Showing screen recorders for WindowsNo must-haves selected · Any payment typeChange device
A better fit starts here.
Explore exact editions, see the tradeoffs, then select the features you can’t leave behind.
Loom
StarterScreen and camera recording organized around shareable videos.
- Record microphone audio
- Send a hosted video link
- Record your screen
25 videos per person, five minutes per recording, and no MP4 download on Starter.
Microsoft Clipchamp
Free · personal browser workflowFree screen and webcam capture with editing and up to 1080p exports for a personal account.
- Record microphone audio
- Save a local video
- Record your screen
A recording is limited to 30 minutes. Paid assets and business plans have other entitlements; the browser workflow is not independently verified for disconnected use.
Browser workflow available; compatibility with your browser on Windows needs verification
Vendor sources · independent tests pendingOBS Studio
Free desktopCapture, combine and record video with an open-source desktop app.
- Record microphone audio
- Save a local video
- Record your screen
A recording and streaming application; a hosted team video library is a separate workflow.
1 editions ruled out · see why
QuickTime Player Included with macOS: Windows is not supported by this edition.
Browse every edition in this category
Open the exact edition to check its capabilities, sources and limits. These entries are candidates, not a ranked list.
| Software edition | Platforms | Purchase basis | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camtasia Essentials · individual subscription | Windows, macOS | Price needs checkingUSD · verify current terms | Essentials is a paid editor plan. Free editor exports carry a watermark; Starter, Create, Pro and business licensing have separate entitlements. A current unambiguous checkout price was not obtained. |
| Cap Desktop commercial license | Windows, macOS | $58.00 onceUSD · verify current terms | The one-time license includes 20 cloud links per month, up to five minutes each. Instant uploads during recording; Studio is the local workflow. OS-specific capture behavior remains untested. |
| Microsoft Clipchamp Free · personal browser workflow | Browser | FreeUSD · verify current terms | A recording is limited to 30 minutes. Paid assets and business plans have other entitlements; the browser workflow is not independently verified for disconnected use. |
| Loom Business | Windows, macOS, Browser | $18.00 / monthUSD · verify current terms | MP4 download requires an eligible paid Admin or Creator role; Creator Lite cannot download. Hosted-player branding and exported-video branding differ. |
| Loom Starter | Windows, macOS, Browser | FreeUSD · verify current terms | 25 videos per person, five minutes per recording, and no MP4 download on Starter. |
| OBS Studio Free desktop | Windows, macOS, Linux | FreeUSD · verify current terms | A recording and streaming application; a hosted team video library is a separate workflow. |
| QuickTime Player Included with macOS | macOS | FreeUSD · verify current terms | A saved local movie is not a managed hosted library. Camera recording is a separate workflow; a combined screen-and-camera overlay is not established here. |
| Screenity Free Chrome extension | Browser | FreeUSD · verify current terms | The full video editor and cloud sharing require paid Screenity Pro. System-audio capture depends on the browser and operating system. |
| ShareX Free desktop | Windows | FreeUSD · verify current terms | Upload destinations are external services with their own privacy and pricing terms. |
| Snagit Individual annual · Windows | Windows | $39.00 / yearUSD · verify current terms | The individual license is non-transferable. Team licenses and hosted sharing plans are separate; do not apply their rights to this personal subscription. |
| Tella Premium | Browser | $228.00 / yearUSD · verify current terms | The browser workflow uses hosted storage and export. Watermark-free downloaded video is distinct from branding on a hosted viewing page. |
| Tella Pro | Browser | $156.00 / yearUSD · verify current terms | The browser workflow uses hosted storage and export. Watermark-free downloaded video is distinct from branding on a hosted viewing page. |
| Xbox Game Bar Included with Windows | Windows | FreeUSD · verify current terms | This records an app or game. A multi-scene training editor, webcam overlay and a hosted team library are separate requirements. |
What happens after you press stop?
Loom free plan limits in 2026: 5-minute recordings, 25 videos and downloads
Loom’s free Starter plan limits a screen recording to five minutes and the library to 25 videos, and people on the Starter Free plan cannot download videos. The pricing page displays Starter at $0. These official pages were checked on 21 October 2026.
Open checklistSnipping Tool screen recording stops on its own, or seems to have a time limit
Microsoft’s Snipping Tool help does not publish a maximum length for a video snip: you select Start, and the recording continues until you select Stop. A clip that ends by itself, or a Record control that never appears, is a separate problem from a timer on that help page.
Open checklistSnipping Tool screen recording with sound: microphone and PC audio on Windows 11
Press Windows logo key + Shift + R, select an area, then check the two audio controls on the capture bar before you press Start: one for PC (system) audio and one for your microphone. Microsoft added optional system-audio and microphone recording to Snipping Tool in 2023; if your capture bar shows no audio controls, update Snipping Tool first. Record a 10-second test and play it back before recording anything long.
Open checklistHow to screen record on a Mac with sound: microphone vs internal audio
Press Shift-Command-5, choose a record tool, open Options and pick your microphone under Microphone, then click Record. That records your voice. Apple’s Screenshot guide lists a microphone choice but no option for the Mac’s own (internal) sound, so to record app or system audio you need a recorder that captures it — for example OBS Studio on macOS 13 or later, which documents desktop and per-app audio capture.
Open checklistOBS: record microphone and desktop audio on separate tracks
OBS needs two settings for separate recording tracks: assign each source in Advanced Audio Properties, then enable those tracks under Settings → Output → Recording. A useful starting layout is track 1 for the full mix, track 2 for the microphone and track 3 for desktop audio. Verify all three in your editor before recording important work.
Open checklistOBS MKV to MP4: remux, then verify the editor handoff
In OBS Studio, choose File → Remux Recordings, select your MKV and run Remux to create an MP4. Keep the original until picture, duration, audio tracks and an export pass in your actual editor. Remuxing changes the container—not the codec.
Open checklistHow to check offline software activation
Local files do not prove an application can be installed, activated and used indefinitely without a connection. Test the four stages separately.
Open checklistHow to check a screen recording before you share it
A recording preview is only one stage. Verify the saved video, audio tracks, watermark and recipient access before moving a recurring workflow.
Open checklistLeave Loom with your videos, not just your links.
Recording a screen, storing a video and sharing a link are three different jobs. Plan each one before you move a team away from a hosted video service.
Open checklistWhat will this software really cost?
A monthly equivalent, a one-time purchase and a free edition are not interchangeable. Compare the same number of people over the same period.
Open checklistChoose a screen recorder for the complete workflow
Decide what the recipient needs
A local video file works well when you control storage and delivery. A hosted link adds a different set of requirements: access permissions, playback, retention and link management. Select hosted sharing only when the app must provide that part of the workflow.
Test the exported result
Check webcam and microphone capture, video duration and the actual exported file. A watermark in a hosted player and a watermark burned into a downloaded video are different limitations. A screen recording feature list alone does not prove the result will meet your delivery needs.
Count recording seats and storage separately
Compare the people who create videos over the same period. Review the applicable plan’s recording limits, storage, export rights and renewal terms. A free desktop recorder can still require a separate sharing service; that extra service is outside a recorder-only price estimate.
Common questions
Does a local recorder replace a hosted video service?
It may replace recording, but you still need a way to store, share and control access to the resulting videos. Check the whole workflow before cancelling the old service.
How do I check whether a video has a watermark?
Export a short sample using the exact plan you intend to keep, then play the complete file in another viewer. Inspect the hosted player separately if you also use share links.