They say there is no free lunch and, more often than not, that’s the rule. Screen recording software, though, is a delightful exception — there are heaps of free tools out there.
To help you find the best free screen recorder, we have created a shortlist of the best free screen recorders in 2021 that are free. Ideal for communicating your ideas and feedback faster, recorder video tutorials, explainer videos, report bugs, etc.

Contents

8 Pros 5 Cons 2 Specs. Built-in Video Editor to Edit video after recording. Apowersoft’s online screen recorder is a quite powerful and lightweight tool that is suitable for recording screencasts with ease.

What Is Screen Recording Software?

Apowersoft Screen Recorder is an excellent video recording software that enables you to capture anything on the PC screen. It has a lot of features that makes your life easier in creating your perfect video. Apowersoft is so versatile that even a newbie can operate it and produces screen captured video like a pro. Featuring Apowersoft, a powerful, easy-to-navigate audio recorder capable of bringing solid music entertainment each time you connect over the internet. Apowersoft is developed to help you record sharp audio from video streaming sites, online music platforms, web radios and recorded voice calls either from smartphones or PCs.

Screen recording software captures what is on your computer screen. You can either record in full screen or capture a specific area. Most of these apps can record your microphone (audio narration) and the best desktop recording software can also record your computer screen with audio (the system sound).

However, this is where the similarities end. Not all such programs are HD screen recorders. Some screen recording tools can save the recording in various file formats or export it to social media websites like YouTube. Top screen recorders, though, can upload your screen captures to the cloud in real-time and give you a sharing link instantly (much more effective).

So, before you set your mind on a free screen recording software, it’s best to evaluate your own recording needs. Maybe you don’t need to upload your videos to social media or maybe you don’t need to record in HD.

How we reviewed the top screen video recorders

We took information about each of the best desktop recorders directly from their official website. In addition, we gathered insights from independent reviews published on G2Crowd and tested each tool ourselves.

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

See this video for more information.

Here Are The Best Free Screen Recording Software In 2021

Screenrec	iSpring Free Cam	Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder	Screencast-O-Matic	Ezvid	Prezi Video	Veed
Save screencast to your hard drive
Video Hosting
Cloud Recording
Instant sharing
Sharing options	Universal sharing link. Share privately or publicly.	Upload to Youtube	Upload to Youtube, Dropbox, Vimeo or GDrive	Upload to Youtube	None. You can save the screen capture to your hard drive.	Steam to web conferencing apps	None, You can save the screen capture to your hard drive.
Record computer audio and video at the same time
Record your voice
Record in full screen
Capture Screenshots
Video Library
Video Encryption
Video Analytics
Video Editing Tools
Facecam recording
Recording Time	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	15 minutes	Depends on how much free space you have	15 minutes	10 minutes
Ads	Ad-free	Ad-free	Ad-free	Ads	Ad-free	Ad-free	Ad-free
Video compression	MP4 (Universal)	WMV (Windows only)	MP4, WMV, AVI, FLV, MPEG, VOB, ASF and GIF	MP4, AVI, FLV	WMV (Windows only)
Supported Platforms	Windows, Mac and Linux	Windows	Windows and Mac	Windows and Mac	Windows	Windows, Mac and Chrom	Windows and Mac
Works when you’re offline

1. Screenrec

Click. Record. Share instantly. If you’re looking for the quickest and easiest possible way to capture your computer screen and share the recording with someone else, this is it. No ads and limitations. You not only get a screen recorder for free but you also get business video hosting for free.

Pros:

Record computer audio
Record your computer screen in HD
Capture and annotate screenshots
2Gb of free video hosting included
Cloud recording. Your video capture is uploaded on the fly to a secure video hosting platform — StreamingVideoProvider.
Files are saved in the .MP4 format which can be played on any device (free MP4 screen recorder)
Instant private sharing. Once the recording is complete you get a private sharing link that you can send to anyone online.
Extremely lightweight
Video CMS to manage your recordings, e.g. tag, add descriptions, organize in folders and playlists
Video encryption. No one can download your videos without your explicit permission.
Video analytics
Unlimited recording time
No ads

Cons:

There are no video editing tools at this point
You can’t record your webcam

Free Download For:

Windows, Mac and Linux: https://screenrec.com/download-screenrec/

2. iSpring Free Cam

iSpring Free Cam made our list of the best screen recorders because it’s easy-to-use, without ads and time limitations. It only works on Windows which can potentially be an issue but, otherwise, it’s got all the chops to help you capture the full screen or a specific area of your desktop.

Pros:

Record your microphone and system sounds
Highlight your mouse
Basic video editing tools, e.g. delete selection, remove background noise.
Webcam recording is available but only in the Pro version
You can upload your screencast to YouTube
No ads
No time limits

Cons:

Only works on Windows. No support for Linux or Mac.
Screen captures are saved in .WMV format (OK if you’re using a Windows PC but might not play on other platforms)
Uploading large videos might take quite some time because there is no cloud recording option. The file is compressed and uploaded after recording.
You can’t take screenshots
Some users report high CPU usage

Available for:

Windows

3. Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder

A nice online screen recorder with basic video editing capabilities. This free screen capture software runs in your browser (Mac or Windows) and requires an internet connection. The Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder might be a good choice if you’re looking for a one-time solution.

Pros:

Record your webcam
Add annotations within the video
Capture computer audio
Crop your video (no other editing tools, though)
Works on Windows and Mac but not on Linux
After recording, you can save the video file to your computer or upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
You can save the file in a number of different formats (This can also be a con if you don’t know what you’re doing)

Cons:

Requires a browser plugin to run which may slow your browser down. There is a “Downl

Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder Review