Top 9 Free Screen Recorders without a Watermark in 2022

Last Updated: 2022. 07. 06

Having a flexible and free screen recorder makes communication easier and more fun. Capture your screen for a tutorial video; record a streaming video for later view, or screen record a trouble-submitting video for customer service personnel and pc developers, etc.

To simply put, nowadays, a screen recorder is something you can’t live without.

In this post, we will review 9 free screen recorders by comparing their prominent screen recording features, limitations and interface, and accessibility, and beyond. So you can pick an ideal watermark-free screen recorder to create easy screencasts as never before.

Here’s What You Will Learn:

A Quick Glimpse of the Top 9 Free Screen Recorders

The following table gives you a heads up of the 9 free screen recorders we will be discussing. Just take a quick look and go for the detailed review below for the most ideal free screen recorder.

  Platform Recording Feature Our Verdict
FlexClip Free online screen recorder and video editor Screen & webcam; screen; webcam (with system and mic audio); 3M+ free video assets, video templates, text animations, dynamic elements, image and video tools Best one-stop solution for screen recording and video editing and sharing
RecordCast Free online screen recorder and video editor Screen & webcam; screen; webcam (with system and mic audio), basic video editing tools Basic screen recorder and video editor for simple tutorial videos and screen share
Screenapp Free online screen recorder Full screen; full screen & webcam with browser, mic, system audio Easy record-and-save screen recorder for screen share
Xbox Game Bar Pre-installed free desktop screen recorder on Windows 10/11 Full screen with mic and system sound A great option to record gameplay (up to 4hrs) and live chat with gamers
QuickTime Player Built-in free video player and screen recorder on Mac Full screen; select area; screen & webcam with mic audio Versatile free screen recorder for presentations and tutorial videos on Mac
Screencast-o-Matic Desktop and mobile apps (IOS, Android) Full screen, select areas, webcam, screen & webcam with mic audio; basic video editing tools; limited stock library Lightweight screen recorder across the platform for multiple screen recording purposes
ScreenRec Desktop screen recorder Full screen, selected areas, webcam, screen & webcam with mic and system audio; built-in library; screenshot Reliable screen recorder for presentations, webinars other than Zoom
OBS Open-source screen recorder on the desktop Full screen, Windows, screen & webcam with system and mic audio; advanced studio mode; scene transitions; accept plugins; with a global user community The ultimate free screen recorder for live streaming, gaming, and tutorial videos
ShareX Open-source screen recorder for Windows Selected areas on the screen; app window; full screen; with screenshot feature Ideal free screen recorder for Windows users

Free Screen Recorder Online

1. FlexClip

If you are a content creator who often needs to record a computer screen with your face shown on the webcam and audio narration, FlexClip can be your best one-stop solution.

Use FlexClip free screen recorder and video editor to record and edit tutorial videos

Use FlexClip free screen recorder and video editor to record and edit tutorial videos.

Record Now

What distinguishes FlexClip from other screen recorders is that after your screen recording was made, you can instantly add the screen recording to the feature-rich online video maker for edits. Besides, the thousands of fully-customizable video templates and 3M+ video assets, such as images, videos, free BGM, sound effects, and catchy text animations and dynamic elements make screen recording and video edits easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Tons of image and video tools within FlexClip to make screen recording and video edits easy

Tons of image and video tools within FlexClip to make screen recording and video edits easy.

Apart from that, an intuitive timeline and tons of image and video tools and effects, such as crop mask, speed controls, trimmer, splitter, picture-in-picture, video transitions, motion graphics, etc. make it easier for you to add B rolls, and edit all screencasts and video footage into a compelling video for social media.

Platform: In-browser screen recorder for Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.

Accessibility: Online

Pricing: Free

Interface: Seamless video editing experience on the intuitive timeline

Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen, app windows, Chrome tab with webcam
  • Record voiceovers, system audio
  • Create picture-in-picture effects
  • Create picture-in-picture effects
  • Instantly trim video recordings, add animated texts, elements, video filters, customizable logos, overlays, speed controls, etc.
  • Millions of royalty-free stock assets, thousands of full-customizable video templates
  • Cloud sync storage and one-click share to YouTube, Dropbox, and Google Drive. A clickable link and embed code are also available.
  • Limitations:

  • 30 mins recording time limit.
  • Can't click and drag an area on the screen for screen recording.
  • 2. RecordCast

    RecordCast is an evenly-balanced free screen recorder and video editor that empowers you to create, edit and share screen recordings in one place. With a few clicks, you can record your screen with a webcam on, including mic and system audio, which is pretty useful for creating brief tutorial videos. After you are done with the recording, you can add captions, elements or add new media sources to create engaging videos on the timeline.

    Versatile RecordCast free screen recorder

    Versatile RecordCast free screen recorder

    Platform: In-browser screen recorder for Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.

    Accessibility: Online

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: Easy to use, 3 recording modes, the timeline for basic video editing

    Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen, webcam, both full screen and webcam (circle and rectangle shape)
  • Record both internal and system audio
  • Basic video editing tools to add captions, animated elements, custom logos, overlays, video filters, video transitions, speed changer, etc.
  • Quick share to Dropbox and YouTube channel
  • Limitations:

  • Limited 5 mins recording limit for free subscribers
  • No advanced video editing tools
  • Can’t annotate while recording the screen
  • 3. Sreenapp

    To make a simple and quick screen recording, Screenapp free screen recorder is all you need. The minimal design of Screenapp allows you to select from recording screen only or capturing screen together with webcam. Then download the recording in WebM format. That’s it.

    Screenapp free screen recorder

    Screenapp free screen recorder

    Platform: In-browser screen recorder for Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.

    Accessibility: Online

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: Minimal, easy to use

    Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen or full screen with webcam
  • Record either browser or mic audio
  • Limitations:

  • Limited 15 mins recording limit for free subscribers
  • No video tools available for editing the recording
  • Free Desktop Screen Recorder on PC

    1. Xbox Game Bar

    If you happen to be a Windows 10 user, the great news is you’ve already had a free screen recorder installed on your PC. Sounds surprised? It is called Xbox Game Bar, a pre-installed pc gaming overlay on Windows 10 capable of recording more than gameplay and on-screen activities on your PC. Just press the hotkeys: Windows + G. You can launch the Xbox Game bar and select the recording button for app window recording. Find out how to record gameplay on PC.

    Xbox Game Bar—free screen recorder on Windows 10

    Xbox Game Bar—free screen recorder on Windows 10

    Platform: Pre-installed free screen recorder on Windows 10

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: Easy to use, many controls for details

    Prominent Features:

  • Record app window or chrome tab
  • Record both internal and mic audio
  • Check the performance of CPU, GPU, RAM, FPS during recording
  • Customize the hotkeys for recording, screenshots, FPS, etc.
  • Unlimited time for free screen recording
  • Limitations:

  • No video tools available for editing the recording
  • Can’t include webcam for screen recording
  • Gamebar only records one app window at a time. Not that flexible to change to different scenes.
  • 2. QuickTime Player

    For Mac users, look no further than QuickTime Player for the best free screen recorder on your computer. The pre-installed QuickTime Player allows you to easily record full screen or a selected area of your screen with a few easy clicks. You can even use QuickTime Player to record full screen with webcam just by using its “New Movie Recording” and “New Screen Recording” buttons.

    Use QuickTime Player for free screen recording on Mac

    Use QuickTime Player for free screen recording on Mac

    The only drawback is that you need to install a plugin (either Soundflower or Blackhole) to audio Midi Setup to record internal audio on your computer.

    Platform: Pre-installed free screen recorder on Mac

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: A bit difficult for both screen and webcam recording

    Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen, a selected area, webcam, or both screen and webcam simultaneously
  • Record mic audio
  • Select recording quality
  • Export recorded videos in multiple formats
  • Unlimited time for free screen recording
  • Limitations:

  • No video tools available for editing the recording
  • To record internal audio, you are expected to download and add a plugin mentioned above, which is time-consuming and far complicated for beginners
  • When you record both screen and webcam, very often the app window may block the webcam window. You have to manually set the view to “Float on Top” to avoid it.
  • 3. Screencast-0-Matic

    Screencast-o-Matic is one of the few free screen recorders that are compatible with desktop and iPhone, Android and iPad for screen recording. Firstly download its free screen recorder to your computer and then select from full screen, webcam, or both to create tutorial videos or capture your gameplay, etc. You can drag and drop the rectangle area to decide the recording region and customize the position of your webcam to create the picture in the picture effects. Overall, Screencast-0-Matic is a lightweight and user-friendly free screen recorder for screen capturing.

    Screencast-o-Matic free screen recorder

    Screencast-o-Matic free screen recorder

    Platform: Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Chromebook

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop, mobile apps

    Pricing: Free to start; come on $1.65 for watermark-free screen recording, affordable to everyone

    Interface: Straightforward

    Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen, a selected area, webcam, or screen and webcam simultaneously
  • Record voiceovers
  • Export recorded videos in dozens of video formats
  • Basic video editor to trim recordings, add captions
  • Publish to YouTube, G Drive, or share to Facebook, Twitter, and G Classroom
  • Limitations:

  • Limited 15 mins recording limit for free users
  • To record internal audio, you need to upgrade to Deluxe ($1.65)or Premier ( $4.00 )plans, though it seems extremely affordable to most users.
  • Most of the advanced features like Zoom in while recording, music library, Gifs maker, etc. are only open to paid users.
  • The recording controls often block much of the screen as you set up the recording, which is a bit annoying.
  • 4. ScreenRec

    ScreenRec is another lightweight free screen recorder you can use to create instructional videos or record webinars or make video presentations and other screencasts for easy sharing. Its intuitive interface face is exceedingly easy to use. You can easily use it to take screenshots or record a selected area of your screen with a webcam.

    ScreenRec free screen recorder

    ScreenRec free screen recorder

    Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: Intuitive for everyone

    Prominent Features:

  • Record full screen, a selected area, webcam, or screen and webcam simultaneously
  • Record both mic and system audio
  • Take screenshot
  • Generate a shareable link
  • Keyboard shortcuts for recording/stop
  • Free cloud storage
  • Media library allows you to easily search or manage video and photo files
  • Limitations:

  • Limited 5 mins recording limit for free users
  • No video editing tools
  • 5.OBS

    If your primary goal is to record your live streaming gameplay on Twitch and YouTube or record podcast online interviews, then OBS or Open Broadcaster Software should be your go-to free screen recorder for daily use. You can easily record the full screen or selected area of your screen while also including the recording of your webcam.

    OBS: open-source free screen recorder across platforms

    OBS: open-source free screen recorder across platforms

    As an expertly designed streaming and free screen recorder, OBS allows you to create an unlimited number of scenes and sources and tweak between different scenes with seamless video transitions during the recording. You can enjoy studio-like recording and streaming features like green screen or Chrome key, etc. that can only be found on paid streaming software like Restream on the market. Overall, OBS is a feature-rich free screen recorder for multiple purposes.

    Platform: Open-source free screen recorder for Windows, Mac, Linux

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: Nerdy and far complicated for first-time users

    Prominent Features:

  • Record high-quality video and audio (internal and mic) while live streaming on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc.
  • Audio mixer and advanced studio mode
  • Seamless transitions to different scenes
  • Keyboard hotkeys
  • Fully customizable controls for audio, video, and output, etc.
  • Accept plugins and integration for wide uses
  • Have up to 18 languages for global users
  • Global community for screen recording and streaming discussion
  • Limitations:

  • CPU and RAM intensive as you live stream and record the screen
  • The complex UI and tons of features may make the first-time user feel overwhelmed. It does take a while to figure out how to set up the computer and webcam source for the actual recording.
  • 6. ShareX

    ShareX is a free open-source screen recorder that enables you to capture videos with a few clicks. It records the entire screen, active window, or a selected region on your computer. Besides, ShareX also has screenshots and a GIF screen recording feature. You can even copy and paste the shareable link of your online video and create a QR code for different uses. What a surprising feature for more than a free screen recorder. Explore the 5 best Gif screen recorders.

    ShareX free screen recorder

    ShareX free screen recorder

    Platform: Open-source free screen recorder for Windows 10,8.1 and 7

    Accessibility: Offline/desktop

    Pricing: Free, no watermark

    Interface: A bit difficult for first-time users

    Prominent Features:

  • Record any parts of the screen, app window, or entire screen
  • Record screen and export as a GIF
  • Take screenshots
  • Customize FPS of screen recording
  • Show cursor during the recording
  • Countdown timer for the recording
  • User-friendly video converter
  • Create a QR code using the existing URL
  • Limitations:

  • Can't record screen with webcam
  • There is no video editing tools
  • Way too many options on the interface may make first-timers bewildered where to start.
  • Final Thoughts

    If you’ve made it here, we are glad to see that our recommended free screen recorders make sense to you. One thing to mention is that whether you screen record to make a tutorial video or record an online meeting or for a podcast, streaming gameplay, etc. screen recording alone is not enough, you need a versatile video editor to refine it before posting it online. In this respect, FlexClip and RecordCast probably would be most helpful to you. So, start screen recording now with the free screen recorders recommended above.

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