The Best Screen Recording Software for Windows and Mac
Whether you‘re creating a tutorial, recording a video call, or capturing gameplay footage, a reliable screen recorder is an essential tool for both business and personal use. While operating systems like Windows and macOS include basic screen capture tools, their functionality is quite limited.
To truly harness the power of screen recording, you‘ll need dedicated third-party software. The best screen recorders go beyond simply capturing on-screen activity – they allow you to add annotations, edit clips, and export videos in a variety of formats optimized for sharing.
In this guide, we‘ll compare the top screen recording programs for Windows and Mac. While you‘ll get the most capabilities in premium software, there are also some excellent free recorders that will meet the needs of more casual users. We‘ll crown our top picks and explain what makes them stand out.
Built-in OS Screen Recording Tools
Before we dive into third-party options, let‘s take a quick look at the screen recording tools included in Windows and macOS.
On Windows 10, the Xbox Game Bar (despite its name) can be used to record any application. Simply press Windows+G to open the overlay, then hit the record button. There are no options to select a specific region of the screen or configure audio and video settings. Recordings are saved as MP4 files.
Over on macOS, you can use QuickTime Player for basic screen recording. Go to File > New Screen Recording and then click and drag to select the capture area or click to record the entire screen. QuickTime recordings lack more advanced features like annotation tools or a robust video editor.
While these built-in options are convenient for quick, no-frills screen capture, most users will quickly run into their limitations. Dedicated screen recorders offer far more flexibility and functionality.
Choosing the Best Screen Recording Software
With dozens of screen recording programs available, how do you pick the right one for your needs? Here are the key criteria we looked at when evaluating options for this guide:
- Capture Flexibility: Can you record the full screen, a selected region, a specific application window, or a connected webcam? More control and customization options are always better.
- Audio Recording: The best screen recorders can capture system audio (the sound from your computer) as well as microphone input for adding live narration. Some also allow you to record computer audio and a mic simultaneously.
- Annotations & Editing: For creating professional looking tutorial videos and presentations, it‘s very helpful to have integrated annotation tools for adding callouts, shapes, and text to your screen recordings. A built-in video editor is also nice to have for trimming unwanted footage.
- Performance Impact: Screen recording is a resource-intensive task, so good performance is important. The best programs are lightweight and won‘t cause any noticeable slowdown, even when recording at high resolutions.
- Output Options: Once your screen recording is done, you‘ll want flexible exporting options. Look for programs that support the formats you need as well as convenient integrations with hosting sites like YouTube.
- Ease of Use: Screen recording software should be intuitive enough for anyone to pick up quickly while still including all the features power users need. Clear onboarding and good documentation are also important.
With these factors in mind, we tested all the leading screen recording programs for Windows and Mac. After careful evaluation, here are our picks for the best of the best:
The Best Paid Screen Recorder: Flashback Pro 5
For Windows users who want the most full-featured screen recording software available, our top recommendation is Flashback Pro 5 from Blueberry Software. It has an outstanding feature set that checks all the boxes, yet is still remarkably easy to use thanks to a streamlined, intuitive interface.
Flashback can record your entire screen, a selected region, or a specific application window. Webcam recording is supported as well, so it‘s great for those who need to create "talking head" videos. For audio, you can capture system sound, mic input, or both simultaneously.
Where Flashback really shines is with its built-in video editing capabilities. The editor includes a multi-track timeline where you can combine multiple clips, add transitions, and detach audio. It‘s a near fully-featured video editing application in its own right. There are also tools for blurring sensitive information, highlighting the cursor, and adding captions or annotations.
Once your recording is ready, you can export it in a variety of formats or share directly to YouTube or an FTP site. Flashback has integrated online hosting as well and the free trial allows exporting unlimited videos up to 2 minutes long. The full version starts at $49 for personal use. While not the cheapest option, Flashback is hands-down the best all-in-one screen recording and video editing package.
The Best Free Screen Recorder: OBS Studio
If you‘re looking for a capable screen recorder that doesn‘t cost a dime, OBS Studio is an excellent open source option for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Despite being completely free, it‘s impressively powerful and used by everyone from casual gamers to professional Twitch streamers.
You can capture from multiple sources including a full screen, application window, or webcam and set up unlimited "scenes" with different configurations. Audio capture from both desktop sound and a microphone is supported. There‘s also a handy Studio Mode that allows you to preview scenes and make edits before pushing everything live.
OBS is a bit more complex than most screen recorders due to its extensive configuration options, but there‘s a setup wizard as well as ample documentation to help you get started. And while there‘s no true video editing functionality, you can arrange sources, resize elements, and add filters to your scenes.
For a free program, the output options are also quite extensive, with support for streaming directly to Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms as well as outputting to a video file. If you‘re willing to put in a bit of time to learn OBS Studio‘s interface, it‘s a terrific choice that doesn‘t cost anything.
Other Screen Recording Software
While Flashback Pro 5 and OBS Studio earned our top recommendations, there are a few other screen recording programs worth mentioning:
Snagit 2020 (Paid)
Snagit is a popular screen capture and recording program with some great features, including scrolling screen capture, webcam recording, and a basic built-in editor. However, its video editing features aren‘t as robust as Flashback‘s, so it‘s better suited for those who just need to make quick, simple edits to their clips. That said, Snagit does have excellent image annotation tools if you need to do a lot of screenshot markup. A single license costs $49.95.
ShareX (Free)
Another free and open source option for Windows is ShareX. It‘s packed with capture and exporting features, including support for dozens of sharing services. But ShareX‘s interface is quite clunky and there‘s a steep learning curve to configure everything. It‘s a powerful program for power users, but not the most user-friendly option.
Conclusion
For most Windows users, we think Flashback Pro 5 is the best screen recording software available. Its rich feature set and intuitive interface make it a fantastic all-in-one solution for creating polished, professional screen recordings and video presentations. At $49, it‘s an excellent value.
If you‘re on a tight budget or need a cross-platform solution, OBS Studio is the best free screen recorder. While not quite as user friendly as Flashback, OBS is incredibly powerful and versatile. It just requires a bit more technical know-how to take full advantage of everything it can do.
Screen recording doesn‘t have to be intimidating or complicated. With the right software, you can easily capture and share high quality video from your computer screen. We hope this guide has helped you choose the best screen recorder for your specific needs and budget.