# The best free screen recorder (2026) Source: https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/best-free-screen-recorder/ By Sam Fisher. Part of The Best Screen Recorder (https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/). Method: https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/how-we-test/ Only apps with a free plan, ranked by our score. Tick "No watermark when free" to drop the ones that brand your videos. ## Ranking 1. [OBS Studio](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/obs-studio/index.md): 8.9/10 as a game recorder. Best free recorder for full control. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 2. [Cap](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/cap/index.md): 8.8/10 as a screen recorder. Best open-source Loom alternative. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $12/mo. 3. [ScreenPal](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/screenpal/index.md): 8.5/10 as a screen recorder. Best for low-cost recording and editing. Works on Windows, Mac, Browser, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 15 min per video. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $8/mo. 4. [Microsoft Clipchamp](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/clipchamp/index.md): 8.4/10 as a video editor. Best free editor with no watermark. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Browser. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $9.99/mo. 5. [Bandicam](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/bandicam/index.md): 8.3/10 as a game recorder. Best for game recording on Windows. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: 5 min per video. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $33.26/yr. 6. [Riverside](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/riverside/index.md): 8.3/10 as a video editor. Best for recording podcasts and interviews. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $29/mo. 7. [Streamlabs Desktop](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/streamlabs/index.md): 8.3/10 as a game recorder. Best for streamers who also record. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $27/mo. 8. [Claap](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/claap/index.md): 8.2/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for sales teams that record meetings. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 300 min in total. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $33.61/mo. 9. [Hippo Video](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/hippo-video/index.md): 8.2/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for sales videos with real editing. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Browser, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $30/mo. 10. [Loom](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/loom/index.md): 8.2/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for quick work updates. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 5 min per video. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $18/mo. 11. [Vidyard](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/vidyard/index.md): 8.2/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for sales video messages. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Browser, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $89/mo. 12. [Zight](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/zight/index.md): 8.2/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for support teams and screenshots. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone. Free recording: 5 min per video. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $12.95/mo. 13. [Vmaker](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/vmaker/index.md): 8.0/10 as a video messaging tool. Recorder plus an AI video editor. Works on Windows, Mac, Browser. Free recording: 1 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $24/mo. 14. [Arcade](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/arcade/index.md): 7.9/10 as a screen recorder. Best for quick interactive product tours. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $50/mo. 15. [Dubb](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/dubb/index.md): 7.9/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for sales videos with a built-in CRM. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: From $59/mo. 16. [Descript](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/descript/index.md): 7.8/10 as a video editor. Best for editing recordings like a doc. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: 60 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $24/mo. 17. [Navattic](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/navattic/index.md): 7.8/10 as a screen recorder. Best for HTML demos on your website. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: Not documented. Price: See pricing. 18. [Vimeo Record](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/vimeo-record/index.md): 7.8/10 as a video messaging tool. Best for teams that already host on Vimeo. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $20/mo. 19. [Camtasia](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/camtasia/index.md): 7.7/10 as a video editor. Best for edited tutorials and training. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $179.88/yr. 20. [VEED](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/veed/index.md): 7.7/10 as a video editor. Best for editing in the browser. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Browser, iPhone, Android. Free recording: 120 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $24.65/mo. 21. [Guidde](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/guidde/index.md): 7.6/10 as a screen recorder. Best for video how-to guides with voiceover. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: 10 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $29/mo. 22. [Screencastify](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/screencastify/index.md): 7.6/10 as a screen recorder. Best for teachers using Chrome. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Browser. Free recording: 30 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $19/mo. 23. [Supademo](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/supademo/index.md): 7.6/10 as a screen recorder. Best for demos and videos in one tool. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: 10 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $50/mo. 24. [ScreenRec](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/screenrec/index.md): 7.4/10 as a video messaging tool. Best free recorder with a share link. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $8/mo. 25. [Medal](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/medal/index.md): 7.3/10 as a screen recorder. Best for sharing game clips fast. Works on Windows, iPhone, Android. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $9.99/mo. 26. [NVIDIA App](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/nvidia-app/index.md): 7.0/10 as a game recorder. Best free recorder for NVIDIA GPU owners. Works on Windows. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 27. [ApowerREC](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/apowersoft-screen-recorder/index.md): 6.9/10 as a screen recorder. Best for scheduled desktop recordings. Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: From $19.95/mo. 28. [ShareX](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/sharex/index.md): 6.7/10 as a screenshot tool. Best for screenshots and clips on Windows. Works on Windows. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 29. [Icecream Screen Recorder](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/icecream-screen-recorder/index.md): 6.4/10 as a screen recorder. Best for simple, cheap Windows recording. Works on Windows, Mac, Android. Free recording: 5 min per video. Watermark when free: Yes. Price: From $29.95/yr. 30. [iSpring Free Cam](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/ispring-free-cam/index.md): 6.3/10 as a screen recorder. Best free recorder for simple lessons. Works on Windows. Free recording: No time limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 31. [Greenshot](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/greenshot/index.md): 6.0/10 as a screenshot tool. Best free screenshot tool for Windows. Works on Windows, Mac. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 32. [ChromeOS Screen Recorder](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/chromeos-screen-recorder/index.md): built in, not scored. Built-in Chromebook recorder with camera. Works on Browser. Free recording: No documented limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 33. [macOS Screenshot](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/macos-screenshot/index.md): built in, not scored. Built-in Mac screenshots and recordings. Works on Mac. Free recording: No documented limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 34. [QuickTime Player](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/quicktime/index.md): built in, not scored. Built-in Mac recorder with basic editing. Works on Mac. Free recording: No documented limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 35. [Snipping Tool](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/snipping-tool/index.md): built in, not scored. Built-in Windows 11 snips and recordings. Works on Windows. Free recording: No documented limit. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. 36. [Xbox Game Bar](https://thebestscreenrecorder.com/reviews/xbox-game-bar/index.md): built in, not scored. Built-in Windows recorder for games and apps. Works on Windows. Free recording: Length not documented. Watermark when free: No. Price: Free. ## Free screen recorders: what's the catch? Free plans are paid for in one of three ways: a time limit per video, a watermark on your recordings, or no hosting, so you have to share the file yourself. Which one you can live with depends on what you record. Each app above shows its free recording limit, and the filters let you rule out watermarks.