Screen recorder – screen capture software – or screen recording software is the common name of a computer program which helps you capture what is happening on your computer screen, including your mouse cursor, webcam video, system sound and audio from your microphone. Different screen recorders offer different features. Lets take a look at 5 best screen recorders for Windows 10 here to help you find out the one for your need.
| Best Free Screen Recorders | Best Affordable Screen Recorders |
| 1. ActivePresenter | 4. Camtasia |
| 2. OBS STUDIO | 5. Filmora X |
| 3. ApowerSoft Online |
#1. Atomi ActivePresenter 8
ActivePresenter is an all-in-one screen recorder, video editor and eLearning authoring tool for Windows (64 bit) and macOS. The program offers a wide variety of advance features for creating screencast videos. It’s one of the best free screen recorders out there when it comes to making online training videos, product demos and software simulations. ActivePresenter lets you record your computer screen in different modes i.e full screen, a certain part, or a locked application. You can also record your webcam, audio from your input devices and system sound simultaneously. Added to that, there are tons of advance features such as pan and zoom effect, highlight effect, built-in annotations, text to speech, green screen effect as well as recording mouse cursor, key stroke etc. That’s not to mention about the ability to cut, trim your clips, remove background noise, add animations and so many things more.
If you’re a content creator, a YouTuber or a freelancer who want to create educational videos, ActivePresenter is no doubt one of the best options out there. With ActivePresenter free edition, you’ll get everything you need in one place: unlimited time screen recorder, advance video editor and tons of built-in annotation tools. Take a look at below tutorial video to learn more about ActivePresenter:
Pros
- Lightweight and simple to use.
- Completely free to use for personal and non-commercial purposes.
- Possible to record screen, audio from microphone, system sound and webcam silmutaneously.
- Record and edit your mouse cursor effect.
- Add animated text, annotations and different types of shapes in its video editor.
- Possible to cut, trim, crop video, edit audio, add background music to your recording.
- Modify your recordings, edit your recording in multiple track timeline editor.
- Has advance features such as zoom and pan, green screen, highlight, spotlight effect, remove background noise, blur moving objects and more.
- Export your project into MP4, AVI, MKV, WebM without watermark or time limit.
- Upload directly to YouTube with a registered account.
Cons
- A little bit of learning curve before you can explore all the possibilities of the software.
- It lacks of video effects that many other video editors offer such as color grading tools, or video filters.
Pricing Detail
- Free Edition for personal and non-commercial use.
- ActivePresenter Standard Edition: $199/ one-time payment.
- ActivePresenter Pro Edition: $399/ one-time payment.
- ActivePresenter Pro Edu Edition: $199/ one-time payment.
- ActivePresenter Upgrades: 40% of Full price.
- Volume discount is available when you buy more than one license.
Click here to learn more about ActivePresenter’s pricing detail.
#2. TechSmith Camtasia 2020
Camtasia has been famous in screencast industry for years. It’s also an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor for creating online training videos. Camtasia is compatible with both Windows, and macOS. It is packed with everything you need to make training videos. It also includes 2 main parts: screen recorder and video editor. Camtasia screen recorder has many features similar to the ActivePresenter that I mentioned above, plus the ability to draw directly on the screen while recording. Added to that, after completing the screen recording, Camtasia allows you to edit videos, add effects, add annotations and transition effects easily. With just a simple drag and drop actions, you can create a professional, high quality product video using this software.
If you’re an online trainer, or a company who provide online training solution, Camtasia is not doubt one of the best options to try. Although you can only try Camtasia for 30 days, and the software price is not very cheap, Camtasia is still a good choice for your job. Watch the video below to know how it works.
Pros
- Lightweight and simple to use.
- Intuitive user interface.
- Possible to record screen, webcam, audio from mic and system sound at the same time.
- Edit recorded videos, add special effect, annotations, callouts, transition and behaviors.
- Has advance features such as: video templates, color adjustment, animation keyframes, chroma key and more.
- Edit audio, add background music, edit videos on your computer in its classic timeline editor.
- Possible to download more video assets from TechSmith’s online library with a subscription plan.
- Export video into different video formats and HTML5.
- Share your video directly to YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive.
Cons
- License price is not affordable.
- Color correction tool is very limited.
- Camtasia lacks of some advance features compare to other pro-level video editors.
Pricing Detail
- 30 days free trial (with watermark on the exported videos).
- Camtasia single license: $249/ one-time payment.
- Camtasia for Education: $169/ one-time payment.
- Camtasia for non-profit and Government: $223.97/ one-time fee.
- Volume discount is available when you purchase more than 5 license.
Click here to view Camtasia pricing detail.
#3. OBS STUDIO
Obs Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free and open source screen recorder and live streaming platform for Windows, macOS and Linux. This software has everything you need to record screen what happening on the screen, including your mouse cursor, audio from your microphone, system sound and your webcam. Added to that, you can also use it as a live streaming platform for Facebook, YouTube and some other platforms.
OBS Studio is great for recording games since it lets you record up to 120 fps in 1080p plus many useful features such as chroma key, video filters and color adjustment tools. Most importantly, you don’t have to pay for the license. It’s completely free to use. Take a look at below tutorial to learn more about OBS Studio:
OBS Studio Pros
- Completely free to use.
- Possible to record screen, audio and webcam at the same time.
- Has chroma key feature to remove green screen background when streaming online.
- Possible to use as a streaming platform for YouTube, Facebook, Twitch etc.
- Support different languages.
- No watermark, no time limit.
OBS Studio Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- No video editing tools.
- No mouse cursor effect.
- No annotation templates.
#4. Filmora X
Filmora X is a good video editor for making YouTube videos. This is a lightweight and powerful program when it comes to making videos. It does include a screen recorder which lets you capture what happening on your computer screen with audio and webcam at the same time. You can also capture mouse cursor effect, mouse clicks etc. Like Camtasia, Filmora X offers a classic timeline video editor where you can quickly create professional videos with just drag and drop actions. There are many advance video and audio editing features in this program too.
If you’re a creator who often make videos on YouTube, Filmora X is a great option to use. Added to that, Filmora X’s license price is more affordable than Camtasia too. Take a look at this below tutorial to learn more about Filmora X.
- Read our detail review of Filmora X in this article.
- Download Filmora X for Windows at this link.
- Download Filmora X for macOS at this link.
Pros
- Lightweight and simple to use.
- Possible to record screen in different modes, record audio from external device, system sound and webcam simultaneously.
- Capable of recording mouse cursor effect.
- Possible to edit recording with Filmora9 video editor which has a wide variety of built-in templates, transition and video effect.
- Many advance video and audio editing features such as chroma key, crop and zoom tools, background noise remover, video stabilization, color grading tools and more.
- Export video in different formats, and exporting speed is very fast.
Cons
- Mouse cursor effect is not customizable.
- Webcam and screen are recorded in 1 track which make it impossible to edit later.
Filmora9 Pricing Detail
- Filmora X free version with watermark is available for trial purpose.
- Filmora X lifetime license: $69.99/ one-time payment.
Click here to view pricing detail of Filmora X
#5. Apowersoft
Last, but not least is Apowersoft free online screen recorder. If you only use screen recording software occasionally, you don’t necessarily need to install one of the above, but just use an online software like Apowersoft free online screen recorder. This is a small web application, meaning that you can start recording your computer screen without having to download and install it on your computer. Just make sure that your wifi connection is turned on and you can make a tutorial video with Apowersoft free online screen recorder.
Like other online screen recording application, Apowersoft online screen recorder has very limited feature. It is not as many features as the above software. However, you can still record video screens with audio and webcam. Besides, its real time drawing tools are good enough for you to create a short tutorial video to share with your friends.
The Bottom Line
So I have suggested to you a list of top 5 best free and paid screen recorders for Windows 10 in this article. If you find this article helpful, please help me share it on your social media channel. If you have any questions, please contact us any time.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission when you purchase the product from the vendor’s site. This commission does not affect the price you pay in any circumstances.
Elearning Supporter 
Leave a Reply