Best Screen Recorder For Windows 10 PC [ Free & Paid ]

There are many reasons why you need may need to record the screen of your computer. For example, you may want to record a game you are playing or record a Photoshop tutorial that you want to share with your followers on YouTube.

There is, in fact, no limit to the number of uses of a screen recording. But how do you record the screen of your computer?

One way is to hold a camera in front of your computer screen. Unfortunately, that is not the ideal way. The output is terrible!

Software developers have come up with a solution to this by creating a lot of native software that can perform a live recording of your computer screen without being too intrusive.

Free-Screen-Recorder-For-Windows-10-PC

In this writeup, I am gonna tell you about the best screen recorder software for Windows 10 PC.

This list will contain both free and premium software that you can use to fulfill your various screen recording requirements.

Without further ado, let us start!

Best Free Screen Recorder For Windows 10

Please note that this segment of the list of the best screen recorder software for PC lists only the free or freemium options that are available. The list of premium options or paid options is listed after this first part of the list.

1. Free Cam

Free Can Start Screen recorder
Free Cam Start Screen
Free Cam Screen Recorder in Action
Free Cam Screen Recorder in Action

Often touted as the best free option available for Windows users, the Free Cam uses the philosophy of simplicity. The developers have managed to deliver a simple and intuitive interface that allows even rookies to create screencasts with a near-professional touch.

The strengths of Free Cam:

  • It is completely free and without any ads.
  • It produces no watermark on the output.
  • It records screens in high resolution.
  • It allows you to record computer sounds and insert voice-overs.
  • Its integrated video editor allows you to delete unwanted parts of the video you record.
  • It allows you to remove background noise.
  • It allows you to insert audio effects (a wide range of effects are already included).
  • You can use the software to directly upload your recorded video to YouTube.
  • Using the software, you can save the recorded videos in WMV format.

The weaknesses of Free Cam:

  • You can save your recordings only in WMV format.
  • The software has no support for webcam recording.

Download Free Cam

2. OBS Studio

OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 1
OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 1
OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 2
OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 2
OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 3
OBS Studio Auto Configuration Screen 3

If you happen to be a gamer or you run a YouTube channel with live streaming, you will need something more powerful and way more advanced.

This is where the OBS Studio comes in. Packed with some incredibly powerful options, the OBS Studio will have some steep learning curve but, once you have mastered it, you are most likely never going to make a switch.

The strengths of OBS Studio:

  • The software has cross-platform support. There are versions available for Windows, Linux, and Mac users.
  • It is completely free and yet, it doesn’t restrict the length of the recording, and neither does it put any watermark on your recording.
  • It allows screen recording and video streaming in HD quality.
  • The software allows live streaming on YouTube Gaming and Twitch.
  • You can use OBS Studio to save your project and later come back to start editing it again.
  • The software also allows you to encode your video footage in FLV format and then make a copy of that project in your local drive.
  • The software is designed to record directly from the graphics card, which will allow you to record even in full-screen mode. When in full-screen mode, you can always use customizable hotkeys for controlling the recording session.
  • The software enables recording at 60FPS or at higher frames per second.
  • It is capable of using all cores of your CPU to enhance your screen recording.
  • OBS Studio has integrated audio and video editors to improve your recording the way you want it.
  • It is open-source software. So, even you can contribute to its development.

The weaknesses of OBS Studio:

  • It is a very powerful software and hence, learning how to use the software is going to take some time.
  • It also takes some time to install the software. Yes, the installation is not so quick as you might want it to be.

Download OBS Studio

3. Flashback Express

Flashback Express Recording Screen
Flashback Express Recording Screen

Flashback Express is a freemium software. What does that mean? It means that you can download a free version and keep using it forever with some limitations or, you can upgrade it to a pro version to unlock its ultimate power.

Being a freemium software, it is closed-source and there is no way you can contribute to its development. Needless to say, Flashback Express is powerful and even its free version often beats many of the fully-premium software you can get.

The strengths of Flashback Express:

  • You can use the software to capture parts of your screen or you can capture the entire screen if you want.
  • Even the free version allows you to add webcam footage to your screen recording.
  • You can quickly add audio commentary to your recording and you don’t need a premium version for it.
  • There are no watermarks pasted on your recording even in the free version.
  • The free version does not put a limitation on your recording length.
  • The free version allows you to save your recording in three popular formats – WMV, AVI, and MP4.
  • You can upload recordings directly on YouTube directly from the software interface.
  • The software is designed to obscure passwords while recording and it even hides the cluttered desktop icons. It also allows for highlighting the mouse movements.
  • If you are a gamer, you can record your game-play in HD. The software supports hardware acceleration for Intel CPU, Nvidia Cards, and AMD CPU.

The weaknesses of OBS Studio:

  • The free version has some limitations that you can quickly overcome if you can shell out $49 to buy the software (single-PC license).

What do you get in the Pro Version?

In addition to all the features mentioned above, the Pro version of the software offers the following features:

  • A fully-integrated video editing suite comes with the Pro version. You can edit your screen recordings the way you want.
  • With the Pro version, you can add images, audio, and even text to your recordings.
  • You can add a wide range of video effects to your recordings.
  • You can save your videos in all known formats.

Download Flashback Express

4. Debut Video Capture

Debut Video Capture
Debut Video Capture Interface and Settings Screen

Debut Video Capture is the new kid on the block. Laced with some extraordinary capabilities, this particular software is more than what meets the eyes.

It is powerful and it is free for non-commercial usage. Albeit, there are some limitations in the free version but it is more than on a regular basis. You can always lay your hands on the pro version of the software with enhanced features.

The strengths of Debut Video Capture:

  • The software is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. However, do check the system requirements before jumping in.
  • With Debut Video Capture you can record or capture your screen, record from network IP cameras (for instance, security cameras), record your webcam or a webcam overlay, record from other external devices, record a streaming video and even record your gameplay.
  • You can save all your recorded content in all the major video formats known today (for example – AVI, MOV, MP4, etc.).
  • When it comes to screen recording, the software allows you to record a selected area or you can choose to record the entire screen.
  • You can show or hide your mouse cursor during recording or you can even highlight your mouse during a click. This mouse cursor highlighting feature is extremely beneficial when you are recording any software tutorial.
  • The picture-in-picture support allows creating an overlay while recording. For example, you can record your webcam footage atop the footage that you are recording from your desktop.
  • It allows recording audio from the soundcard of your computer or from an external device or both at once.
  • There are pre-production editing tools like the ability to add captions, color adjustments, filters addition, etc. Once you are satisfied with the setting, you can go ahead and start recording.
  • There is no limit to the length of the video you record.
  • The software in its free iteration will not add any watermark on your recordings.
  • The software even allows you to schedule recordings!

The weaknesses of Debut Video Capture:

  • The software lacks features for post-production editing, making it a bit less appealing.
  • The interface is pretty outdated. It looks more like an interface out of the ‘90s.

Download Debut Video Capture.

5. Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder

Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder
Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder – Screen Capture Interface

This one is incredible software. It is free, it is powerful and comes with a host of features that is comparable only to some of the most advanced premium features in this category.

Some online screen recorders don’t even come close to the capabilities of the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder.

The strengths of the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder:

  • It is completely free and extremely powerful.
  • You can use it to record without any time limits.
  • The software does not add any watermark on the recorded project.
  • You can add annotations during the recording.
  • You upload the recorded video directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or Vimeo.
  • The software will also allow you to capture footage from your screen or from your webcam.
  • The recording toolbar which shows up in the middle of the screen has numerous features that can be found hidden under the settings. You can adjust the settings as per your requirements, however, the default settings work pretty well.
  • The software will allow you to customize your output location, output format, desired frame rate, keyboard shortcuts, and more.

The weaknesses of the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder:

  • The software runs on your web browser. This limits its ability to record gameplay.
  • Requires downloading a browser plugin, which is basically a launcher. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut for this launcher, and every time you need to record, you need to visit the website and hit the ‘Start Recording’ button.

The desktop application:

Apowersoft Screen Recorder Pro
Apowersoft Screen Recorder Pro – Desktop Application Interface

Apowersoft Screen Recorder Pro is a desktop version as well. This is a premium application that does allow a free trial. It is way more powerful than the online screen recorder.

This desktop application also allows recording gameplay in addition to every other feature available with the online version. It is extremely powerful and yet very simple to use.

Download Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder

6. ShareX

ShareX Interface
ShareX Interface

ShareX is open-source, and it is free. It is undeniably one of the most powerful screen recorder software for PC.

If you don’t have money, but you are okay with an old and not-so-appealing interface, Share X is the one that you can count on for your needs.

The strengths of ShareX:

  • It is completely free with absolutely no limit on the number of screen recordings you want to perform.
  • There is no time limitation as well. This means your projects can be as long as you want them to be.
  • There is no annoying watermark to worry about.
  • The software has been designed to even capture static screenshots. It can capture an entire scrolling webpage.
  • It has an OCR feature that allows the software to recognize text.
  • Instead of saving the captured screen as a video, it can save the project as a GIF file that is very helpful when it comes to uploading on social media sites and forums.
  • You can share the captured video or GIF or text directly to social media sites and file-sharing sites.
  • The numbers of export options are overwhelmingly large!

The weaknesses of ShareX:

  • The interface is too complicated and there is a steep learning curve. Working with keyboard shortcuts is far better than clicking around but, configuring keyboard shortcuts and learning them can be time-consuming.
  • The software is not at all targeted towards gamers because it is unable to record from games operating in full-screen mode.

Download ShareX

7. Screencast-O-Matic: Browser-Based

Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic Interface

Just like the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder, the Screencast-O-Matic is another browser-based screen recorder software for PCs.

Not just Windows PC, this particular software can be used even on Mac computers and on Chromebooks. This one too, is available in both free and premium versions, with the premium version being further divided into two categories – Deluxe and Premier.

The Deluxe version is priced at $1.65 per month while the Premier version is priced at $4.00 per month. Of course, the Premier version has far more features compared to the Deluxe Version.

The strengths of Screencast-O-Matic:

  • Record as many clips as you want to.
  • You can zoom in while recording.
  • You can trim the recorded clips.
  • You can use any of the 30 royalty-free music to improve your videos.
  • You can adjust the size for your recording according to your needs.
  • The software will even allow you to capture audio from a microphone or directly from the computer.
  • It also allows recording footage from a webcam or screen or both.
  • You can share your projects directly to Google Classroom, Twitter, and Facebook.
  • Publish your videos to Vimeo directly or upload them to Dropbox or Google Drive.
  • The software allows integration with LMS or the Learning Management System.
  • You can embed the recorded videos into your blog or website with ease.
  • The premium version allows even more customizations including annotations, drawings, scripted recordings, caption generation with the text-to-speech options, etc.
  • There is an integrated video editor in the premium versions that allows improving the recordings even further.
  • The Premier version comes with access to a stock library that allows you to use many digital assets for your recording projects without the fear of copyright strikes.

The weaknesses of Screencast-O-Matic:

  • The free version has some serious restrictions and one of them being the recording length. You cannot record a video of any more than 15 minutes.
  • The free version will churn out screen recordings with watermarks. This can be a big problem.

Download Screencast-O-Matic

This completes our list of the best screen recorder software for PC that you can use for free. In case you want to know about the premium screen recorder software for PC, continue reading!

Best Paid Screen Recorder For Windows 10

When it comes to screen recorder software for PC, there is no scarcity of premium or paid options to select from.

Some of these options are extremely popular while some others are not so well-known but offer some of the most powerful options. 

Let us take a quick list of the best screen recorder software of PC that you need to pay for if you want to use them. Albeit, some of them come with a free trial option that will end after a short stint.

Some others offer a free version with very limited capabilities, where the paid versions make more sense!

Let us begin with the list.

8. iSpring Suite

iSpring Suite Start Screen
iSpring Suite Start Screen
iSpring Suite Screen Recorder
iSpring Suite Screen Recorder

Be very clear from the beginning. If you are looking for software that will help you to record streaming video for your YouTube channel or record gameplay for your channel, iSpring Suite is not something you should be looking for.

As the name suggests, iSpring Suite is a complete suite that is designed for e-learning and LMS integration. It is perfect for teachers or online courses. The whole suite comes complete with many features that are specifically targeted towards creating courses, assessments, e-learning, and more. It is for studies.

Screen recording software comes bundled as a part of the suite. This screen recording option is not a standalone application. The suite has many features like conversation simulator, quiz maker, interaction editor, course authoring tool, and even a professional video studio.

The strengths of iSpring Suite screen recorder:

  • Allows recording two videos at once. One of the two videos is a screencast and the other is a webcam video.
  • It allows recording a narration.
  • The video editing tool comes with a multi-track timeline.
  • You can include captions, infographics, visual hints, and images to improve your screencasts.
  • Recordings are not time-bound. This means that you can make very long recordings if needed.
  • It allows for adding smooth transitions between scenes.
  • It has a free trial if you want to try it out before committing a purchase.

The weakness of iSpring Suite screen recorder:

  • First thing first, it cannot be used for recording gameplay. It is not designed to do so.
  • In order to use the screen recorder feature, you will need to purchase the entire iSpring Suite which is very expensive and starts with a pricing of $770 per user per year. In case you want the full-service suite which includes a content library, iSpring cloud, and priority support, the price escalates to $970 per user per year. That’s a lot of money!
  • The screen recorder will allow you to record videos only in MP4 format.
  • The animation and interactive features are very limited.

Purchase iSpring Suite.

9. Camtasia

Camtasia Startup Screen
Camtasia Startup Screen
Camtasia Recording Screen
Camtasia Recording Screen

Camtasia is designed for those users who are extremely detail-oriented. One of the unique features of this screen recorder software for PC is that you can record your videos and your audios separately and then mix them later. The software has managed to pack in some excellent features of adding overlays, video effects, and animations.

The strengths of the Camtasia screen recorder:

  • The Camtasia is available not only for Windows PC but also for Mac OS.
  • You can add various interactivity and even quizzes in the videos that you record.
  • You can add or record your webcam with ease.
  • You can quickly import PowerPoint slides, photos, music, and existing videos to your recording with ease.
  • You can add callouts and captions with ease.
  • The software will give you access to a library of various sound effects and royalty-free music.
  • You can also perform frame-by-frame editing.

The weakness of the Camtasia screen recorder:

  • The interface for multi-track editing is very cluttered and busy. It can be quite intimidating for new users.
  • On projects that tend to become very large, Camtasia has been reported to become sluggish.
  • It is by far one of the most expensive screen recorder software for PC. Not only do you have to purchase it for $249, but you also need to purchase an annual plan if you want priority support and new version releases.

Purchase Camtasia.

10. Filmora Scrn

Filmora Screen Recording Screen
Filmora Scrn Recording Screen

Filmora is a very famous name among YouTube content creators. It is one of the most widely used video editing software available in the market. However, the parent company, Wondershare, has come up with Filmora Scrn that allows users to record their screen. To top everything, Filmora Scrn is very reasonably priced.

The strengths of Filmora Scrn:

  • This software has the ability to record both your computer screen and your webcam simultaneously.
  • It has full support for HD recording but you can also record your videos in 4K quality.
  • There is a unique picture-in-picture mode that allows you to overlay your webcam video atop the screen video. It is very suitable if you want to show your facial reactions.
  • The minimum frame rate at which you can record videos is 15 FPS while the maximum allowed is 120 FPS.
  • This software can import 50 different formats of digital files and exports them in numerous formats as well.
  • It has a set of integrated effects tools that allow adding annotations and change cursors.
  • There is a set of professional tools for editing the recorded clips to enhance and optimize them.
  • You can use the software to record your entire computer screen or just a part of your screen.
  • You can export your recording not only in various video formats but also as GIF files that can be quickly uploaded to platforms where videos are not allowed.
  • You can buy Filmora Scrn for $19.99 on a yearly subscription or pay $29.99 as a lifetime price. That’s quite reasonably priced!

The weaknesses of Filmora Scrn:

  • You may experience lags and freezes while editing your recorded clips.
  • When it comes to recording gameplays, there can be performance impact depending on the game. If the game is using most of your computer resources, Filmora Scrn may not be able to perform optimally.

Purchase Filmora Scrn.

11. Movavi Screen Recorder

Movavi Screen Recorder in Movavi Video Suite
Movavi Screen Recorder in Movavi Video Suite
Movavi Screen Recorder in Action
Movavi Screen Recorder in Action

Movavi is yet another famous name among YouTube video creators. This company has churned out the famous Movavi Video Editor Suite and a host of other important software that can make the lives of content creators very simple.

Movavi is known for its simplicity and ease of use while still packing some extremely powerful features that allow any rookie to use the software products with relative ease while still maintaining professional touch. The Movavi Screen Recorder is one of the many products that the company offers. Interestingly, this screen recorder software of PC can be purchased in two ways – standalone product or as a part of the Movavi Video Editor Suite.

The strengths of the Movavi Screen Recorder:

  • An extremely clean interface with neatly organized features accessible with a few clicks.
  • Allows quick adjustment of the screen size (in pixels).
  • It allows you to record your screen and audio together or individually.
  • You can also record your webcam.
  • You can display your mouse pointer or cursor in your recorded video.
  • You can record your computer sound or you can record audio input through a microphone.
  • You can also use the feature of the scheduled recording.
  • Using this software, you can save your recordings as videos or GIF images.
  • You can also use the software interface to directly upload your recordings to Google Drive or to YouTube and also share them across various social networks.
  • You can save your recorded videos in multiple formats including MKV, MOV, MP4, and AVI.
  • It offers a 7-day trial so that you can judge its prowess before you make a purchase.

The weaknesses of the Movavi Screen Recorder:

  • In case you are using the standalone Movavi Screen Recorder tool, you cannot edit your output. You will need a separate video editing tool to do so. However, if you are using the tool integrated with the Movavi Video Suite, you can overcome this problem.
  • Many users have reported occasional crashes while using the software. This, however, may not be the case for you if you have powerful computing hardware.
  • In the trial version of the standalone Movavi Screen Recorder, you can record clips no longer than 5 minutes.
  • Movavi Screen Recorder is slightly costlier than Filmora Scrn. If you want to purchase the standalone application, you need to pay $39.95 for lifetime usage on a single PC. If you want video editing capabilities you can purchase the bundle of Video Editor plus Screen Recorder for a price of $64.95 for lifetime usage on a single PC. Alternatively, you can shell out $79.95 for the Video Editor Suite (it includes 7 different software) for lifetime usage on a single PC.

Purchase Movavi Screen Recorder.

12. My Screen Recorder Pro

My Screen Recorder Pro Start Screen
My Screen Recorder Pro Start Screen

My Screen Recorder Pro is a simple yet feature-packed screen recorder software for PC. If there is anything on your computer screen, this software will record it and even record sound. Whether you want to record the entire desktop screen or a specific part of the screen, this software is up to the task!

The strengths of My Screen Recorder Pro:

  • With the Picture-in-Picture option, it allows you to record mobile screens or webcams alongside the desktop screen recording.
  • You can also enjoy scheduled recordings.
  • The application allows you to save your recordings in multiple formats which include AVI, MP4, WMV, and the latest WebM formats.
  • Allows zooming in and zooming out while recording.
  • It even uses mouse tracking for professional-grade recording.
  • It can record audio from both the microphone and audio speakers simultaneously.
  • It is capable of recording gameplay as well!
  • It also allows sharing videos to online destinations with ease right from inside the interface.
  • You can use the auto-upload settings to upload all your recordings directly to any FTP account.
  • It allows screen monitoring by running in the background (without any icon showing up in the taskbar). This is an incredible feature that allows you to know whether anyone else used your computer without your permission or not.

The weaknesses of My Screen Recorder Pro:

  • The application lacks powerful editing capabilities.
  • There are no transitions and animations to work with.
  • The application is quite expensive and costs $129 but there is, of course, a free trial to let you decide whether it stands up to your expectation or not.

Purchase My Screen Recorder Pro.

13. Bandicam

Bandicam Startup Screen in Windows 10
Bandicam Startup Screen

If recording your gameplay is your primary target, Bandicam should make it to the top of your list. This screen recorder software for PC has been designed with gamers in mind. However, it can record a lot of things beyond your gameplay. Albeit, Bandicam has a free version available but it comes with severe limitations. Thus, the premium version makes more sense.

The strengths of Bandicam:

  • Allows both gameplay and screen recording.
  • The software comes with a high compression ratio but never compromises with the quality of the video recording.
  • You can even record 4K videos using this application with a refresh rate of 120 FPS.
  • The application has something called device recording capability which allows you to record from Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, HDTV, SmartPhone, and IPTV. You will, however, need a separate capture card for this feature to work.
  • The application can also take static screenshots in BMP, JPEG, and PNG formats.
  • The premium version will allow recording up to 24 hours! That’s huge!
  • Allows voice mixing.
  • It will allow you to add text or draw or even take screenshots during recording.
  • During recording, you can quickly add mouse click effects and various animations.

The weaknesses of Bandicam:

  • If you want to use the free version, you will end up with recordings that will show a nasty watermark.
  • The free version will only allow a recording length of 10 minutes.
  • Whether you use the free version or the premium version, you will not get any built-in video editor, which is a quite standard feature in most of the famous screen recorder software for PC.
  • The video output formats are limited only to MP4 and AVI.
  • The application can end up capturing the editing process while recording. This can make your recording look terribly unprofessional.

Purchase Bandicam.

14. ActivePresenter

ActivePresenter Start Screen on PC
ActivePresenter Start Screen.png
ActivePresenter Recording on a Laptop
ActivePresenter Recording Screen

ActivePresenter, just like iSpring Suite mentioned above is one of the most famous all-in-one video editor, screen recorder, and eLearning authoring software. This application is widely popular among educators but if that is not what you are, you can use it simply as a screen recorder software.

The free version is good enough to create watermark-free recordings or desired lengths because this software is not going to stifle you with time limitations. Unfortunately, advanced features of video editing and audio editing are available only in paid versions.

The strengths of ActivePresenter:

  • It will allow you to record full-screen videos or you can record only a part of your screen.
  • You can also record your webcam using this software.
  • The software will also allow you to record computer sounds or audio from a microphone.
  • All versions, including the free one, comes with basic video editing features like zoom-and-pan, speed/volume changer, split, trim, cut, closed captions, animations, transitions, annotations, multimedia, etc.
  • Advanced features like audio normalization, noise reduction, audio fade in and fade-out effects, green-screen effects, blur effects, etc. are available only in paid versions.
  • You can publish your recorded videos directly to YouTube.
  • You can even record software simulations.

The weaknesses of ActivePresenter:

  • You cannot get the feature of scheduled recordings.
  • The software lacks video cropping abilities.
  • You can install it only on 64-bit systems.

Purchase ActivePresenter.

Conclusion

With people consuming enormous amounts of audio-visual content on a daily basis, it is clear that content creators need to find easy and quick solutions for creating content.

Screen Recorder Software for PC is one of those varied tools that allow creating engaging audio-visual content. This explains why the market is flooded with numerous software in a particular niche.

Needless to say, this list of Screen Recorder Software for PC is not at all complete. There are many more that can be listed in both free and premium categories.

However, we have restricted the list to 7 software in each category by carefully selecting and evaluating each one of them. The ones on this list are powerful and reliable.

If you feel that some other software must be on this list, feel free to drop a message through our comments section. We will test them and if they are reliable enough, we will consider adding them to the list.

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