Wondershare DemoCreator

  • 1. Record your computer screen and webcam simultaneously.
  • 2. Allow you to customize screen capture and frame rate .
  • 3. Powerful editing tools and effects to enrich your video clips.
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Top 16 Windows Screen Recorder

David Wilson
2023-08-25 21:06:27 • Filed to: Recorder Software List

Videos are the one of the most excellent tools for audio visual communication and they can be ideal for any situation. For example, if you need to demonstrate how a complex piece of software works, your best option is probably a video tutorial. Videos make it very easy for you to demonstrate how a particular process or tool works without boring your audience.

When you have the best video recorder the process of creating such a video can be very easy and sometimes even enjoyable. If you are looking for the best recorder for Windows, this list should give you plenty of options to choose from.

Part 1
Free Screen Recorder for Windows

Let's begin with some of the best free screen recorders for Windows. Don't let the fact that they are completely free to download fool you. These tools come with some very important features to facilitate easy recording.

Windows 10 Game Bar

The first solution you have at your disposal when you want to record the screen on your Windows PC is the built-in Windows Game Bar. Despite its name, it is not meant to record gameplay alone, but can be useful when you want to record any aspect of the screen. It is however only available for PC running Windows 10 and the computer's video cards must meet minimum requirements to be able to record the screen.

windows game bar

Pros

  • You don't need to install any software to use it
  • You can turn on the microphone during the recording to capture audio
  • It allows you to trim the beginning and end of the videos after recording
  • No watermark is added to the recorded video, you don't have to worry about a time limit or any third-party ads

Cons

  • You will not be able to record the full screen, webcam or customize the resolution of the recording
  • There is no “pause” button
  • It has limited video editing features as compared to other tools

ActivePresenter

ActivePresenter is a free screen recorder that also comes with video editing tools. It is an ideal tool for the creation of Tutorials and how-to videos that can then be posted directly to video sharing sites like YouTube. It is also one of the only free tools that don't add a watermark or a time limit on the video that you can create. You can also use one of its many editing features to trim, cut, split the recording and even change the speed and volume of the recording. You can also add captions, annotations and animations. Even more editing tools are unlocked when you upgrade to the paid version.

active presenter

Pros

  • You can record the full screen, a specified region, microphone, computer sound and the webcam
  • The built-in editor can be used to edit captured as well as imported videos
  • Basic editing features can be accessed for free
  • No watermark, time limit or ads

Cons

  • It doesn't support scheduling of recordings
  • Only supports 64-bit systems
  • There is no way to crop the video

Free Cam

If you are looking for a video editor that is easy to use and completely free, then Free Cam is a great solution. It comes with a relatively simple interface that can make it easy for you to create screenshots in a simple but effective manner.

free cam

Pros

  • No watermarks, adds or duration limits
  • It will also record microphone and computer sounds
  • Allows you to choose high-quality resolution
  • You can save the videos in WMV format and upload them directly to YouTube
  • You can cut out unwanted parts of the video

Cons

  • Videos will only be saved in WMV only
  • It doesn't support webcam recording

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is one of the most recognizable gameplay screen recorders for Windows. This is thanks to its very effective live streaming feature that allows users to live stream gameplay to sites like YouTube and Twitch. Apart from recording the screen, OBS can also very easily record the webcam and the microphone. The only problem with OBS Studio is that it lacks a built-in video editing tools and you will have to install a separate video editor to edit any videos you create.

obs studio

Pros

  • OBS allows you to record full screen, window, a specified region, webcam, microphone and the computer sound.
  • You can live steam the videos you create directly to Twitch, Mixer, DailyMotion, Mixer and more.
  • It comes with multiple useful filters to scenes, sources and audio devices
  • Comes with an in-built audio mixer
  • No time limit, watermark or ads to deal with

Cons

  • It doesn't come with a “pause” button
  • It lacks a built-in video editing suite
  • It can be a little bit difficult to navigate particularly for beginners

ShareX

ShareX is an Open Source tool that has impressive features, some of which you would find on the most expensive screen recorders. It is however targeted towards developers and other power users a fact that can make it quite hard to use for the beginner users. Its advanced recoding and editing features can be instrumental is creating a great video, but the average user can get lost.

sharex

Pros

  • It records the full screen, a window or specified region
  • You can program hot keys to make the recording process easy
  • It allows users to share the recording to numerous websites
  • You can import videos, music and photos
  • It allows for custom watermarks and color effects

Cons

  • It doesn't support high quality game recording
  • It can be hard to use
  • It doesn't support webcam recording
  • It lacks a video editor

Ezvid

Ezvid is perhaps the easiest screen recorder that you will ever use. It is very clear in terms of navigation and it is very fast, two factors that can make the screen recording process as seamless as possible. Once the videos are recorded, you can upload them to YouTube in a matter of minutes. Because of how easy it is to use; it is a favorite solution for many YouTubers and gamers.

ezvid

Pros

  • It comes with computer generated speech that you can use for narrative purposes
  • All screen recordings are in high resolution
  • Offers you speed control during video output
  • A sleek interface makes it very easy to use
  • You can upload the videos to YouTube instantly

Cons

  • Has minor bugs that can affect the recording process
  • It doesn't support full screen recording

CamStudio

CamStudio is another recognizable open source screen recoding program that you can use to capture screen recordings on PC. One of the most endearing aspects of these tools is that is easy to use and comes with basic, easy to use editing tools.

camstudio

Pros

  • It can create a screen-in-screen video
  • It creates small-sized files
  • Comes with a custom cursor
  • You can customize the quality of the output video

Cons

  • Video output is only in AVI format
  • The quality of the audio is not very good
  • It lacks animation features

Tiny Take

Tiny Take is a screen recorder developed by MangoApps. It can be used to capture both images and videos on your computer and also comes with a basic editing features, allowing you to add comments and annotations. The videos and images can then be added to the tool's online cloud service, making it easy to share the videos and images to various online sites.

tinytake

Pros

  • Allow for bulk file sharing
  • The in-built online cloud service makes sharing very easy
  • You can create custom shortcut keys to customize the recording process
  • The in-built video player is compatible with mobile devices

Cons

  • The free version allows users to record only a 5-minute videos
  • Videos can only be shared in MP4 format
  • It lacks advanced editing features

Part 2
Paid Screen Recorder for Windows PC

The following are some of the best-paid options when choosing a screen recorder for PC;

Wondershare DemoCreator

Wondershare DemoCreator is a screen recorder for Windows that is designed for the specific purpose of recording the screen and gameplay. As such, it comes with built-in editor that allows users to add annotations, text, and comments to the recording among others. The editor can also be used to cut and trim sections of the video that may not be useful.

democreator recording

Pros

  • You can use it to record the screen and webcam at the same time
  • It can record up to 120 FPS
  • It captures high quality audio very easily
  • Allows for webcam and audio recording
  • Has built-in video editing tools that are easy to use and very effective

Cons

  • It is a paid program

Camtasia

Camtasia is a screen recorder for Windows that you may already be familiar with. This is because it is perhaps one of the oldest tools in the market designed for the purpose of recording the screen. One of the main benefits of using Camtasia is that it comes with a built-in editor that can be quite flexible, allowing you to create a unique video.

camtasia

Pros

  • it supports webcam recording
  • audio, video and cursor tracks can be edited separately
  • You can import videos, music, photos and PowerPoint slides
  • The editing feature allows you to add captions, quizzes and callouts
  • It has an extensive library of royalty free music and sound effects

Cons

  • It is very expensive to use
  • It has been known to slow down significantly particularly for larger projects

Bandicam

Bandicam is one of the most popular recording software among gamers. This is because it can record videos in resolutions up to 4K UHD at up to 144 FPS. You can also choose to record part of the screen or the full screen. It also records webcam and audio and comes with a variety of editing features.

bandicam

Pros

  • It allows you to record the full screen, a specified region, the microphone and computer sound
  • You can record videos in 4K UHD resolution
  • You can add annotations including text and drawings during the recording

Cons

  • It only supports MP4 and AVI formats
  • It doesn’t come with a built-in complete editor

Movavi Screen Recorder

This is an easy to use screen capture tool that can be used to record video and images on the screen. It can also capture webcam footage; audio and you can also choose to save the screen recordings as GIFS. All recordings can be uploaded to YouTube and Google Drive from directly within the tool.

movavi screen recorder

Pros

  • Allows for webcam recording
  • You can record the screen and audio at the same time
  • It supports multiple output formats including AVI, MP4, MKV and MOV
  • Supports scheduled recording

Cons

  • It lacks and in-built video editor
  • The trial version limits video recording to 5 minutes

Apowersoft Screen Recorder

Apowersoft is a web-based tool that may prove vert useful when you want to record simple videos of your PC screen. It is web-based which means you will not need to download any program to your computer to use it.

apowersoft

Pros

  • You can record the screen as well as the webcam at the same time
  • You can add annotations including notes, icons, shapes and text into the video during recording

Cons

  • It cannot capture a secondary monitor

Icecream Screen Recorder

The Icecream Screen Recorder is another tool that you can use to capture any area of your screen as an image or a video. It has one of the simplest interfaces we've seen, allowing users maximum comfort when using it.

icecream screen recorder

Pros

  • You can annotate videos during recording
  • It can record webcam footage and the screen at the same time
  • You can schedule multiple recordings on a timer

Cons

  • The free version only allows for 10 minutes of video recording
  • The free version also only supports WEBM format

Screencast-O-Matic

This recorder can be used either as a web-based solution or as a desktop app. The desktop app is the full version and may have additional features that the web tool doesn't have. Both can however make it easy for you to record the screen easily and quickly and edit the video after recording using its basic editing features.

screecast o matic

Pros

  • It can record the full screen, a customized region of the screen, the webcam and audio
  • You can annotate the video during recording
  • It has an in-built video editor that can be used to trim, cut, change sped, annotate and add effects
  • You can upload the recorded videos to YouTube, Vimeo and other sites

Cons

  • Most features are not available with the free version
  • Editing features can only be used during the recording, a factor that can make the video process complex

Flashback

Flashback is a simple to use, full motion-based screen recorder that can be handy when you want to create quick videos. Aside from recording the screen, you can also record the webcam and the microphone. It also has basic annotation features.

flashback express

Pros

  • It supports recording multiple monitors
  • You can record webcam and the screen at the same time
  • It supports adding custom watermarks

Cons

  • You can only import files in FBR format

Both the free and paid tools that we’ve outlined on this list can be useful ways of capturing your screen on PC. The one you choose will depend on what you need and the purpose for recording the screen. Take a moment to go through each of the tools above, looking closer at their features to easily select the one that best suits your needs. If you have never used a screen recorder before, we recommend choosing a tool that has a simple user interface, one that will offer no resistance while allowing you to record the screen easily.