Screencasting tools have become more useful than ever at the moment, and it’s only going to become more popular!
Capturing and sharing the content of your screen can be a very effective and quick way to share information with others, so it’s important that you have the best screencast software to allow you to do such a thing when you need to.
However, there are loads of best screencasting software out there, and it can be difficult narrowing them down and find the one that’s going to work best for you.
That’s where we come in! In our handy guide below, we’ve got a breakdown of the best screencasting software out there. With each of them, we’ve got a detailed description of what they offer and what makes them great.
Whether you’re sharing your screen for work purposes, or streaming it for entertainment, you’ll want to get the best screencasting software! Use our guide to help you make your buying decision.
1. Movavi Screen Recorder
We’re beginning our list with the best screencasting software from Movavi.
It’s fair to say that this is a very popular piece of software and that Movavi is a popular company, with over 140,000 new Movavi customers signing on every month and over 170 countries using their products.
This is for a number of reasons, the most important of which is probably its cheap price point.
This is one of the most inexpensive pieces of screencasting software that you’re going to find, all without sacrificing any of the quality.
This is still a piece of professional software, with loads of features, it isn’t as expensive as some of its competitors.
Speaking of features, Movavi is a free Screen Recorder that will allow you to do all that you expect – and maybe something that you don’t. For a start, you can record your screen and your recorded audio simultaneously or separately.
Leaving the choice up to you makes it much easier to share whatever is right for the situation, be it screen and record audio together or individually, without you having to spend time figuring out how to split the two from each other.
On top of this, you can capture your webcam’s output without actually recording the screen.
This gives you even more flexibility to work with, allowing you to do exactly what you want in each streaming scenario.
With Movavi Screen Recorder, you’re also able to schedule your recordings. You can set both the time and the date for when your video screen capture is going to begin, letting you schedule your time with these screencasting tools.
In addition to that, you can also set a capturing time limit, so that the software shuts off at a certain point and it isn’t left recording too much.
These features really take the effort away from you and can be great for capturing things when you may not be near your computer screen.
In order to make your screencasts even clearer to their viewers, you can also adjust them so that they show your keyboard and your mouse movements more emphatically.
On top of that, you can also draw on your high-quality videos during the recording. This is an essential feature for tutorial videos, allowing you to circle the relevant areas of the screen for your viewers, furthering their learning.
Thankfully, Movavi Screen Recorder is also available on both Windows and Mac users, meaning that neither platform misses out and more people can access the screencasting software.
Better yet, the software is very easy to use, with clear buttons and a streamlined design. It also includes simple editing tools to help you clean up the recording afterward – though Movavi also offers Video Editor Plus, which you can buy separately for more thorough edits.
There is also a free version of the video editing software, though it puts a watermark on your videos.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use recording process
- Affordable price
- Records video clips and audio together or separately
- Schedule recordings
- Drawing on videos, showing keystrokes and mouse
- You can use these tools to record game recordings and create video tutorials.
Cons:
- Some find capture sizes too large
2. Camtasia Screen Recorder And Video Editor
Camtasia is one of the very best free screencast software with advanced video editing capabilities out there because it’s easy to use and packed full of helpful features. Over 34 million people use it, which speaks volumes about its quality!
It prides itself on allowing both Windows and Mac users a simple way to record and create videos that look professional.
It’s very easy to learn, so even beginners will be able to use it quickly. The fact that you don’t need lots of experience or fancy editing skills means that anyone can use the software and get great results in a short amount of time.
It all begins with screen recording. Recording with Camtasia is incredibly easy, and you can record anything that’s showing on your screen – whether it’s video calls, websites, presentations, or anything else.
After that, you can add effects to the video recordings, which is where Camtasia really comes into its own.
There are loads and loads of effects and transitions that you can add to your video recordings with Camtasia’s built-in video editor, and they’re all easy to apply.
For example, there are a variety of preloaded themes and templates for you to pick from, allowing you to make your video look stylish without fiddling around with any tools yourself.
On the other hand, you can of course make your own themes, which will make them a lot more personal to your brand.
When it comes to transitions, Camtasia offers over 100 different ones to use between scenes. These will help to give your video a better flow, which will engage your audience more.
On top of that, there are also annotations that you can apply. These are effects such as arrows, shapes, thought bubbles, and more, which make your video much more slick and easygoing.
You can even add quizzes to your videos, making your audience interact with them and forcing them to engage with the content even further.
To make your videos easier to follow, there are tools for that too. For example, you can add Cursor FX, which will make your cursor much more apparent on the screen with things like magnification and spotlights on it.
Pros:
- Very easy to use
- Loads of video enhancement features
- Transitions, themes, effects, and more all includes
- Engage the audience with various tricks, like adding quizzes to videos
Cons:
- Some find it difficult to redo parts of their videos after mistakes
3. RecordCast
While the other products that we’ve looked at so far have been both paid and software, RecordCast is neither! This is an online recording tool and video editor, which requires no software to be installed. On top of that, it costs nothing.
This is great because it makes screencasting easier and more available than ever before.
Without having to wait for some software to download and install (not to mention the time it then takes for you to get to grips with it), or sign up for a yearly paid subscription, all you have to do is go onto the RecordCast website and get your video results straight away.
Screen recording is just a few clicks away, and there are three different recording modes on offer. The first records both your screen and your webcam, while the second just record your webcam footage.
The third, on the other hand, record your screen, while at the same time capturing the audio from both your system and your microphone.
With these choices, you’ll be able to get exactly the kind of footage that you need.
After you’ve got your recordings, you can use their built-in video editor to trim them down. On top of that, you can add overlays, text effects, and dynamic elements, and even adjust the background colors.
You can even add music! This video editor software will help you to make your video more dynamic and appealing, which will help to engage your audience with its content more.
If you’re worried about privacy, it’s understandable, since this is all done on a website. However, all of your video files and recordings are edited locally with the local file formats, with none uploaded to the web server.
You can later upload your files to Cloud-based tools like google drive.
Pros:
- Very easy to use, no software or payment required
- Three different recording modes
- Lots of advanced features: text effects, overlays, background colors, and more
- Secure
Cons:
- Though it’s a useful and free version, it’s never going to have as many video enhancement features as the paid screencasting software
4. Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic allows you to easily capture your screen and then edit the footage, and you can even use a basic free version.
Screencast-O-Matic comes on a range of platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS), meaning that most people should be able to use it whatever their situation.
With this screen recording software, you can capture your screen, as well as webcam footage too.
It’s everything you would expect from free screencast software, allowing you to record different sources of video, which you can then edit together. On top of that, you can also add narration.
After you’ve got your recordings, you can then use free Screencast-O-Matic’s editing suite.
Screencast-O-Matic offers an easy-to-use video editor, meaning that you should be able to create videos even if you’ve had no experience before.
With the video editor, you can make your video what you want it to be, by adding text, overlays, shapes, and images.
On top of that, the paid screen recording software comes with advanced video editing options, automated captions, and animations, allowing you to make your videos even more engaging.
You’re also able to take screenshots of your screen, quickly capturing them and then annotating them however you please.
For example, if you need a screenshot where something is highlighted, you can capture the screen and then mark it up with an arrow pointing to the specific area.
Once you’ve done that, upload it and you’ll get a sharable link to send it to the relevant audience.
Screencast-O-Matic also offers cloud hosting when you upgrade, where you can upload videos on cloud services like google drive and add custom thumbnails.
Pros:
- Has a free version with more limited and basic features
- Record and edit easily
- Video editing features to personalize your video
- Cloud hosting with an upgrade
Cons:
- Doesn’t have all the premium video editing features that more expensive and best screencasting software offers
5. Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder
This is another web-based, free version screen recorder, just like RecordCast. This has its obvious benefits because it allows you to get free screen recording software immediately.
If you don’t have this screen recording software then this is the time to download and install some video editing software, learn how to use it, and also sign up for a paid subscription, then this is a great quick, and effective alternative.
Apowersoft allows you to record everything that goes on on your screens, such as self-demonstrations, video streams, live chats, and more.
If you need a screenshot capture tool, you’ll be able to do it simply by going to the Apowersoft website and clicking “Start Recording”, then choosing which screen you want to record.
You can record your browser window or your desktop, and you can also have your webcam footage captured at the same time.
Once you’ve got your screen recording software, you can choose to either upload it to the cloud like google drive or save it to a local disk.
A great video editing feature is that you can do unlimited recordings, with no end to the amount that you can make, nor the length of the recordings themselves! Your videos can be as long as you want.
There are a few enhancement video editing features that you can use to personalize your video while you’re recording, such as adding colors or drawing things onto it.
However, the big missing feature with the Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder is that it doesn’t have editing features for after you’ve recorded.
This can limit the potential of your videos, and you’ll have to buy the ApowerEdit software in order to get the post-recording editing features that you want.
Pros:
- Easy to use, works straight from your browser
- Free screen recorder to record screen.
- Unlimited recordings and unlimited recorded videos length
- A few video enhancement options during recording videos to record screen.
Cons:
- No post-recording editing features – you have to buy their separate video editing software for that
Buyers’ Guide
When finding the perfect free screencast software for you and your needs, you’ll want to think about certain features that you’ll need.
You’ll have seen lots of these appear throughout our list of the 5 best pieces of screencasting software, but we’re going to summarize them here for ease.
Editing Tools
Most screencasting software will provide you with a range of editing tools.
You can use these to make your video more exciting and stylish afterward, as well as more personal, which will help engage your audience more with the video’s content.
Editing tools can range from text overlays to adding shapes and fancy transitions.
There are so many out there and if you want specific ones for your videos, then make sure that the screencasting software you pick has them.
Some screen recording software may not have editing tools in the first place, or you can buy them as a separate thing from the same brand.
Recording Options
You’ll also want to make sure that your screencasting software is allowing you to record exactly the parts that you want.
Whatever part of your screen you want to capture, you’ll want to have options, so it’s best to get a piece of screencasting software that allows you to capture everything.
On top of that, you’ll also want to ensure that it allows you to record your webcam because that will be crucial to a lot of people that use screencasting software.
Many use it to share informational and educational videos and seeing a person narrating the content on a webcam can be very handy for that.
You may also want the screen recording software to allow you to record specific areas on your screen, giving you greater freedom in creating videos.
Getting The Right Audio Quality Recording
Audio recording is a major part of your recordings, and you’ll want your chosen piece of screencasting software to be flexible with its audio tracks option.
For one thing, you’ll want it to be able to record both the system sound of your device, as well as audio that’s coming from your microphone.
On top of that, you may also want the option to record video and audio recordings simultaneously, or have both captured separately. Having them recorded individually gives you more options when it comes to editing the video.
Exporting Options
Finally, you’ll also want plenty of options when it comes to exporting your final edited video. Being able to share the videos in exactly the way that you want is always a priority!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Screencast On My Mobile Phone?
Many of us will want to be able to screencast not just from our computer screens, but our phones too.
Many pieces of screencasting software will allow recording video from your phone’s screen, but you should always make sure that this is the case before you subscribe to the free video recording software.
Final Thoughts
Screencasting software allows you to capture your computer or mobile phone screen, then edit it into a smart video. Use our guide to find some of the best screencasting software out there!
