Top 10 Best Screen Recorder Software for Windows

Best Screen Recording Software For Windows 

Reviews Looking for the best screen recording software for Windows? Maybe you want to show off your gaming mastery, demonstrate a process, or capture a problem you’re having with your computer. Whatever your reason, we’re sure all that Google searching for a solution that works is getting exhausting, so sit back and relax. We have compiled a list of the 10 best screen recording software for Windows, and summarised their basic features so that you can rest your blistered fingertips. Of course if all this downloading, uploading, exporting and editing sounds like it’s just too much trouble, you might just want to give us a try. We allow you to record yourself talking, pointing and drawing over images, documents and web pages on your computer, without having to download a single thing (or worry about whether you’re accidentally recording yourself with your webcam).

The best screen recording software for Windows 

1. Open Broadcaster Software 

If you’re looking for advanced screen recording capability, OBS is a feature-packed, powerful and free open-source tool. It allows you to do all sorts of things, such as embedding your webcam while you’re capturing your desktop (so everyone can see your game face). You can’t edit the video using OBS, but you can export your file into another editing software if you want to do so.

 How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

 Biggest positive: Good features for free
 Biggest negative: Can’t edit your video

2. Camtasia

If you’re looking for a fancy one-stop solution that also offers the ability to edit your video, there is always Camtasia. It’s pretty pricey, but it’s widely recognised as the best solution available, so take the free trial and decide for yourself whether it’s worth paying for. In terms of support – there are all sorts of how-to instructions and tutorials available.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows? 

Biggest positive: Fully featured, it’s the Rolls Royce of computer screen recording

Biggest negative: Just like a Rolls Royce, it’s not cheap!

3. VLC 

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. A little-known fact is that you can also use VLC to record your desktop. Here are the instructions for doing that. You can’t edit your video but you can export it and edit it using something else.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

 Biggest positive: It’s likely to already be on your computer!

 Biggest negative: Very basic

4. DVDVideoSoft Free Screen Video Recorder

DVDVS touts itself as the world’s best free way to record your computer screen. It has a REALLY simple user interface with just nine buttons, so you can’t really go wrong if you’re a bit of a technophobe. The first four buttons control the screen capture, the second four handle the screen recording and the final one opens up a menu of your program options. DVDVS exports video to an AVI file format only. A really good feature is the automatic file naming options, allowing you, for example, to incorporate the exact date and time you made the recording within the filename of your screen recording video. Anyone who’s doing lots of recording and needs to be really careful with version control will find this useful.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: Simple UI

Biggest negative: No editing features

5. Ezvid

Ezvid is a computer screen recording tool that features an in-built video editor that allows you to split your recordings into sections, adding text in between two sections of the video, which creates kind of a slideshow effect. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to save and export the resulting video recording, but Ezivid does allow you to upload your screen recording to YouTube, so you can still get bragging rights if you’re a gamer. Also a good feature for gamers is ‘Gaming Mode’ which allows you to record the windowed mode of your game, showing other players, for instance. Ezvid has some editing features, so you can also add in other pictures and video clips, or your voice after you’re done editing your clip. As a final plus, their website contains the world’s first video wiki.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: Gaming Mode for gamers

Biggest negative: No way to export your video

6. Bandicam

Bandicam is a lightweight screen recorder for windows that touts itself as the most advanced Game Recording Software and Windows Screen Recorder on the planet. It captures high-quality video and makes it possible to record a certain area on a PC screen, or capture a game that uses the DirectX/OpenGL graphic technologies. You can upload the recorded gameplay to YouTube without converting (720p/1080p full HD), and you can record 4K Ultra HD video at resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 in size. You can also record over 24 hours without stopping (although to be fair, you would probably require hospitalisation after sitting in front of your screen for that long, so that’s probably not one of its most compelling features).

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: Much less lag than other game capture software.

Biggest negative: Very focused on gamers, no-one else.

7. FlashBack

Express Recorder by BlueBerry FlashBack Express Recorder also claims to be the most advanced free screen recorder on the market, and is compatible with all versions of Windows. You can create high quality, high frame rate movies, without a high-spec PC. It allows you to record a commentary and your screen at the same time, and to use your webcam to record yourself while recording whatever’s happening on your desktop. You can also schedule recordings at set times, or when applications run and close. You can’t edit your video using the free version, but if you pay for the upgraded version, you can also access editing features.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: Record a commentary and your screen at the same time.

Biggest negative: You have to pay for editing features.

8. CamStudio

CamStudio is a free computer screen recording solution that is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer to create AVI video files. Using its built-in SWF Producer can turn the AVIs into Streaming Flash videos (SWFs) that are a little easier on your bandwidth. CamStudio offers a fair few options to alter the way it records your screen, for instance you can enable or disable your mouse cursor, record sounds from programs or a microphone, or enable custom screen annotations. You can also choose to record a particular area on your screen or just a particular program window so that viewer isn’t able to see the rest of your desktop. CamStudio also comes with its own Lossless Codec.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: You can choose the size of your video output

Biggest negative: A bug is stopping the SWF files from playing on Netscape or Firefox

9. Rylstim Screen Recorder

Rylstim Screen Recorder is a no-frills application for instant recording of your computer monitor and saving as an AVI file. The initial setup doesn’t require any special skills – you can get started recording your screen straight after you selected the required video codec. It’s dead simple – hit the ‘Start Record’ button and it records your screen. There are no settings to mess with, and minimal configuration – the only choices you have are to decide if you want to show your mouse clicks, which will appear as a red ripple for left clicks and a green ripple for right clicks. The ripples are only visible when you save and then view your recording, and no sounds are recorded. There are no editing features at all.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: It’s super simple

Biggest negative: No sound

10. Webinaria

Webinaria was developed specifically for people who make software demonstrations to allow creation of Flash (AVI to FLV) recordings of the desktop, record voice commentary as you go, or save/edit your recordings to add voice, webcam or text. It can record your entire screen, a program window or a custom selection. You can share your videos on the Webinaria site to expand your video’s reach and thereby encourage download of your software product or service.

How does it rank among the best screen recording software for Windows?

Biggest positive: Access to the Webinaria audience

Biggest negative: Videos outputted are huge so you have to keep it short