tool and is the best software for people who don’t want to do a lot of configuration to use the software. With this screen capture tool, you just have to install the software and click on the “Start Record” button to start capturing your computer screen. It doesn’t record sound from devices like microphone in the video. The only effects available are the left and right-click of the mouse.

This software gives you easy access to all its features from the main menu. Some of its options include:

• Whether you want mouse clicks to appear in the recording.

• Which Codec to enable to record (Xvid MPEG-4, Cinepak Codec by Radius, Intel IYUV, Microsoft RLE, Microsoft Video 1, Microsoft YUV and Toshiba YUV are your choices).

• The ability to change the video frame rate (it will automatically default to 18).

• Where you want to save your video files.

This is a simple, easy to use tool that’s great if you just want to record without adding a ton of extra effects. It’s free to download, but does come with ads.

Movavi (Premium)

This software boasts an intuitive interface and is easy for anyone to master, even if you’ve never done a screen recording before. It allows you to simultaneously record audio from multiple sources. In addition, you can choose from a variety of popular file types when saving your recordings.

Select what frame rate you’d like to record at, up to 60 seconds per frame. You can record your entire screen, use one of the pre-set frame sizes, or adjust the frame as small or large as you need it to be.

Movavi makes it easy and convenient to record your screen. You can set it to record for however long you need it to, so you don’t have to be at your computer the entire time.

You can choose from 2 options of Movavi: Screen Capture at $29.95, or Screen Capture Studio at $49.95. If you just want to record, without all the frills of the editing process, Screen Capture will suit your needs just fine. However, if you want the ability to edit in-depth, you’ll want to check out Screen Capture Studio.

Screen Capture Studio allows you to record from your webcam, in addition to capturing your screen. It also lets you edit your work by adding effects, improving video quality, and rotating, splitting or combining videos.

Bandicam (Free Trial, Premium)

Bandicam is screen-recording software that will capture your videos with high quality and low file size. It is able to do this because it compresses the video while the recording is in session. If you like to record a lot of your games, like Minecraft, Skyrim, or Call of Duty, you’ll want to check out Bandicam.

It can record video sizes of up to 3840×2160 (4K Ultra HD). The Game Recording Mode can support up to 120 frames per second. Bandicam has 3 different options: Screen Recording, Video Recording and Device Recording.

Screen recording is simple enough to explain, as it does exactly that. Video Recording will capture your webcam screen in real time, and Game Recording mode will allow you to record high quality videos.

With the Auto Complete option enabled, you can record over 24 hours of continuous video. In addition, Bandicam makes it easy to upload to YouTube without having to convert your file.

You can download a free trial version of Bandicam and record up to 10 minutes of video at a time. There are 2 paid options with unlimited recording: 1-PC license for $39, and 2-PC license for $59.

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If you want more freedom during the editing process, you can get Bandicam and its companion video editing software, Bandicut. Bandicut makes it easy to remove unwanted sections of the recording with affecting its quality.

Bandicut lets you split a bigger file into smaller clips. Or you can combine multiple records, if you wish. You also have the option to convert the audio from your recording into MP3 format.

You can buy Bandicam and Bandicut together. A 1-PC license for both tools is $60, and a 2-PC license is $97.

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TinyTake

This is a free screen recorder that was created by MangoApps. It lets you record up to 120 minutes (2 hours) per video.

You can add text boxes and share your recordings with just a few clicks of your mouse. You will need at least 4 GB of RAM to run TinyTake.

Screencast-o-matic (Free and Premium)

This software can be accessed by downloading the recording launcher or installing the app. Screencast-o-matic allows you to record your screen, webcam, or both.

There are 2 versions available: Free and Pro for $15 a year, or $29 for 3 years. The free version lets you record up to 15 minutes per video, and the Pro version has no limit on your recording time.

The Pro version also gives you editing tools, so you can zoom in, blur, resize your videos or add animation.

This is a simple recording software that makes it easy to upload to YouTube. If you plan on recording shorter videos and need a no-fuss solution, the free version will most likely fit your needs.

A great benefit of Screencast-o-matic is that their site is chock-full of tutorials. They make it easy to understand how to maximize your experience with this software, by guiding you through each step with helpful videos and captions.

Ezvid (Free)

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If you want to start your own YouTube channel and upload new videos, then using a tool like Ezvid will be the best choice as you can record videos using the tool and upload it directly from the dashboard.

Ezvid allows you to record your screen and edit the video with the inbuilt video editor. You can split recording and add text between two frames. The screen capture tool comes with a “Gaming Mode” to help you record the windowed mode of the game. You can’t export the video files to your computer but you can upload it directly to your YouTube channel.

Screenr (Free)

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Unlike, other programs in this list, Screenr is a web-based screen recording tool that you don’t have to install on your computer to record videos.

With Screenr, you just have to visit its website and click on the “Launch Screen Recorder now” button to start recording your screen. To use this tool, you must have Java installed on your computer or else it won’t work. Since there is no installation required and it allows you to capture your screen easily, Screenr becomes of the best screen recorders for Windows and Mac.

These were the best screen recorders for Windows that you can use to capture screenshots or create videos and tutorials to help someone. These software are not the only ones because there are still several screen capture tools available that you can easily find using Google but none of them are as amazing compared to the ones listed in this post.

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