15 Best Screen Recorders with Free Downloads [2024]

Check out Movavi Screen Recorder:

  • High-definition (up to 4K) screen recordings

  • System and microphone audio capture

  • In-app editing and sharing

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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There are so many screen video recorders available online today – which should you choose? Let’s walk through a few of the best screen recorders with free downloads, so you can make an informed choice for your next video project.

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Best screen recorders for a PC with free downloads

Best for: creating 4K screen-recorded videos with webcam footage and high-quality audio

OS: Windows, macOS

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5, 50 reviews

Movavi Screen Recorder is a very popular screen recorder with a free download for PC or Mac. The free-download screen recorder lets users get a good feel for how the software works. Users can record screen footage on a laptop or desktop while recording webcam footage, and the program makes it easy to capture system audio and/or microphone audio. However, the real value is in the full version of the program. For a reasonable price, Movavi Screen Recorder gives users the power to create live drawings and annotations, highlight keystrokes and mouse activity, and make other enhancements to their screen recordings. You can also easily edit and share your videos directly from Movavi Screen Recorder without downloading any additional software.

Key features:

  • Capture webcam and screen in HD and 4K
  • Grab sound from mic and system audio without any background noise
  • Take screenshots as you record and then annotate them with text and shapes
  • Capture keystrokes and mouse movement to make your video more comprehensive
  • Draw and use annotation tools while recording (add arrows, figures, and lines)
  • Delete unwanted fragments from the footage using the built-in editing tools
  • Export your recording in any popular video/audio format

Pros:

  • Extremely user-friendly screen recorder with a free download

  • Allows you to capture your entire screen, or just a part of it

  • Can record your voice as a commentary to the video

  • Offers a scheduler feature to capture pre-planned online events 

  • Direct sharing from the app to YouTube

Cons:

  • A subscription plan of your choice will unlock more features

OBS Studio

  • Best for

    Live-streaming gameplay and online presentations

  • OS

    Windows, macOS, Linux

  • PCWorld rating

    4 out of 5

OBS Studio is an open-source screen recorder with a free download. Because the program is completely free and includes streaming capabilities, it’s popular with a lot of streamers on Twitch, especially gaming streamers. However, like a lot of freeware programs, this screen-recording software does have a bit of a learning curve. If you’re not used to figuring out how to use less-than-intuitive programs without a lot of support, this may not be the best screen recorder for a PC with a free download for you. However, if you’re up to the challenge of teaching yourself to use it, OBS Studio is highly customizable with a lot of convenient hotkey options to streamline the recording process.

Key features:

  • Live-streaming capabilities

  • Customizable hotkey functionalities

  • Video- and audio-editing capabilities

Pros:

  • 100% free open-source software

  • No watermark on export videos

Cons:

  • Has a steep learning curve

  • Lacks customer support

TinyTake

  • Best for

    Short video recordings for beginners

  • OS

    Windows, macOS

  • G2 rating

    4.3 out of 5, 17 reviews

TinyTake is a simple, user-friendly option if you want to download a free screen recorder. The program includes several hotkey options to make it easy to record your full screen or part of your display. Along with customizable screen-recording features, TinyTake also allows users to zoom in and out while recording, which can create a cool effect and/or direct the audience’s attention to a specific part of the screen. If you need to record longer sessions with the free version, though, this isn’t the screen-recording software for you. Free recordings are capped at five minutes, and the paid version only allows users to record up to 120 minutes of video footage at a time.

Key features:

  • Webcam recording feature

  • Cloud storage option

  • Customizable screen captures

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface

  • Up to 2 GB of free cloud storage

  • Zooming capabilities while recording

Cons:

  • Limited recording times on free and paid versions

  • Commercial use prohibited with the free version

Bandicam

  • Best for

    Screen recording on Windows computers with limited resources

  • OS

    Windows

  • G2 rating

    4.3 out of 5, 39 reviews

Bandicam is a Windows-compatible screen-recording program. For users looking for a screen recorder for Windows 10 and free download with audio, this is a good option. As powerful as this program is, it’s also fairly lightweight and can run alongside multiple other programs at the same time without bogging down your CPU. The free version does limit recordings to 10 minutes, and video exports include Bandicam’s watermark.

Key features:

  • Simultaneous webcam- and screen-recording capabilities

  • Microphone and system audio capture

  • Screen capture capabilities for connected devices

Pros:

  • Lag-free screen recording

  • Up to 4K video exports

  • Game overlay feature

Cons:

  • Watermark on the free version

  • 10-minute limit on free recordings

Best for live-streaming

OBS Studio
Bestseller

Best overall screen-recording platform

Movavi Screen Recorder

Best mobile screen recorder with a free download

Icecream Screen Recorder

FlashBack Express

  • Best for

    Recording videos without watermarks for free on a PC

  • OS

    Windows

  • G2 rating

    4.5 out of 5, 4 reviews

Flashback Express is a screen recorder with a free download for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Like other top desktop screen recorders, FlashBack Express gives users the option to capture a customized area of their screen, a specific window or app, or the full screen. You can also capture your system audio and/or record with voice from your microphone audio. One of the biggest benefits of this app is there’s no watermark on the screen recorder. Download the free version of the software, and you can export videos without any branding from FlashBack. However, the free version is pretty stripped down, and you’ll need to get the full paid version to get more functions and features.

Key features:

  • Record your screen with or without audio

  • Direct exports to video-sharing platforms

  • Multi-source recording capabilities

Pros:

  • No watermark on the free version

  • No recording time limits

  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Limited functionalities on the free version

  • File output restrictions on the free version

Fraps

  • Best for

    Capturing video game footage on a PC

  • OS

    Windows

  • G2 rating

    4.2 out of 5, 47 reviews

Fraps isn’t the latest screen recorder to download for free on the market today, but it’s still a popular option, especially for gamers. Its main uses are to benchmark gaming settings and record video footage of gameplay. However, plenty of people use Fraps for its free screen-recording capabilities as well. 

Key features:

  • FPS counting capability

  • High-quality video capture

Pros:

  • Automated FPS monitoring

  • Easy to install and run

  • One-click screen recording

Cons:

  • Screen recording can cause computer lag

  • Delays and glitches with audio recording

Icecream Screen Recorder

  • Best for

    Taking quick screen recordings on mobile devices

  • OS

    macOS, Windows, Android OS

  • G2 rating

    4.1 out of 5, 26 reviews

Icecream Screen Recorder is one of the more bare-bones screen recorders available today. It’s a versatile app, with compatible versions for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. While it doesn’t boast a ton of features, it is extremely lightweight and allows users to record screen activity while running other apps without lag. If you want to record more than five minutes of footage, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version.

Key features:

  • Customizable screen capture

  • Multiple video file format types with the paid version

Pros:

  • Quick and easy screen recording

  • No lag when recording while running multiple applications

Cons:

  • Five-minute recording limit on the free version

  • Only supports up to 720p resolution

CamStudio

  • Best for

    Capturing free screen recordings on a PC

  • OS

    Windows

  • TechRadar rating

    4.5 out of 5

CamStudio is an open-source screen-recording program that allows users to capture screen activity for free. Along with the ability to customize your recording area, CamStudio also offers lossless video encoding and includes on-screen caption capabilities. Like a lot of freeware, though, you’ll need to be resourceful if you run into any challenges with the software, as customer support is almost nonexistent.

Key features:

  • Lossless video encoding

  • Customizable recording area

  • On-screen captions

Pros:

  • Intuitive interface

  • No cost for the full version

  • No watermark

Cons:

  • Little to no customer support

  • Not compatible with macOS

Best for live-streaming

OBS Studio
Bestseller

Best overall screen-recording platform

Movavi Screen Recorder

Best mobile screen recorder with a free download

Icecream Screen Recorder

ScreenPal

  • Best for

    Creating engaging presentations for school, work, or fun

  • OS

    Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chromebook

  • G2 rating

    4.3 out of 5, 68 reviews

Formerly known as Screencast-o-Matic, ScreenPal is a screen-recording platform with an emphasis on video communication for multiple purposes. It’s designed to work well as an educational tool for remote classrooms, a presentation aid for professionals, or as a fun tool for personal videos. While you can download the software for free, you’ll need the full version to enjoy features like unlimited recording and video editing.

Key features:

  • User-friendly video-editing program

  • Customizable screen capture area

  • Direct video sharing to multiple social media sites

Pros:

  • Webcam recording capabilities

  • Cloud storage

  • Video-editing capabilities

Cons:

  • No editing options on the free version

  • No system audio recording on the free version

  • Paid subscription required for unlimited recording

ShareX

  • Best for

    Taking simple screen recordings for free

  • OS

    Windows

  • TechRadar rating

    4.5 out of 5

ShareX is a popular free screen recorder for beginners. It’s very user-friendly and easy to learn, even if you’ve never used a screen-recording program before. It supports most popular video file formats, and you can save recordings as GIFs too. However, if you need to edit your screen recordings, or if you’re looking for features like annotations or live-drawing to enhance your presentation, you may find ShareX lacking. 

Key features:

  • The full screen or one active window recording

  • Automatic capture feature

  • Direct export to social media sites

Pros:

  • Easy-to-learn user interface

  • Multiple video file formats

  • GIF capabilities

Cons:

  • No video-editing capabilities

  • Lacks video enhancements, like live-drawing and annotations

Free Cam

  • Best for

    Recording and editing screen activity on a Windows computer

  • OS

    Windows

  • G2 rating

    4.1 out of 5, 17 reviews

Free Cam is a freeware screen recorder for Windows. Its capabilities include customizable recording areas, voice-over functionality, on-screen highlighting, and other enhancements. It also includes basic editing functions, including trimming and cutting. So, if you just want to make a few small edits to a video after you finish recording, you don’t need to export it to a completely different editing platform to finish up. However, while it’s 100% free and easy to use, Free Cam doesn’t support 4K video recordings and only allows up to 720p resolution for video exports.

Key features:

  • Customizable recording areas

  • Basic video-editing tools

  • Microphone and system audio capture

Pros:

  • Unlimited recording times

  • No watermark on free recordings

  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • No support for 4K resolution videos

  • Only allows WMV video exports

  • No Mac-compatible version

Debut Video Capture

  • Best for

    Live-editing screen recordings on the fly

  • OS

    Windows, macOS (10.15 and later)

  • TechRadar rating

    4.5 out of 5

Debut Video Capture isn’t the most attractive screen recorder on the market today, but it does have its perks. The software is easy to use and allows users to quickly customize their recording areas before capturing screen activity. Debut also gives users the power to change their video resolution, color settings, and other settings, as well. Plus, you can share videos directly to social media and video-sharing sites. The only big downside to Debut is that users report having difficulty accessing some features.

Key features:

  • Built-in recording scheduler

  • Real-time editing capabilities

  • Direct video sharing

Pros:

  • Highly customizable

  • User-friendly and easy to learn

  • Easy pre-scheduling and automation for recordings

Cons:

  • Unattractive interface

  • Challenges finding and using some features

Best for live-streaming

OBS Studio
Bestseller

Best overall screen-recording platform

Movavi Screen Recorder

Best mobile screen recorder with a free download

Icecream Screen Recorder

DVDVideoSoft Free Screen Video Recorder

  • Best for

    Capturing simple screen recordings as MP4 videos

  • OS

    Windows

For users looking for an extremely simple screen recorder, DVDVideoSoft’s Free Screen Video Recorder could be a good option. The software is very simple, but still allows users to customize the area of their screen that they want to capture. If you need to export your videos in a file format other than MP4, though, you’ll need to use a video converter or opt for a different screen recorder.

Key features:

  • System and microphone audio capture

  • Screenshot capabilities while recording

  • Customizable screen capture area

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface

  • Mouse highlighting capabilities

Cons:

  • Lacks a lot of features included with other screen recorders

  • Requires a third-party video converter for anything but MP4 files

  • No Mac-compatible version available

Ezvid

  • Best for

    Creating videos with computer-generated voice-overs

  • OS

    Windows

  • TechRadar rating

    3 out of 5

Ezvid is a cool option if you want to add narrations to your screen recordings without recording your own voice-over. That’s because one of Ezvid’s key features is computer-generated text-to-speech narration. So, if you want to jump onboard the computer-voice trend on TikTok, Ezvid can do it for you. All you have to do is write your script, put it in a text file, and let Ezvid do the rest. Of course, you can also opt to record your own voice-over, as Ezvid supports both system and microphone audio capture. 

Key features:

  • Computer-generated text-to-speech narration

  • Simultaneous webcam and microphone recording

  • Direct uploads to social media and video-sharing sites

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use software

  • Text-to-speech capability

Cons:

  • Video recordings limited to 45 minutes

  • No Mac- or mobile-compatible version

PassFab Screen Recorder

  • Best for

    Taking screen recordings with live annotations and video editing

  • OS

    macOS

PassFab Screen Recorder is a professional-level screen-recording program with a few key benefits. It allows simultaneous screen and webcam recording, and it can capture system and microphone sound at the same time. It also has several useful presets to help users get going quickly with video and audio settings designed for specific purposes (e.g., online presentations, gameplay, etc.). There’s no time limit on the free version, but you’ll have to pay for a subscription if you want to get rid of the watermark.

Key features:

  • Simultaneous webcam and screen recording

  • Live annotations

  • Video-editing tools

Pros:

  • No time limit on free or paid videos

  • Presets for easy setup and recording

  • Up to 4K video exports

Cons:

  • Watermark on free videos

Tips for choosing the best free-download screen recorder

There’s not much risk in choosing a free-download screen recorder, but choosing the wrong program can be a frustrating waste of time. So, before you hit the “download” button on one of these products, you may want to keep a few things in mind:

  • Cost: after the free trial is over, how much will it cost to continue to use the software? Is it in your budget?

  • Functionality: does the program do everything you need for your videos, or will you have to find a third-party video-editing app to polish your projects?

  • Video and audio quality: make sure you choose a program that allows high-resolution video exports and that the sound quality will be up to par on your videos.

  • Customer service: if something goes wrong, will you be able to get in touch with customer support and get the problem resolved quickly?

Summary: Capture pro-level screen recordings with the right software

With the info in this article, you should hopefully have everything you need to find the best free-download screen recorder for your next presentation, video stream, gaming session, tutorial, or any other type of screen recording. If you’re still not sure which to try, we recommend checking out Movavi Screen Recorder today.

Frequently asked questions

Can I download a screen recorder for a PC?

Yes, you can download a screen recorder for your PC. Before you choose a program, make sure that the software is compatible with the version of Windows that you’re running on your laptop or desktop.

How can I record my screen for free?

You can use Movavi Screen Recorder – it offers a free trial version you can try.

  1. Download and install Movavi Screen Recorder.

    Download Movavi Screen Recorder for Windows
    Download Movavi Screen Recorder for macOS

  2. Choose to record the full screen, a single window, or a custom area.

  3. Click on the REC button to start recording.

  4. When you’re finished, click the Stop button.

  5. Trim your recording if needed.

  6. Click the Export button to save your video or share it online.

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