What is the best video recorder out there? A lot of people struggle with this question and it’s easy to see why. There are hundreds of software and apps for recording videos, but most of them fall short in some way or another. You might wonder, “What is the best webcam software?” Well, we all know that Logitech makes great webcams, so it stands to reason they would make good video recording software as well. But is it their best option? That’s the question we will be answering today.
Video recording has become the easiest tasks for everyone. From school-going students, to homemakers to official working professionals, one can meet people using an iPhone, camcorders or any other gadgets which are being creatively used for video recording purposes. The only difficulty which you might come across while making your mind about an app is that there are vast options available in this sector. My advice would be to install the software which meets your requirements.
Loom (Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone/iPad, Chrome)
If you want to quickly record something and share a link, give Loom a chance. Loom isn’t overly complicated when it’s time to record: you can choose whether you want to record just your screen, your screen with webcam video, or just your webcam. Once you finish, your video will be uploaded to Loom. You can do some basic editing in the browser, if you want, or you can copy the link to share the video. It’s all very quick.
With the free version of Loom, you can store up to 25 videos of up to five minutes each. It’s limited, sure, but great for quickly showing something to a collaborator, coworker, and/or archenemy. And you can always download your videos and store them somewhere else if you’re getting close to that 25 video threshold.
Having said that, Loom isn’t perfect. The desktop app works well, but we found the mobile apps limited in confusing ways. The Android version, for example, requires users to enter their Google password in order to log in instead of using the built-in Android support for Google accounts, which is odd. The iPhone and iPad apps can’t combine video with screencasting.
Still, Loom will get the job done without a lot of fuss for most users.
Loom pricing: Free for 25 videos of up to five minutes. Business plans start at $8/month with unlimited uploads.
Camtasia (Windows, Mac)
The Camtasia video capture interface is straightforward and no-nonsense. You choose your capture area, whether or not to include webcam and microphone inputs, and click Record.
Its built-in video editor is a different story. There’s an exhaustive list of editing options that manage not to feel overwhelming. Click-and-drag effects and a decent selection of stock media are located along the left-hand side of the app, with detailed properties and customizations appearing on the right-hand side whenever you select an element from the timeline.
Camtasia provides outstanding tutorial videos for anyone that struggles with its editing tools. Creating surprisingly professional intro and outro segments and dropping them into our test video took a matter of seconds. Our only hiccup was with the interactivity features, which allow you to add quizzes or clickable buttons to your project. Configuring these elements was easy enough, but previewing the video and exporting the final product was noticeably more complicated after adding interactivity.
This is also the only app we tested with a closed captions tool that loops audio while you add the text. A four-second segment plays until you’re done typing, and then you can press Tab, and it plays the next loop.
Note: if you don’t need editing but like the look of Camtasia, Snagit comes from the same company, only offers screen recording, and starts at $49.
Camtasia pricing: $300 for a lifetime business license.
Movavi Screen Recorder (Windows, Mac)
Movavi Screen Recorder is a great mid-level screen recording app, complete with a built-in editor that gets the job done. But there is one feature it does exceptionally well: scheduled captures.
This tool lets you record webinars or live streams while you’re away from your desk. You’ll find this feature in the preferences, under Scheduler. You can set a time limit for the next recording, or you could specify a time for a recording to begin and end. You can even set it up so your computer shuts down or goes to sleep after the capture is finished.
It’s convenient and unambiguous, further improved by Movavi’s above-average resolution settings. If you need to record an inconveniently-timed webinar to share with others, you’ll want it to look good.
Movavi Pricing: $52.95 for a one-computer lifetime license. There’s a free version, but it adds a large hideous watermark to the center of every video, so it’s really only useful for getting a feel for the software.
CloudApp
We’ll start our reviews with undoubtedly one of the best video recording software available: CloudApp. And yes, we are biased, but we believe the facts bear out our conclusion..
CloudApp is the perfect tool for recording screens, with or without a webcam. You can annotate your video in real time and share those videos with your team for them to watch when they have a chance on their own time. You can also take screenshots, create GIFs, and make audio recordings with CloudApp, and anything you create gets automatically uploaded. It’s also super secure and supports enterprise features like SOC2 integration. It’s ease of use and wide range of features have proven it to be successful for over 4 million users worldwide.
CloudApp is highly available on several different platforms. It can be used on Windows, Mac, Chrome, and iOS devices.
CloudApp has a free version that can record video in 720p for up to 90 seconds. It provides an opportunity for users to try out its UI and get a general feel for the software so they can decide if and when to upgrade.
Upgrading the software to the individual plan only costs $9.95, which is on par with most other video recording software options, but it really shines when you compare it head-to-head on per seat costs for enterprise accounts.
Users can also utilize CloudApp internally in a team setting to communicate effectively using templates, annotations, call-to-action-buttons, and other features that can help get the point across more quickly and effectively.
As we already mentioned, along with the standard screen recording and screen capturing features, CloudApp also allows users to create GIFs. Creating a GIF of a set of instructions, a funny clip, or anything for that matter is a fun and easy way to communicate with others.
Lastly, CloudApp allows users to upload their files and create easy-to-share links, which can be encrypted with a password and have a set expiry date as well. When it comes to sharing videos, screenshots, and GIFs, CloudApp is simply the best.
Pros:
- Compatible with multiple platforms
- Inexpensive monthly premium plans
- An extensive set of features
Cons:
- Monthly subscription instead of one-time licensing
To sum it up, Cloudapp is simply our favorite screen recording software. When you consider its multi-platform compatibility, extensive and intuitive set of features, and relatively inexpensive monthly premium plans, it’s your best bet.
Free Cam
A perfect tool for recording WMV screen captures
OS: Windows
Free Cam is a very simple free screen recorder with a built-in audio/video editor. The attractive and intuitive interface allows you to create screencasts with the ease of a professional. Even though this software is free, it doesn’t place any watermark and is ad-free.
Pros
- No watermark, time limits, or ads
- Records voice-overs and computer sounds
- High-quality resolution
- Users can save videos as WMV or upload them directly to YouTube
- Easily deletes unwanted video fragments
- Removes background noise
- Wide selection of audio effects
Cons
- Saves recordings to WMV only
- No webcam recording
Conclusion
When designing and developing your videos, if you use the right software and hardware, you can create high-quality videos. That’s why it is essential to understand the uses of different video recording software before you start work on any project.