featured image: the 4 best screen recording software in 2023 free & paid

The 4 Best Screen Recording Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)

Screen recording software is vital for any business. You can create instructional videos, meeting recordings, and webinars. Or just capture your screen activity for later reference. 

We’ll discuss what makes screen recording tools great. We will also review the best screen recorders on the market and compare their features to find the best one.

4 Best Screen Recording Software Overview

Screen recording software can save you a lot of time. By capturing your screen activity, you can avoid tedious explanations of complicated processes. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth 10 thousand. Screen recordings can show employees how to complete specific tasks. This video training is extremely helpful, especially if you have a remote startup team.

Screen capture can also be used to improve communication within a team. If you are recording a meeting or webinar, everyone can review the footage to see what was discussed. Makes sure that everyone is on the same page. Software companies can create branded videos with an online screen recorder.

Screen recordings can be used as an archiving tool. When you want to remember how to do something or review a meeting. You can watch the recording instead of trying to piece it together from memory.

Related Reading: What is Email Archiving and why you need it

Today, we’ll review the best screen recording programs on the market.

SoftwareBest
For
Free Plan/
Trial
Starting
Price
Loomasynchronous video
messaging
free starter plan;
14-day trial
$8.00 per month
Movavi
Recorder
recording program
activity
7-day free trial$42.95 annually
OBS
Studio
recording multiple
windows
freefree
Awesome
Screenshot
screen capture
in browsers
free starter plan$6.00 per month

These options offer a wide range of features to

  • record audio and video, 
  • capture your entire screen or just a specific area, 
  • and record in HD quality.

What Makes for Great Screen Recording Software?

There are many screen recording software options on the market. Here’s what to look out for when selecting a tool for your business:

  • Ease of use. The best screen recorder must be easy to use, with a simple interface that’s easy to navigate. You shouldn’t spend more time learning than actually using it. 
  • The set of features. The best software must record audio and video and capture the area you need; in HD quality. Other features to look for are drawing on screen, scheduling recordings, commenting with timecodes, and grabbing snapshots. 
  • Compatibility. Make sure the software is compatible with your OS or browser if you prefer a web app.
  • Affordable pricing. It’s important to remember that the best screen recorder isn’t always the most expensive. Test different screen capture tools and see which fits your needs and budget.
  • Customer support. Pick screen recording software with great customer support in case of any issues. 

Depending on your goals, budget, and needs, the importance of these factors may vary. But, by keeping them in mind, you can make the best decision for your needs.

4 Best Screen Recording Software for Recording and Sharing on Desktop in 2022

Let’s review the 4 best screen recorders for desktops. With brief overviews of features, free options, prices, and comparisons. You’ll easily find the best for you.

Loom (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome)

Loom is a simple and popular screen capture software for businesses of all sizes. It’s easy to use, with a clean interface that makes it simple to navigate. It has over 14 million users. Companies can cut down their meeting time and exchange information more efficiently.

Loom screen capture software for all businesses

Loom lets you record your screen with voice-over and add a round webcam video. You can record more engaging presentations or instructional videos. It’s easier to keep the attention of people watching when they can see the person in the corner. Choose custom dimensions, emphasize the cursor, draw on the screen while you record, and generate closed captions.

After recording, edit the imperfections like unwanted pauses. Or, record short “looms” separately and then join clips into one long video. Loom saves all your videos in the cloud, and you can share the links or save videos in MP4.

Loom screen recording software video settings

What makes Loom stand out from the rest on this list is its collaboration features. Leave time-coded comments, and teammates can react with emojis. This makes asynchronous communication quicker and more effective. Apps for Chrome, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are available.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Easy to get started and use
  • Multiple recording modes
  • Drawing on videos
  • Time-coded comments and emoji reactions

Cons:

  • The free version limits video length to 5 minutes

Pricing

Loom has a free Starter plan with 50 users, 25 five-minute long videos per user. For unlimited videos and length, the Business plan costs $8/user/month.

Movavi Screen Recorder (Mac and Windows)

Movavi Screen Recorder is a fast-growing screen recording app that attracts over 140K new users monthly. It can record audio and video, capture your entire screen or just a specific area, and record in HD quality.

Movavi screen recorder software

Movavi Screen Recorder has several recording modes:

  • record only your screen, 
  • overlay a webcam video and/or system and microphone audio, 
  • record only sound, 
  • or capture only webcam video

The screen recording tool also allows you to draw freely on your screen while recording. It also has noise reduction, screenshots, and editing tools. There’s a handy recording scheduler. You can set the meeting time and not worry about clicking the “Record” button when it starts.

the editing tool in the Movavi screen recorder

There are many exporting options: video (MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV), audio, or GIF file. There isn’t built-in cloud sharing. You can upload the results to Google Drive or YouTube from the app.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Multiple recording modes
  • Noise reduction feature
  • The choice of exporting options

Cons:

  • No free plan and costs more than others on the list
  • Lacks built-in cloud sharing

Pricing

Movavi Screen Recorder offers a free 7-day trial that lets you test all the feature. A one-year subscription costs $42.95 and a lifetime license goes for $57.95.


OBS Studio (Mac, Windows, and Linux)

OBS Studio is an open-source and free screen recorder that works on every operating system. It’s widely used, from gamers to stream gameplay to small businesses for marketing videos. It can seem complex, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll have a powerful recording tool.

OBS studio free screen recorder

The starting window is fully customizable. You can remove, hide or add new tabs and tools. OBS is open-source, which means you can modify it with custom plugins.

OBS studio screen recorder starting window

You can use OBS Studio to:

  • record your computer screen, 
  • record audio from your microphone or your computer’s sound system, 
  • overlay webcam video, 
  • and add smooth transitions when you switch between recording areas.

OBS Studio offers a powerful audio mixer. You can tweak sound sources, volume, balance, and synchronize audio. For streaming, you can connect your Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook account. Businesses can record multiple screens and then join them into a cohesive video with overlays. 

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Fully customizable with plugins
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Can be used to live stream
  • Completely free

Cons:

  • Has a steep learning curve

Pricing

OBS Studio is completely free. But you can contribute to its development with a donation.

Awesome Screenshot (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Mozilla)

Awesome Screenshot is a free screen recorder browser extension. It’s been around for 10 years and has over 3 million users. You can quickly add it to your browser, record your screen and webcam, and share recordings.

Awesome screenshot free screen recorder browser extension

You can record your entire computer screen and not just browser windows. The video editing tools are in beta, but they work well. You can also record video from your webcam and overlay it on the screen recording.

As the name suggests, Awesome Screenshot is great for taking screenshots, too. You can capture the visible area, the full page, or only a selection. You can add text, drawings, callouts, blur or highlight parts of the screen, number the steps, and even overlay other images.

Awesome screenshot caturing tool

Create a shared workspace for your team to keep all your recordings, comment, and collaborate on projects. Awesome Screenshot proved itself as a useful tool for any web browser.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Quick to install and easy to learn
  • Powerful screenshotting and recording tools
  • Team collaboration feature
  • Easy cloud sharing

Cons:

  • 5-minute limit for downloadable videos

Pricing

Awesome Screenshot has a free version with 100 screenshots and basic annotation tools. For unlimited recordings and length, the Professional plan costs $6 per month (billed annually).

Finding the Best Screen Recording Software

Let’s recap the best screen recorders based on key features: 

SoftwareEase of
use
Platform
versatility
Video
tools
Audio
tools
Screenshot
tools
Loom55443
Movavi
Recorder
54445
OBS Studio34552
Awesome
Screenshot
55435

Videos work well to improve email stats and conversions. Find the best drag and drop template builders to create mobile responsive emails with videos. Or automate social posts of your screen recordings with social media scheduling tools.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The best software to record your screen are Loom, Awesome Screenshot, Movavi Screen Recorder, and OBS Studio. Loom and Awesome Screenshot are the best options for beginners to share recordings easily. OBS Studio is the best option for live streaming and custom videos.

Most YouTubers use to record their screen with OBS Studio. OBS Studio is a free, open-source screen recorder. It offers quality screen capture with little to no lag and streaming.

The best apps for screen recording for PC for free are OBS Studio, Awesome Screenshot, or Loom. OBS Studio is open-source and completely free software that requires some learning. Awesome Screenshot and Loom are easy-to-use screen recorders but have 5-minute limits on video recording in the free version.

Gaurav Sharma

Gaurav Sharma is the founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years, 10X leads, 2.8X conversions, and 300K organic monthly traffic. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business2Community, and TechCrunch.