Different people learn in various ways. Some are auditory learners, gaining knowledge through listening and verbal explanations. Others are visual learners, learning through images and being led through tutorials where they can follow step-by-step guides.
Screen-capturing software can offer the best of both worlds. It allows you to show what’s happening on your screen, complete with cursor movements, to help you teach, demonstrate, or troubleshoot quickly and efficiently.
Screen capturing is much faster than writing out how-to guides or troubleshooting documents, but it also allows knowledge sharing across remote teams, offering others access to what’s on your screen when they most need it.
So, without further ado, here’s our comprehensive guide to the 7 best recording software for PC in 2024.
The 7 best video capture apps for PC
- Dadan: Best screen recorder for easy sharing
- Loom: Best for sharing feedback
- Camtasia: Best for advanced image editing
- Apowersoft: Best for web-based recording
- OBS Studio: Best for live streaming
- ShareX: Best open-source screen recorder
- Movavi Screen Recorder: Best for scheduled screen recording
What makes the best recording software for PCs?
Finding the best screen recording software for PC Windows depends on what you need. While there are some non-negotiables regarding basic functionality and quality you should be aware of, some tools offer different tools and features.
Here’s a list of things you should consider when choosing the best PC screen recording tool for your requirements.
Video quality: The most important feature of any screen recording software is the video quality. In today’s fast-paced digital world, quality matters and any software that doesn’t meet the mark will see you lag behind your competitors. Look out for software that records your screen in HD or 4K to give those you’re collaborating with the best quality product.
Software UI: A user-friendly interface is essential to allow as many users as possible within your organization to use the software without investing in lengthy and expensive training. Simplicity is critical, with easy-to-follow directions and clearly defined functions for users of all expertise to use effectively. Any software layout that requires more than one click to access essential functions is overly complicated.
Size of area recording: You may want to record your full-screen size. However, you will occasionally want to zoom into a specific area of your screen or entirely focus on a section. Look for a screen recorder that allows you to select an area of your screen for greater granularity rather than recording your whole screen.
Webcam recording: Webcam recording is a handy tool, mainly for presenting, demoing, or creating training material. It offers an interactive element by showing your face as you talk and move your cursor around your screen. It also adds a layer of personality to your recordings that can be missing from simple voiceovers.
Microphone recording: Similarly, finding software that captures voice recordings over your PC’s microphone (or a plug-in mic) allows you to build a fully interactive user experience that is collaborative and fully accessible for people of all learning types.
Presenting tools: The best screen recording software tools have tools that enhance your presentations. Cursor highlighters, captions, and annotations allow you to add more detail and ensure your recordings are accessible for those who may be hard of hearing or color blind.
Sharing options: If you’re using screen recording tools, you’ll want to share your creations. Whether it’s across remote teams, to enable distance learning, for product demos, or troubleshooting, find a tool that either exports to MP4 easily or that can be easily shared through direct links.
Other factors will influence your decision-making when choosing the right software to meet your needs.
For example, you’ll need to consider your PC’s capabilities. Can it handle the software? Does it have the capability to effectively record your screen if you have other programs running in the background? Can your PC support the frame rate of your recording? Are you limited in the file size you can share?
In addition, you may wish to get creative with your videos and add a virtual green screen effect that allows you to project videos and images onto a virtual background.
Whatever your requirements, research every software thoroughly before committing money to a subscription. Getting it wrong could prove costly.
The 7 best screen recorders for PC: A comparison
Here are the 7 best recording software for PC at a glance:
| Recorder | Best For | Standout Feature | Pricing |
| Dadan | Recording video and audio with easy sharing | High-quality video and audio synchronization | $9/month |
| Loom | Sharing feedback across remote teams | Easy to use, works across multiple operating systems | $150/year |
| Camtasia | Advanced image editing | Massive range of editing features | $180/year |
| Apowersoft | Web-based recording | No download required | Free |
| OBS Studio | Live streaming | Advanced recording tools and streaming live in real-time | Free |
| Share X | Open-source screen recording | Capture as MP4 or GIF | Free |
| Movavi | Scheduled screen recording | Capturing your screen when you’re away from your desk | $228/year |
Best screen recording software for PC for easy sharing: Dadan
Dadan is the best recording software for PC that allows you to record your screen on a web browser or standalone program and create bespoke videos to share.
Its high-quality 4K video recording capability syncs seamlessly with audio captured from your PC’s built-in mic and can be enhanced with webcam recording to add personalization.
Dadan is an excellent option for anyone wanting to create informative visuals for work, remote collaboration, content creation, product demos, and distance learning. It’s also a valuable tool for customer service teams, enabling them to create troubleshooting walkthroughs quickly and easily.
Key Features
- 4K video recording
- Audio recording through PCs microphone
- Add chapters, buttons, and user tags
- Password-protected video-sharing
- Audience engagement metrics
- Create thumbnails
- Screen cropping tool
- Annotations and cursor highlighting
- Captioning capability
Pros
- Create bespoke tutorials, training material, troubleshooting guides, and demos
- Excellent feedback tool for remote teams / cross-team collaboration
- Allows asynchronous communication to enable smooth project delivery across time zones
- Intuitive UI
- Excellent MP4 downloads and sharing capabilities
Cons
- May not work effectively with older versions of Windows
Pricing
Dadan is priced at just $9 per month.
Ideal Use Cases
- Sales and marketing – video demos with webcam presentation
- Customer service – video troubleshooting guides resolving customer issues quickly and effectively
- Remote learning – creating visual training material and interactive content for distance learning
- Asynchronous communication – allows remote teams to communicate across time zones to keep projects on time directly
- Content creation – create social media business content for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
Best screen recorder for PC for sharing feedback: Loom
Loom is one of the most renowned screen recording software packages, revolutionizing video communication. In addition to allowing you to create screen recordings, Loom is also excellent for creating feedback videos to enable cross-team collaboration on projects.
Its easy-to-use UI includes webcam recording, and its advanced editing and annotation qualities make it the best screen recorder for sharing feedback.
Features
- Simple UI
- Up to 720p video recording
- Webcam and audio recording
- Can easily integrate with workflow platforms, such as Slack
- Excellent editing and feedback capabilities
- Paid version includes auto-transcription
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Advanced editing suite
- Fast video uploads
- Easy to share across workflow platforms
- Generous free usage
Cons
- Requires a dedicated app download
- Limited video recording capability
Pricing
Loom pricing begin at $12.50 per user per month
Ideal Use Cases
- Project work – excellent for sharing feedback
- Customer service – troubleshooting issues using video guides
- Education – allowing feedback between tutors and students
- Asynchronous communication – enabling remote teams to communicate directly
Best screen recorder for advanced editing: Camtasia
Editing your recordings can add value to your content. Although more expensive than other video screen recording software, Camtasia’s excellent advanced editing suite makes it worth the extra money for anyone who needs to be able to annotate and edit their videos to take them to the next level.
Camtasia achieves this without reinventing the wheel, keeping its UI simple, intuitive, and easy to follow.
Features
- Flexible screen area recording capability
- Extensive editing capabilities, including excellent cursor effects
- Audio loop while creating captions
- Wide range of animations
Extensive asset library for clips, images, and audio
- Pros
- Simple and highly effective screen recorder
- Excellent in-software tutorial
- Market-leading editing features
Cons
- High upfront cost
- Complex video exporting after adding edits
Pricing
Camtasia offers annual subscriptions beginning at $180/year
Ideal Use Cases
- Content creators – excellent for personalizing content
- Marketers – creating interactive product demos and how-to guides
Best screen recorder for web-based recording: Apowersoft
Apowersoft is a screen recorder that doesn’t require a separate download and is completely free.
As you’d expect from a free kit, Apowersoft is simple to use. Click on “Start Recording,” select the window you want to record, and off it goes. While easy to use and with good-quality recordings, Apowersoft doesn’t have many additional features.
Features
- Simple to use
- Custom area recording capability
- Offline recording
- Watermark capability
- Webcam and audio recording
Pros
- No need to download software
- High-quality shareable MP4 files
- Quick, easy screen recording
Cons
- Limited range of editing tools
- No cursor highlighter
- Not suitable for capturing video games
Pricing
Apowersoft is entirely free to use.
Ideal Use Cases
- Technophobes – simple interface and functionality make it ideal for anyone scared of complex software
- One-time screen recordings – one-off screen recordings to report software issues
Best screen recorder for streaming: OBS Studio
OBS Studio is popular among gaming streamers and YouTubers who want to record or stream their screens and webcams simultaneously.
OBS is one of the best recording software for PC free and can make high-quality videos with minimal effort. Some of the more advanced tools can be difficult to learn, but if it’s robust live streaming you’re looking for, OBS Studio could be for you.
Features
- Excellent live streaming capability
- Simultaneous screen and webcam recording
- Easy to record and stream live
Pros
- Outstanding video quality
- Highly customizable
- Free to use
Cons
- Complex additional features
- Minimal video editing provisions
Pricing
OBS Studio is open-source and completely free to use.
Ideal Use Cases
- Content creators – YouTubers and social media influencers wanting to live-stream
- Gamers – Gamers wanting to stream live
Best open-source screen recorder: ShareX
Of the open-source screen recorders available for PCs, ShareX is the best. Its simple interface hides the wide range of numerous tools under the hood that can customize your screen recordings, including the ability to pixelate or blur sections of your screen you don’t want to share.
Features
- Straightforward UI
- Good-quality video recording
- Static screen capture capability
- Good editing capabilities, including blurring sensitive information
- Zoom feature
Pros
- Open source
- Lots of customizing options
- Static capture or video capture
- Free
Cons
- Additional download required for video recording
- Basic appearance can be off-putting
Costs
ShareX is open-source and free
Ideal Use Cases
- Customer service – static and video screen capturing for troubleshooting
Best screen recorder for scheduled recording: Movavi
Movavi is a great screen recorder for anyone who wants to schedule recording screenings, making it ideal for capturing webinars or live streams while you’re away from your desk. The scheduling capability lets you shut down your PC after the recording.
Features
- Intuitive UI
- Excellent video quality
- Built-in editor
- Scheduled recording capability
Pros
- Record while you’re away from your desk
- Edit videos and add annotations
Cons
- No monthly payment options
- Watermarks on all free recordings
- Additional downloads required for editing tools
Pricing
Movavi is available for $42.95/year for personal licenses and $85/95/year for a business license.
Ideal Use Cases
- Webinar recording – schedule recordings of educational videos while you’re away from your desk
Conclusion
Screen recording software allows your business to work more effectively, enabling collaborative work without scheduling lengthy meetings. It also facilitates direct communication between teams and individuals wherever they are and enables you to give feedback with short, interactive videos.
Screen recording software speeds up the feedback cycle and frees staff to add value to other tasks. It lets you capture product demos, frequent troubleshooting solutions, and educational webinars that can be quickly and efficiently shared with your audience.
Each of this article’s screen recording software packages has different strengths. Try them out and find the best recording software for PC that caters to your needs.
Best Recording Software for PC FAQS
Why use screen recording software?
You can adapt screen recording software to your business needs. Whether you want to create a tutorial, share feedback, or enable knowledge sharing, screen recording can help you and your teams save time by working more effectively.
What equipment do I need to record my screen?
Each software package in this guide is available on the web or as a software download. If you want to film yourself, you’ll need a webcam. You can also record your voice using your PC’s mic or purchase a standalone compatible microphone.
Which is the best screen recording software?
The best screen recording software for you depends on your business requirements.
How can I choose the best recording software for PC?
Before purchasing a subscription, understand what your business needs from screen recording software. Many suppliers offer free trials that allow you to try before you buy.
How much should I pay for screen recording software?
