A screen recorder is a type of software application which records your actions and display them on the screen along with computer generated audio. As you know that there are many different types of screen recorders available in the market currently. Many people prefer to install ubuntu os ontheir computer rather than the other version of linux. These people generally get confused about which application they need to be installed on their ubuntu machine. If you are also using linux and looking for a top best screen recorder, you have landed to the right place.
Best Screen Recorder in Ubuntu is the best screen recorder tool for the Ubuntu operating system. This software tool allows you to record all your desktop activity, audio input, and webcam video at the same time. Best Screen Recorder in Ubuntu also provides a lot of customization options allowing you to make it a very light program that doesn’t use much system resources while recording.
There can be plenty reasons apart from these to use screen recorders and there are many really good and reliable screen recorders are available on internet for Linux and Ubuntu users. But finding the best is tough task because output video file is what matters the most and not every screen recorder gives you output file in the screen resolution, frame rate and quality you prefer.
Linux and its distributions come with built-in screenshot tool out-of-the-box but screen recording tool is always missing. So today we’re going to give you in-depth guide to best screen recorders which you can find very useful on Linux and its distro’s like Ubuntu.
Easily Record Your Desktop with These Ubuntu Screen Recorder Apps
These are the Ubuntu screen recorder software that I think you should definitely check out for all your screen recording needs. OBS is another very well known screen recording app, but it didn’t work very well for me, during my testing, so I do not recommend it. However, these apps are more than capable of handling whatever you may want to throw at them. So, feel free to try them out (they’re all free), and use the one that suits you best. Also, if you know of any other great screen recording apps for Ubuntu, do let us know about them in the comments section below.
SimpleScreenRecorder
As the name suggests, SimpleScreenRecorder is very simple and one of the most reliable screen recorders for Ubuntu. It is lightweight QT based screen recorder which is very easy to use and requires less space for installation but records high quality videos.
When it comes to features there are not many screen recorders that can match SimpleScreenRecorders offerings. It offers features such as live preview option while recording, record particular area of the screen, option to record the video in multiple video file format, optimize audio recording, manage frame rate, live statistics, tweak options to get required video output.
Don’t worry if you have slow machine because it is flexible enough that it reduces video frame rate rather than eating too much RAM. User interface is old school but who cares when you have one of the best screen recording tools at your disposal.
Installing SimpleScreenRecorder is very easy, just run following commands in Linux Terminal. $ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install simplescreenrecorder
Use the following command if you want to record 32-bit OpenGL applications on your 64-bit system. $ sudo apt-get install simplescreenrecorder-lib:i386
You can also follow in-depth guide to setup SimpleScreenRecorder here.
Open Broadcaster Software Studio
Open Broadcaster Software Studio is free and open-source cross-platform screen recording and video streaming application. It is one of the most feature-rich screen-casting applications you will find for Linux and its distributions.
It has interactive user interface which you will find very easy to use. Talking about features it has everything you will ask for in a professional screen-casting application. Video source filters, highly configurable options, live streaming, audio mixing tool with added filters, and custom transitions are the main features of this screen recorder.
Isn’t this a great tool for Facebook and YouTube video bloggers who love to go live while playing favorite video games or doing their professional tutorials?
At the first start, Open Broadcaster Software Studio starts auto configuration wizards which auto detects the screen and gives you best configuration of screen resolution, frame rate (FPS) and output resolution which will be suitable for you.
Once you are comfortable with this screen recorder you will find some hidden tweaks and features which will take your screen recording and screen casting experience to next level. $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pbsproject/obs-studio
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install obs-studio
Kazam
Kazam is simple and lightweight simple screen recording application for Linux and its distro’s like Ubuntu. It is minimal tool which records the screen and saves the video file that can be played with any media player or can be uploaded on online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, etc.
As you can see in above screenshot, Kazam sports very simple user interface with not so many options. But it gives you option to record full screen or particular area of the screen.
Even though it is a simple screen recorder it sports some handy features such as support for multiple video output file format, delay time support, audio recording from microphone or speaker. One thing that goes against this application is that you don’t get many tweaking options hence you have to stick with what you have. $ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:sylvain-pineau/kazam
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install kazam
$ sudo apt-get upgrade
recordMyDesktop
recordMyDesktop is free and open-source screen recording application especially developed for Linux and its distributions. Written in C, it is basically a command line tool for screen recording and casting. You can directly use it from command line by running recordmydesktop command in the terminal.
When it comes to features, it gives you option to tweak audio and video output quality and there are some advance options to tweak overall performance and video output.
It is simple but reliable screen recording tool as compared to other. We have tested it on latest Ubuntu 19.04 and it worked as expected. If you have older version of Ubuntu, it will also work fine there too.
ScreenStudio
ScreenStudio is a cross-platform screen recording application written in Java. Even though it’s no longer maintained since 2017, you can give it a try to see if it works for you.
Main Features
- Supports multiple video output formats
- Audio recording from a suitable source
- Stream support for various services like Hitbox, Twitch.tv, etc.
- Various advanced configuration options
- Webcam recording support
- Overlay layer support while recording (image and text layers)
Pros
- Being a cross-platform application, you can use it everywhere
Cons
- Dependency size is rather large – requires JRE 8.0
- No longer actively developed
Installation on Ubuntu
ScreenStudio can be installed on Ubuntu from its PPA. Enter the following commands in a terminal to install it:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:soylent-tv/screenstudiosudo apt update sudo apt install screenstudio
If you fail to install it on Ubuntu 17.10 or above, you can try downloading the older deb package from the launchpad to see if it works on the latest Linux distro that you have.ScreenStudio
Green Recorder
Green Recorder has a simple interface and is easy to use. It was one of the earliest screen recording tools in Linux to provide support for Wayland. It’s built using GTK3, and like most of the other screen recorders here, it uses FFmpeg in the background. If you’re using Wayland, this would perhaps be the best choice for an Ubuntu screen recorder.
Unfortunately, the project has been archived on GitHub and no longer developed. But, it still works for most of the users.
Main Features
- Supports multiple video formats such as avi, mkv, mp4, webm etc
- Can also record the screen as a gif
- Default preferences can be saved
- Supports both Xorg and Wayland
Pros
- Simple interface with necessary features
- Gif support
- Wayland support
Cons
- No webcam recording support
- No longer actively developed. The project has been archived on GitHub.
Installation on Ubuntu
You can install Green Recorder on Ubuntu using its official PPA. Just use the commands below:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fossproject/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install green-recorderPeek
Peek is a simple tool for recording animated gifs from your desktop screen.
Main Features
- Framerate setting
- Delay timer support
Pros
- Modern and slick interface
Cons
- Currently, only Linux with X11 is supported (which most of us are currently using)
Installation on Ubuntu
For installation, DEB packages are available on its GitHub project’s release page. You can also install it from its official PPA with the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peek-developers/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install peekGifine
Gifine is another gif recording tool for Linux. You can use it for recording and stitching together short gifs or videos.
Main Features
- Supports both gif and mp4 video output
- Supports editing and trimming the output before saving
Pros
- Provides more features than Peek
Cons
- Interface is not as nice as Peek
Installation on Ubuntu
Installing Gifine is a bit of a lengthy process. Open a terminal window and carefully enter the following commands for installing Gifine on Ubuntu:
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lolilolicon/xrectsel.git cd xrectsel ./bootstrap && ./configure sudo make install sudo apt install gifsicle luarocks libgirepository1.0-devsudo luarocks install --server=http://luarocks.org/dev gifine
And you’re done. For running Gifine, enter the following command:
Minimal user interface, lack of webcam recording support and video output limitations are some cons might lure you to look for an alternative
EaseUS RecExperts
EaseUS RecExperts is an all-in-one yet easy-to-use screen recording software to capture any screen activities happening on your screen. With the options of recording screen, audio, webcam, screen with audio, screen with webcam, this screen recorder is a nice choice to record zoom meetings, presentations, video tutorials, online courses, games, etc.
Pros:
- Capture full screen or custom region up to 1080P
- Record computer internal audio or/and sound from microphone
- Record screen and audio simultaneously or separately
- Record webcam only or with screen
- Schedule recording tasks to start, stop or split recordings automatically
- Take screenshots of the screen or from the recorded video
- Play recorded audio or video with built-in player
- Mange the recordings with ease
- Save file in MP4, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, WMA, FLAC, GIF and PNG
- Ad-free
Cons:
- Include basic video editing tools only
- 10 minutes of recording limit for the free trial version
Available For:
- Windows and Mac
VideoSolo Screen Recorder
VideoSolo Screen Recorder is a rising star of best screen recorders for PC that wins many loyal users. It can capture screen activities on your computer to high-quality videos and 60fps so that you can record your gameplay video without frame drop. It can not only record online meeting without permission but also create video tutorial with some editing tools. It can also record sound only on the computer and your voice simultaneously. 
Pros:
- Record and save computer screen to various format in high-definition.
- Advanced task schedule to set up recording automatically.
- User-friendly interface without ads.
- Basic video editing tools to make your recording easier.
- Stable recording performance and no time limits.
- Webcam recording available.
Cons:
- Not free but provides a free trial version with recording time limitation.
Available for:
- Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP (SP2 or later)
What is a good screen recorder?
While our picks range from desktop apps to browser plug-ins, each one meets the following basic criteria:
- User-friendly interface
- Can record the entire screen or a specific area
- Captures both system and microphone audio
- Built-in video sharing and/or convenient exporting options
Conclusion
If you are a Linux user, you must have already known about the different alternatives for Screen Recording. But, when it comes to the best one out there, many of us will debate and discuss among ourselves with good arguments put forward by everyone. So, here we are with a comparison between the best Screen Recorders for Ubuntu 20.04 and other similar Linux distributions.
Screen recording has become a very useful tool for people who wish to share their desktop sessions online. Often when you are searching online, you will find it hard to locate the best screen recorders for Ubuntu that does what you need.