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Round-up

Best free screen recorders for Windows

Free screen recorders for Windows 10 and 11, with what each free version includes and where it stops: watermarks, time limits, editing and uploads.

Updated · By the Sceed team

Short answer

OBS Studio and ShareX are free and open source with no watermark or time limit, and no built-in video editor. The Snipping Tool and Xbox Game Bar are free and already in Windows. Sceed’s free plan includes its editor, zooms and cursor smoothing, with exports up to three minutes and a small mark.

Who wrote this. This list is published by the makers of Sceed, so Sceed is on it and comes first. Facts about the other tools come from their public pages, checked September 2026, and each links to a row-by-row comparison. If something is wrong, tell us at hello@sceed.io and we will correct it.

How to choose

"Free" means different things. Open source tools are free with no limits. Built-in tools cost nothing but do little. Free plans of paid products give you the full experience with a limit: a watermark, a time cap, a number of videos, or lower resolution.

Check what the limit is before you record something important, and whether your recordings are kept on your disk or on the company’s servers.

The list at a glance

ToolBest forRuns onPrice
SceedA free plan that includes the editorWindows 10 and 11Free plan; Pro monthly or yearly
OBS StudioNo limits, no watermark, open sourceWindows, Mac, LinuxFree, open source
ShareXOpen source capture and GIFsWindowsFree, open source
Snipping ToolAlready in Windows 11Windows 11Free, built in
Xbox Game BarAlready in Windows 10 and 11WindowsFree, built in
ScreenRecFree recording with private linksWindows, Mac, LinuxFree
ClipchampA free timeline editor from MicrosoftWindows, browserFree tier; premium with Microsoft 365
FlashBackA free Windows recorder with a paid editorWindowsFree Express, or one-time Pro
  1. 1

    Sceed

    Record once, ship a finished video, on Windows.

    Best for: a free plan that includes the editor
    Runs on
    Windows 10 and 11
    Price
    Free plan; Pro monthly or yearly
    Editor
    Built in

    Choose it if

    • You work on Windows 10 or 11.
    • You want the cursor, zooms and frame to look produced without editing skills.
    • The recording should stay on your own disk.

    Everything Sceed does →

  2. 2

    OBS Studio

    Free, open source capture and streaming.

    Best for: no limits, no watermark, open source
    Runs on
    Windows, Mac, Linux
    Price
    Free, open source
    Editor
    None

    Choose it if

    • You stream live to Twitch, YouTube or a meeting.
    • You need multi-source scenes, plugins and full control over encoding.
    • You want free and open source, on Linux too.

    Sceed vs OBS Studio, row by row →

  3. 3

    ShareX

    Free, open source capture with a hundred upload targets.

    Best for: open source capture and GIFs
    Runs on
    Windows
    Price
    Free, open source
    Editor
    Image editor only

    Choose it if

    • You mostly take screenshots and want them annotated and uploaded in one keystroke.
    • You want free, open source and endlessly configurable.
    • Short raw clips and GIFs are the whole job.

    Sceed vs ShareX, row by row →

  4. 4

    Snipping Tool

    Windows 11 screenshots, now with recording.

    Best for: already in Windows 11
    Runs on
    Windows 11
    Price
    Free, built in
    Editor
    Via Clipchamp

    Choose it if

    • A quick region clip with nothing installed.
    • Screenshots are the main job and video is occasional.
    • Raw is fine.

    Sceed vs Snipping Tool, row by row →

  5. 5

    Xbox Game Bar

    The recorder already in Windows.

    Best for: already in Windows 10 and 11
    Runs on
    Windows
    Price
    Free, built in
    Editor
    None

    Choose it if

    • You need a clip right now with nothing to install.
    • Game footage is what you record.
    • A raw MP4 is fine.

    Sceed vs Xbox Game Bar, row by row →

  6. 6

    ScreenRec

    Free recording with instant private links.

    Best for: free recording with private links
    Runs on
    Windows, Mac, Linux
    Price
    Free
    Editor
    None

    Choose it if

    • You want a link within seconds and nothing else.
    • You need Linux too.
    • Free with cloud storage is the priority.

    Sceed vs ScreenRec, row by row →

  7. 7

    Clipchamp

    Microsoft's browser editor with a recorder.

    Best for: a free timeline editor from Microsoft
    Runs on
    Windows, browser
    Price
    Free tier; premium with Microsoft 365
    Editor
    Full timeline

    Choose it if

    • You already have it through Windows or Microsoft 365.
    • You edit general video with stock and templates.
    • Auto captions and text-to-speech in the cloud are fine.

    Sceed vs Clipchamp, row by row →

  8. 8

    FlashBack

    Windows recorder and editor from Blueberry.

    Best for: a free Windows recorder with a paid editor
    Runs on
    Windows
    Price
    Free Express, or one-time Pro
    Editor
    Timeline, Pro

    Choose it if

    • You want a one-time license on Windows.
    • You like a traditional timeline with manual zoom and pan.
    • Free Express covers your basics.

    Sceed vs FlashBack, row by row →

Questions

Is there a free screen recorder with no watermark?

Yes. OBS Studio, ShareX, the Snipping Tool and Xbox Game Bar add no watermark. Sceed’s free plan adds a small mark to exports; Sceed Pro removes it.

What is the catch with Sceed’s free plan?

Exports run up to three minutes and carry a small mark, and some effects, camera looks, sections and text overlays need Pro. Recording, the editor, zooms, cursor smoothing, frames, backgrounds and 4K export are free.

Is OBS Studio really free?

Yes. OBS Studio is free and open source, with no paid tier. It records and streams; editing is done in another app.

More round-ups

Record it once. Ship it finished.

Sceed is a screen recorder and editor for Windows 10 and 11. Free to start.

Get SceedSee every feature