Do you know the toughest task, when it comes to the world of computers and technology? As opposed to your usual guess, it is not management or something, but something else — instructing another user to do specific tasks in his / her computer. It does not actually matter how much you try to break down the process and explain it, you’ll be quite tired at the end, most probably with no desired result. However, screen recording is a viable solution for the issue, as it will let you make the whole process simple, easily explainable and more importantly easily repeatable. Well, if you are looking for some awesome tools for screen recording, you are at the right place — here is our list of top ten apps for screen recording in Windows. Thanks to the developers, most of these are free.
Screen Recorders are handy tools used to record the computer’s screen, i.e., record the ongoing activities on the screen. Using these, you can record the screen as easily as you would take screenshots on your computer or record life’s best moments with a camera. These tools do provide live-capture enhancements, post-capture video editing options and more.
Such tools prove helpful when you wish to record your screen to create a how-to video to demonstrate working of a program, compile a product’s demo video for some client, record gameplay to post on social networks or record any other activity on the screen to share with friends or stakeholders, or to upload on video streaming services like YouTube.
1. Atomi ActivePresenter
Atomi ActivePresenter is a powerful software that can capture all or part of your computer screen with superb video quality. Although it lacks various features (in its free edition) that are provided by its competitors, it’s a perfect minimalistic screen recorder for anyone looking forward to create high-resolution long-time screencasts.
- No watermark and recording time limits — even for free users
- Offers decorating the screencasts with styles, shadows and color effects
- Allows adding transition effects like photo slides and annotations to your videos
- Offers a range of post-recording editing options like video overlays, cutting and cropping videos, adjusting volume levels, adding blur and few more
- Allows exporting recordings to MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, WebM and MKV formats
- Can’t upload the recorded videos directly online
- Its free version lacks various useful features available in its premium versions
2. Ezvid Video Maker
Ezvid Video Maker is a useful desktop or screen recording software. With some clicks, you can record the computer screen to create high-resolution movies. Ezvid allows on-screen drawing and recording specific region [same as Icecream Screen Recorder]. You can also add title, description, keywords and other meta-info to your recordings.
- Auto-saves the videos during recording
- Allows creating slideshows with the capturings
- Offers audio recording and voice synthesis features
- Allows on-screen annotating while recording the screen
- Enables uploading the recorded videos to YouTube directly
- Offers webcam recording
- Allows recording videos up to 45 minutes
- Supports uploading videos directly on YouTube only
- Offers no customizable settings for recording the screen
3. Icecream Screen Recorder
Icecream Screen Recorder can record your entire computer screen or specific parts of the screen. With the software, you can shoot webinars, record video calls or conferences, gameplays, etc. via its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Pros:
- Records videos in MP4, MKV or WebM format
- Allows audio recording along with the video
- Offers webcam recording along with screen recording
- Allows on-screen drawing (or annotating) while capturing the screen
- Offers hotkey configuration to pause, record and stop the recording
- Allows saving screenshots to the clipboard or in JPG or PNG extension
- Offers Project History for quick access to previously captured pictures and videos
- Free users get a 10-minute cap of screen recording time
- Offers limited functionalities and editing options in its free edition
- Its recordings can’t be used for commercial purposes by free users
4. Screenpresso
Screenpresso captures your desktop (as screenshots) and records the same to create HD videos. With all its advanced features, it’s one of the best premium screen recorders though it doesn’t offer much to free users. Nevertheless, you can capture the entire screen or specific areas and even manage your captures easily using its management features.
- Allows recording audio and webcam along with the screen
- Allows using captures and recordings for commercial use — even in its free edition
- Records the screen in lightweight MP4 format and allows changing the format to WMV, WebM and OGG
- Offers ‘Quick Access‘ to your previous screenshots and recordings
- Allows labeling, sorting and editing captures into custom folders and manages workspaces and libraries of your captures (photos & videos)
- Offers sharing features for numerous services including Email, FTP, Evernote, Google Drive, OneDrive, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox and more
- No support for Android with its free edition
- Recordings’ max. duration is just 3 minutes
- Limits image editing features and mandates updates for the free users
- Can’t remove watermarks from images, videos or documents in its free version
5. Bandicam Screen Recorder
Bandicam Screen Recorder is an easy-to-use recorder capable of capturing a specific area or the full screen. It lets you easily record flash games, streaming videos and more. The software offers several modes like gaming mode, screen recording mode and device recording mode for perfect recording.
- Saves the recorded videos in AVI or MP4 format
- Offers real-time voice recording for creating screencasts
- Offers live drawing while recording
- Allows adding watermarks and overlaying webcam while recording
- Allows adding mouse clicks’ effects or animations while recording screen
- Bloats to optimize the recording process using hardware acceleration (if supported)
- Can’t get rid of its watermark in the free version
- 10-minute recording cap for the free version
6. Snagit
Snagit, yet another amazing product from TechSmith, has been helping a number of professionals and individuals to capture and record their PC screen for multiple purposes. Although there is a free trial, Snagit is actually a paid tool, to buy which you have to spend big. Powerful editing tools, free tech support, integration with cloud-based services, ability to set hotkeys, etc are what make Snagit a top tool when it comes to screen recording. However, after all, it is paid software, though it is worth what you pay.’
7. Jing
TechSmith knows that there are some, who cannot afford Snagit. That may be why TechSmith has made Jing, a small yet effective tool for screen capturing tool, available free. Jing does not come with high quality, feature-rich and productive editor and other stuff, but it lets you plan, record and share videos in a matter of seconds. Though being free, you can grab free tech support feature from TechSmith. However, we would like to add that Jing will not be a sufficient choice if you are planning to do some BIG screen recording and capturing works. Nevertheless, just like you do in Snagit, you can set up hotkeys and make things quicker.
8. Webinaria
If you are an open-source lover and to find an open-source product for screen recording and capturing, Webinaria is your optimum answer. Using this Windows-based application, you will be able to create Flash videos of PC recording as well as add your own voice commentary using record feature. Although not much big in amount, Webinaria offers some sorts of editing features like insertion of text. Also, it can let you set certain hotkeys. After all, Webinaria is an open source product, and be proud to use it.
9. Camtasia Studio
Well, Camtasia studio is the third product from TechSmith in this list and the second premium product. Aim of this tool is to simplify screen recording and video editing possible for everyone, and we should say it has succeeded to do so, that too in a smaller time. Since Camtasia is a really powerful tool, you will not find any difficulty in recording the screen of your Windows (a Mac version is also available, by the way). Some of new features such as cross-platform screen recording, integration with Google Drive and TechSmith Fuse are really impressive, indeed.
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10. Rylstim Screen Recorder
Rylstim Screen Recorder is a simple-enough tool to record what is happening in your PC screen. Once you have done with installation of this recorder, you have to select codec, frame rate and location where you would like to store the file and just hit ‘Start Recording’. Rylstim Screen Recorder will give you the result video once you have finished this recording process — simple as that. And, of course, Rylstim Screen Recorder is absolutely free and you can even get a portable version.
11.Screenr
Here comes the tenth one and we will have a twist! Unlike abovementioned tools, Screenr has nothing to do with PC or installation, but it works solely based on your web browser. The only thing you have to make sure is that Java has been installed in your PC. Thus, when you want to record, let it be any device, go to Screenr.com and start recording.