Today, we’ll be reviewing the best screen capture video software. You’ve probably seen software similar to these before. Tech-savvy people use them while creating tutorials or other types of content, like my buddy Mark! After all, it’s impractical to try and explain how something works when you can show people something instead.
Free Screen Recorder is an easy-to-use screen recording program to capture screen activities and sounds to standard AVI video file. If you move the cursor, launch a program, type some text, click buttons, select some menus – anything you see on the screen – Free Screen Recorder will record all these, and sound from your system microphone.
This program makes recording videos and producing high-quality content incredibly easy. With the ability to capture everything on your screen, import media, create instant montages and add transitions and effects, this software allows you to build compelling videos without ever leaving your chair. Because it is so user-friendly, using it is a breeze and you can create high quality tutorials, demos or movies in a very short time.
Whether you are a professional gamer creating gaming videos, or just someone who loves to create content while playing games; screen capture software serves as a handy tool in generating content. The only challenge is selecting a screen capture software that is easy to use, versatile and intuitive; yet powerful enough to record all types of screens including game screens and mobile screens.
How to Choose the Right Screen Recording software for your business?
Choosing any software for your business depends on several factors you are willing to take before purchase. Selecting the ideal screen recording software also demands you make specific considerations before whipping out the checkbook.
- Price – The screen recording tool must be within the specified budget and not more. It includes the pre-defined version of your business needs, including all functionalities.
- Feature set – It is essential to consider the features one needs as part of the screen recording software. Integrating a large number of features will increase the price and reduce the performance of the screenshot software.
- Customer Service – Always remember to purchase top screen capture software, which has excellent customer support capability.
- Type – There are multiple types of screen recording software you can opt to purchase. Free screen recorder software is accessible, while several free and open-source ones exist too. You can opt for a subscription-based screen recorder tool, while one-time purchase screen recorder applications are also prevalent.
- Security – The software will be a vault of sensitive data, mainly because developers are looking for application errors in yet-to-be-released software. Therefore all data must be safely stored with appropriate security layers present. Data shared must be encrypted as well.
DemoCreator
Need a quick solution to record and edit demos, tutorials, presentations, and games? Wondershare’s DemoCreator was created primarily for use in a professional setting for showcasing expertise and creating how-to tutorials or demos. Hence the name.
The editing options are extensive, allowing you to add cursor sounds, create text animations, position your webcam footage anywhere within the recording, and much more. All of this comes within a modern UI you’ll sure enjoy using.
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Pricing: Starts at $32.99/year.
Why you need it:
- DemoCreator’s onboarding takes you through what each feature does so you’ll be able to use the software as soon as you enter it for the first time.
Where it lacks:
- The existing library of elements is limited but you can import your own media files.
Snagit
Struggling to take full-page screenshots that extend below the fold? Snagit is by far the best choice for this. Even if you need video recordings.
You can create full screenshots of landing pages, emails, websites, and more in literally seconds. There’s also quite a few editing options to turn to after, including stamps, arrows, and more tools and effects. Note that when you first open the editor you won’t see all of these in the editing bar. Go to Image on the top bar to select which features you need displayed.
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Pricing: Paid plans start at $49.99/user for a one-time fee.
Why you need it:
- There are loads of effects and tools you can use by default for any type of screenshot you need.
Where it lacks:
- It’s not exactly the easiest tool to learn as there are multiple ways of taking the same screenshot format. They recently introduced a tutorial you’ll go through when you want to take your first screenshot to help with this.
Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a screen recording app for Mac and Windows that was designed for e-learning. In fact, it’s more of a video/course creation tool you can use for online tutoring. Companies also use it to create compliance and soft-skills courses for their employees through interactive slides and videos.
The best part? You can create multi-module branched courses and use out-of-box assets for supporting learner interaction and quizzing. I recommend going through the free webinars and the Adobe Captivate Certification Program beforehand to make sure you’re using the tool to its full capacity.
Platforms: Mac, Windows
Pricing: Starts at $33.99/month/subscription or you can buy an unlimited license for $1,299.
Why you need it:
- Includes features you won’t find with other tools like converting PowerPoint presentations into videos and even setting up VR walkthroughs and mobile-ready courses.
Where it lacks:
- The download process is super slow compared to the other options on this list so it shouldn’t be your first choice if you need to use the tool over the next hour.
Screencast-O-Matic
A reliable screen recording software with a built-in stock library and secure video hosting
OS: Windows, Mac and iOS, Android, and Chromebook
Screencast-O-Matic is considered one of the best screen recorders for PC and mobile devices. It’s fast, fairly easy to use, and comes with a video editor that allows you to personalize recordings and make them more attractive and entertaining. Unlike its many competitors, Screencast-O-Matic comes with a built-in stock library full of videos, images, and music tracks, cloud hosting for storing and sharing videos, and even collaboration and team management tools. However, this advanced functionality is available only for premium plans users. It allows you to upload your videos to YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo, and Dropbox. There’s also a mobile app for Android and iOS.
Pros
- Does webcam and audio narration recordings
- Comprehensive video-editing options
- Automated Speech-to-Text option
- Built-in stock library
- Secure and private online backup
- Collaborative video management tools
Cons
- The free version embeds a watermark in videos
- The free version limits screen recording time to 15 minutes
Flashback Express
Flashback Express is a at no cost app that can record screen, webcam, and sounds. It neither sets time limit on recording nor stamps watermark on the output videos. If you are running this software on a multi-monitor system, you can either record screens across multiple monitors or limit capturing to a single monitor. You can also make use of scheduled recordings to start and stop recording at scheduled times or when a specified application is launched.
Flashback Express is a free version of a paid application, Flashback Pro. While the two versions share the same recording features, the free version doesn’t include any video editing features, annotations, or effects. Regarding sharing, users can save videos as MP4, AVI, or WMV and directly upload videos to YouTube. Only paid users are entitled to save videos as Flash, QuickTime, GIF, or standalone EXE and set password protection for videos.
Pros
- Record full screen, window, region, webcam, microphone, computer sound.
- Record multiple monitors.
- Scheduled recordings.
- Cursor highlighting.
- Publish videos directly to YouTube.
- No watermark, no time limit, ad free.
Cons
- Not allowed to record webcam alone.
- Limited video output formats: MP4, AVI, WMV.
- No built-in video editor.
Camtasia
Developed by TechSmith, Camtasia is one of the highest-priced screen capture application at present. It has over 14 million users worldwide and might never be absent in top screen recorder rankings. As an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor, Camtasia claims to “make it easy to record your screen and create polished, professional-looking videos.”
The newest version of Camtasia, Camtasia 2018, comes with a collection of brand-new video assets such as customizable intros, outros, and lower thirds. It also includes a number of themes to maintain a consistent look and feel across a series of videos. A 30-day free trial is available with watermark added.
Pros
- Record full screen, window, region, webcam, microphone, computer sound.
- Record iOS screen for mobile demos and how-tos.
- Feature a video editor to edit captured videos as well as imported videos.
- Video editing features: trim, cut, split, change speed/volume, add zoom-n-pan, annotations, multimedia, animations, transitions, audio fade in/out, green screen effect, and more.
- Free video, image, and audio assets: intros, outros, motion backgrounds, icons, music, sound effects, and more.
Cons
- Relatively expensive in comparison with other screencasting software.
- 64-bit only.
Bandicam
Bandicam by Bandicam Company is widely popular as one of the most powerful game recording app for gamers. It can record various 2D/3D games with 4K UHD resolution at up to 144 FPS. Bandicam can also record full screen, part of screen, and external video devices such as webcam and game console.
While the recording features might please the pickiest users, the software has no single video editing feature. Even when combining with Bandicut, a video cutter from the same company, you can only trim, split, and join recordings. The free version has a recording limit of 10 minutes per video with watermark added.
Pros
- Record full screen, region, webcam, microphone, computer sound.
- Record 4K UHD resolution at up to 144 FPS.
- Draw, add text, and take screenshots while recording.
- Add mouse click effects and animations while recording.
- Add logo to the screen capture.
- Voice mixing.
- Lightweight package.
Cons
- The editing process can be recorded while capturing the screen, making the video unprofessional.
- Limited video output formats: MP4, AVI.
- No built-in video editor.
Loom
Loom is one of the few screen recording tools that allow you to pause/resume recording whenever you desire. When you finish recording your video, you can export it to Loom’s cloud storage where all users have unlimited video storage. If you’re the type that creates a lot of customer support videos, you won’t have to worry about memory space.
Loom also allows you to trim away unnecessary video segments from the beginning, middle, or end of the recording. When you’re done recording and editing there’s an incorporated slack feature that allows you to share your video links to specific groups right from your Loom dashboard.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome
Pricing: Paid plans start at $8/creator/month.
Why you need it:
- Requires virtually no learning time and the screen recording feature works on all devices.
Where it lacks:
- The free version is limited to five minutes/recording so there’s not much use to Loom in a professional context.
Why consider our list of top screen recording software?
This comprehensive list of Screen Recording Software is up-to-date and has a variety of options for users.The buyer’s guide represents information such as features, benefits, uses, and other parameters of screen recording software for you to make the right decision.
We have meticulously created and published this Buyer’s Guide on Screen Recording Software with the sole purpose of helping our readers choose the software according to their specific parameters. It is easily discernible in the content on our software listings page.
The company’s software directory has an array of vital information about other forms of software in various categories. Feel free to parse through them and make your pick.
Conclusion
I understand how important it is to have a video that covers only the main points of your content. You want to make sure those viewing your video don’t get bogged down by too much data. You want the right amount of visual stimulation and then get on with it. If this is something you struggle with I can help.
Best Screen Capture Video Software gives you the power to create demos, tutorials, and all kinds of educational and marketing videos. Capture smooth full-motion video at high resolutions up to 5x normal playback. Record audio to go along with your video from a microphone or other audio source, such as a CD/DVD player, cassette player and more. In addition, you can record videos from webcams, TV tuner cards and more.