Screen recording software is a tool that allows you to record a computer screen’s output. It also has many other names such as video capture software, screencasting software, and screen recorder. Screen recording software helped thousands of users to work out numerous screencasts for personal, working, or business purposes. Nowadays you can easily get a screen recording tool, but picking out an easy-to-use and powerful video recorder is not easy for many novices. Which screen recorder should you use to create a tutorial video, record a webinar for future review, capture your excellent gameplay, make an online course?  To help you easily find the ideal choice for your specific needs, we researched and compared the 8 best screen recording software for 2022 (both free and paid) to show you. Let’s check now!

Free Screen Recording Software

If you can get the job done and get satisfactory results without emptying your pockets, that would be perfect. Free screen recording software can help you save a lot of money. We’ve picked out four of the best free screen recorders in 2022 that can compete with the best-paid screen recording tools. But there is one thing to note: some software has both a free version and a paid version.

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free and professional open-source software that ensures high-quality performance for recording and streaming tasks. It breaks new ground with its advanced operation and sophisticated interface. Compared with other simple and basic screen recording software, OBS is more suitable for experienced computer experts and users with high requirements for screen recording. Before you start the recording, you need to create a scene and add the sources such as media sources, images, texts, audio input capture, audio output capture, and more.

Pros:

  • It has Full-Screen Mode, Custom-Area Mode, Webcam, Game Mode, etc.
  • The built-in audio mixer with per-source filters
  • Support for live streaming(YouTube, Twitch, Mixer, and more)
  • No recording limit and software watermark

Cons:

  • No built-in editing tool
  • Reported to crash and black screen often
  • Difficult for novices to use

CamStudio

CamStudio is one of the most lightweight open-source screen recording software. It enables you to record all screen and audio activity on your computer. If your computer performance is poor or your recording needs are only one-time, CamStudio will be a nice choice. It helps you to create small-sized files on your PC. It must be mentioned that you can only use it to record video in AVI format, which can be converted to SWF later.

Pros:

  • Allows to record webcam(picture in picture)
  • The simple main interface is friendly to users
  • Create small-sized files

Cons:

  • Only support for AVI format
  • Lack of advanced features such as editing, sharing, etc.
  • Audio falls out of sync

ShareX

ShareX is a professional screen capture, file sharing, and productivity tool. It is an open-source software more suitable for technical developers. The main page of ShareX is too complicated which may make newbies dizzy. But is truly great screen recording software. It helps you to record your entire computer screen, window, monitor, region, and so on.

Pros:

  • Support multiple recording modes
  • It has many URL sharing services
  • Add personal watermarks and color effects
  • Shortcut keys are available

Cons:

  • No support for recording webcam
  • No built-in video editor
  • Recording game lagging

Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar is a Windows 10 system built-in software. If you are a Windows 10 user, you can use its recording feature for free. To open it, you can press the Windows key + G. This recording tool allows you to record apps only and it cannot record full screen or a specific region. The biggest advantage of using it is that you don’t need to download third-party software. It avails Xbox gamers to capture games, thus producing images and videos. Since it is only a very basic tool, it has limited functionality and is only suitable for Windows 10 users who occasionally need to record videos.

Pros:

  • No time limit and watermark
  • Windows 10 users can directly use it without downloading
  • Allows to toggle microphone while recording

Cons:

  • Full-screen recording and webcam recording are not supported
  • Save videos in MP4 format only
  • No pause during recording

Paid Screen Recording Software

If you feel that the free recording software presented above does not meet your needs or is too complicated, then you can try some paid and affordable screen recorders. Usually, paid software has technical support and optimization of the software. If you need to use a screen recording tool for a long time, it is wise to choose powerful and user-friendly software to help you. We have selected 4 cost-effective paid screen recording software which has gained the trust of customers and reviewers.

Bandicam

Bandicam is popular as one of the most powerful game recording software for gamers. You can use Bandicam to record the full screen, partial screen, and external video devices. It helps you record various 2D/3D games in 4K UHD resolution smoothly. Bandicam promises that users can record 24 hours of video without any problem, but in fact, it depends on the file size and the memory of your computer. Note that this recorder does not have editing capabilities, you will need to download separate software for video editing.

Pros:

  • Provide different recording modes
  • Support for recording videos in 4K UHD resolution
  • Add mouse click effects and animations
  • Add your special logo to the video

Cons:

  • Limited video output formats: MP4, and AVI.
  • No editing feature
  • Saves locally instead of online

Price: 1-PC lifetime license: $39.95

RecMaster

RecMaster boasts of its crisp-HD recording condition and an uncluttered interface. It is an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor which means you can use RecMaster to record videos and make some basic editing without downloading other software. This screen recorder enables you to record the entire desktop, any part of your screen, webcams, audio, videos following the movement of the cursor, etc. During the capturing, you can add annotations to the video and take a screenshot. It is worth mentioning that many users are attracted by its schedule recording feature. With RecMaster, you don’t need to stay in front of the computer all the time.

Pros:

  • Provide 7 useful recording modes: Full-screen, Custom-area mode, Game mode, Webcam, etc.
  • Video output to MP4, AVI, FLV, and GIF formats
  • A built-in video editor to edit recorded videos as well as imported videos
  • Creat personal watermark and set cursor effect
  • Hotkeys available

Cons:

  • Not allowed audio editing
  • Multi-track recording is not supported

Price:

1-PC 1 Year license: $19.95
2-PCs lifetime license: $29.95

Camtasia

Camtasia is a pricey but full-featured tool for detail-oriented enthusiasts. It is a well-reputed product and one of the first screen recording software to be released. Camtasia is very flexible when it comes to using animation and video effects and adding overlay layers. If you are a professional video recorder and demand high video quality, then this will be a good choice for you. However, it has to be mentioned that the interface of this video recording software is very complicated and newcomers need to spend some time or read some user guides to understand its features. If you’re not worried about the price and the complexity of the software, don’t miss this treasure.

Pros:

  • Support for full-screen, window, region, microphone, system sound, and webcam
  • Adds captions, callouts, and quizzes to videos
  • Advanced and comprehensive editing features
  • Easy to share

Cons:

  • Complex multi-track interface
  • One of the most expensive screen recording tools

Price: $249.99 Per User

FlashBack

Flashback is a feature-rich screen recorder for remote work and learning. You can use FlashBack to capture your computer screen, webcam, and microphone. The built-in editing tool allows you to add captions, arrows, images, and highlights to make the video more beautiful. In this screen recording software, you can save the recordings in different formats such as MP4, AVI, or WMV and upload them to YouTube easily.

Pros:

  • Full editing features in it
  • Different recording modes
  • Add text, images, annotations, and different effects
  • Support for zooming and panning

Cons:

  • Import files only in FBR format
  • Not allowed to record webcam only
  • Complicated main interface

Price: 1-PC lifetime license: $49

Conclusion

Both free and paid best screen recording software tools can be a handy helper for capturing work-related or recreational activities on your PC. Whether you should spend money on one of these products depends on your usage and frequency of use. Whether you should spend money on one of these products depends on your usage and frequency of use. Avid gamers may benefit most from Bandicam and OBS Studio. Those looking for a reliable, and cost-effective screen recorder should be satisfied with RecMaster. Experienced users with technical skills might choose a professional screen recording tool such as Camtasia or ShareX.