The best free screen recorder for PC in 2026 is OBS Studio. It is free, open source, has no paid version to push you towards, and records your full screen, a single window, your webcam and your microphone at the same time. If you just need a quick clip on Windows 11 and don’t want to install anything, press Windows + Shift + R to record with the built-in Snipping Tool.
Below are the five free screen recorders we recommend, how each one limits you, and the exact steps to start recording in under a minute. Every limit and price in this guide was checked on the vendor’s official page on 6 November 2026.
How we ranked these free screen recorders
Lots of “free” recorders turn out to be trials: they stamp a watermark on your video, stop after a few minutes, or make you pay to export. We ranked tools on four things that matter when you have spent nothing:
- No watermark on the recording you actually share.
- Recording length: whether there is a cap per clip.
- Setup effort: built-in, one-click install, or a learning curve.
- What you can capture: full screen, region, window, webcam, microphone.
Best free screen recorders for PC: quick comparison
| Rank | Tool | Works on | Free limit | Watermark | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OBS Studio | Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, Linux | No paid tier | No | Tutorials, gaming, long recordings |
| 2 | Snipping Tool | Windows 11 (built in) | Free with Windows | No | Quick clips with zero setup |
| 3 | ShareX | Windows | Free forever, no account | No | Region recordings and GIFs |
| 4 | Clipchamp | Windows 11, Mac, browser | 30 minutes per recording, 1080p export | No | Record and edit in one place |
| 5 | ScreenPal | Windows, Mac | 15 minutes per recording | No | Short lessons and walkthroughs |
1. OBS Studio: best free screen recorder overall
OBS Studio describes itself as free and open source software for video recording and live streaming, and it is released under the GNU General Public License. There is no “Pro” edition, so nothing is held back behind a paywall. The current release is 33.0.1 (29 October 2026). It supports Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or newer, and Linux.
OBS works with scenes and sources. A scene is a layout; sources are what goes in it, such as your display, one app window, a webcam, or an image. That makes it the strongest option here for tutorials with a face-cam in the corner, or for game capture.
How to record your screen with OBS Studio
- Download OBS from obsproject.com and install it. On first launch, the auto-configuration wizard can tune settings for recording.
- Under Sources, click + and choose Display Capture (whole screen) or Window Capture (one app).
- Check the audio mixer: your desktop audio and microphone should show moving level bars.
- Click Start Recording. Click Stop Recording when you finish, then use File > Show Recordings to find the video.
Pros: completely free, no watermark, records webcam and screen together, also streams live, works on all three desktop systems.
Cons: more settings than a beginner needs; the first setup takes 10 minutes rather than 10 seconds.
2. Snipping Tool: best built-in recorder on Windows 11
If you are on Windows 11, you already have a screen recorder. Microsoft’s Snipping Tool help page says to press Windows logo key + Shift + R to capture a video snip, or open Snipping Tool, select Record and then New. You can toggle your microphone to add a voiceover while you record.
Microsoft’s own guide says recordings are saved automatically to the Screen Recordings folder inside Videos, so there is nothing to export.
How to screen record on Windows 11 without any app
- Press Windows + Shift + R.
- Drag a box around the area you want to record.
- Click the microphone button if you want your voice included, then click Start.
- Click Stop. Your video opens in a preview and is saved to Videos > Screen Recordings.
Pros: already installed, one shortcut, no watermark, no account.
Cons: Windows 11 only; no webcam overlay or scene layouts; editing is limited to trimming in another app.
Also built in: the Xbox Game Bar. Press Windows + Alt + R inside a game or app to start and stop a clip; Microsoft says clips are saved as MP4 files in Videos > Captures. It is aimed at games, so Snipping Tool is the better pick for desktop tutorials.
3. ShareX: best for region recordings and GIFs
ShareX calls itself “a free and open source screenshot tool for Windows” and promises “Free forever. Open source. No account required.” It is best known for screenshots, but its capture menu includes Screen recording and Screen recording (GIF). Recent versions (22.x) added native screen recording that no longer depends on a separate FFmpeg download.
GIF recording is the reason to choose ShareX. A five-second GIF of a button click is often clearer in a support email, a GitHub issue or a Slack message than a full video file.
How to record a GIF with ShareX
- Install ShareX from getsharex.com (Windows only).
- Right-click the ShareX icon in the system tray and choose Capture > Screen recording (GIF).
- Select the region and record. Click Stop in the small toolbar.
- ShareX saves the file and can copy it to your clipboard or upload it, depending on your after-capture settings.
Pros: free and open source, no account, excellent GIF capture, hundreds of automation options.
Cons: Windows only; the settings menus are busy; no webcam scene builder like OBS.
4. Microsoft Clipchamp: best free recorder with an editor
Clipchamp’s screen and camera recorder is, in Microsoft’s words, “free for all users” on Windows 11 and Mac. You can record up to 30 minutes per screen or webcam recording, then edit on the same timeline: cut mistakes, add captions and music, and export.
On the free plan, exports go up to 1080p and are watermark-free. Higher resolutions (up to 4K) belong to Clipchamp Premium, which Microsoft includes with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family.
How to record and edit with Clipchamp
- Open Clipchamp (pre-installed on many Windows 11 PCs, or use it in your browser) and create a new video.
- Choose Record & create, then Screen or Screen and camera.
- Pick the screen, window or tab to share and record (up to 30 minutes).
- Your recording lands on the timeline. Trim it, add text, and export at 1080p.
If you plan to narrate with a generated voice instead of your own, our guide on how to make an AI voiceover for free walks through Clipchamp’s text-to-speech too.
Pros: recording and editing in one tool, no watermark, captions and stock audio built in.
Cons: 30-minute cap per recording; free export stops at 1080p; needs a Microsoft account.
5. ScreenPal: best for short lessons
ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) gives you a free plan with a 15-minute recording limit. Its plans page FAQ says it does not place watermarks on any recordings, free or paid. The cheapest paid plan, Deluxe, is listed at $4 a month, paid annually.
Fifteen minutes is plenty for a lesson, a bug report or a product walkthrough, and ScreenPal’s recorder is simpler than OBS for teachers and trainers who just want to hit record.
Pros: beginner-friendly, screen plus webcam, no watermark on free recordings.
Cons: 15-minute cap; editing tools and longer recordings need a paid plan.
“Free” screen recorders with catches to know about
These are popular, but their free versions limit you in ways that matter:
- Loom: the free Starter plan allows 25 videos per person and 5 minutes per recording (Loom pricing). Good for quick async messages, not for tutorials.
- Bandicam: the current free version limits video recordings to 5 minutes each. Recordings have no watermark, but videos exported from its editor do. A single-PC licence is $33.26.
Mac users: the free recorder you already have
On a Mac, press Shift + Command + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar, then choose to record the entire screen or a selected portion. Apple says screen recordings are saved as .mov files to the desktop by default. OBS Studio is the upgrade when you need a webcam overlay or scenes.
Which free screen recorder should you pick?
- You want the most power for $0: OBS Studio.
- You want a clip right now on Windows 11: Snipping Tool (Windows + Shift + R).
- You mostly share short GIFs: ShareX.
- You want to record and edit in one app: Clipchamp.
- You teach and need something simple: ScreenPal.
Turning recordings into slides or thumbnails next? See our picks for the best free AI presentation makers, the best free Photoshop alternatives for editing stills, and how to remove a background from an image for free. If you want to go further and generate whole clips with AI, start with our ranked list of free AI video generators.
Tips for better screen recordings
- Close notifications first. Turn on Do Not Disturb so pop-ups and private messages don’t end up in your video.
- Record a region, not the whole screen, when you are showing one app. Viewers on phones can read it.
- Do a 10-second test. Check that both your voice and system sound were captured before recording the full take.
- Use a headset mic. A cheap wired headset usually sounds clearer than a laptop’s built-in microphone.
- Keep clips short. Several short videos are easier to update than one long one.
- Polish it in an editor. Add captions, cut pauses and a voiceover with one of the best free AI video editors before you publish.
FAQ
Does Windows 10 or 11 have a built-in screen recorder?
Yes. Windows 11’s Snipping Tool records video: press Windows + Shift + R. Windows 10 and 11 also include the Xbox Game Bar (Windows + Alt + R), which is designed for recording games and apps.
What is the best free screen recorder with no watermark?
OBS Studio. It is open source with no paid tier, so there is no watermark or upgrade wall. ShareX, Snipping Tool, Clipchamp and ScreenPal also produce recordings without a watermark on their free versions.
Is OBS Studio safe and really free?
Yes, when you download it from the official site, obsproject.com. It is free and open source software released under the GPL, and its source code is public on GitHub.
Which free screen recorder has no time limit?
OBS Studio and ShareX have no paid tiers and do not advertise any per-recording limit. Clipchamp stops at 30 minutes per recording, ScreenPal at 15 minutes, Loom’s free plan at 5 minutes and Bandicam’s free version at 5 minutes.
How do I record my screen with audio for free?
In OBS Studio, desktop audio and your microphone are captured by default; check that the level bars move in the audio mixer before you hit record. In Snipping Tool, click the microphone button before you start to add your voice.
Final word
For most people the answer is simple: use Snipping Tool for quick clips and install OBS Studio the day you need anything more. Both are free, and neither puts a watermark on your work.
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