6 Best Video Capture Software for PC and Mac [Paid &Free]

Most of us become the netizens of internet. Now network is the major channel to know what happened or will happen around us especially during the coronavirus quarantined period. After watching thousands of videos on the web, you may want to upload self-made videos. And as a beginner, screen recording is the simplest way to make videos because you can capture anything on the computer screen to share or store, from professional game tutorials to daily chatting recording.

For the novice, it’s extremely vital to find out an easy and lightweight screen recorder. Stuck in finding a suitable one? Don’t worry anymore! We’ve picked out 6 best video capture software programs to you. Desktop software or browser extension, freeware or shareware, you can choose any option depending on your own requirement on functionality, ease-of-use and also the cost.

Part 1 – Best Paid Video Capture Software for PC/Mac
Part 2 – Best Video Capture Extension for PC/Mac
Part 3 – Best Free Screen Video Capturing Software for PC/Mac

Part 1 – Best Paid Video Capture Software for PC/Mac

1. RecMaster

Operating system: Windows 10/8/7/XP and MacOS X 10.11 or above.

RecMaster is professional and solid video capture software, which allows you to record anything on the screen as you desire. As one of the best webcam, audio and screen recorders in 2020, RecMaster enable you to record any onscreen videos and make video tutorials simply and conveniently in favored file format.

For Windows users, RecMaster is integrated with 5 recording modes: Game Mode/Full Screen mode/Custom Are mode/Webcam mode /Audio Only. Also, it allows users to choose whether to record with audio and webcam or not. Full Screen mode is used for capturing the whole desktop while Custom Area mode is advantage in creating a fixed portion recording of your computer. If you want to complete fixed-time recordings, optionally use the Task Schedule function. Here please free download and launch this tool to know more details.

Pros:
● Concise interface and simple operation.
● Capture video and webcam simultaneously.
● Support annotation for highlighting and explanation.
● Record video alone or with audio at the same time.
● Task schedule function for automatic recording.
● Support instant social media sharing like uploading to YouTube.

Cons: ● Only support basic edits.

Price: $19.95 for one year license of 1-PC, $29.95 for lifetime license of 2-PC.

2. Bandicam

Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/10 (Support for 32-/64-bit)

Bandicam is a screen capture and screen recording utility. As a professional screen recorder, it enables you to record anything on your screen with high quality. Bandicam consists of three recording mode: Screen Recording mode is used to capture any certain area of screen and online live streaming like recording Facebook live. Game Recording mode can record video DiretcX/ OpenGL/Vulkan games. And the Device Recording mode is manly for recording Webcam and HDMI devices.

Pros:
● Record videos with demonstrating your facial actions.
● Superior to game recording with high FPS support (up to 120).
● Support adding narration or background music to your video.
Cons:
● No built-in editor.
● No Mac version.

Price: $39 for lifetime license of 1-PC, and $59 for lifetime license of 2-PC.

Part 2 – Best Video Capture Extension for PC/Mac

3. Screencastify

Operating system: Any Mac and Windows system with Chrome browser

Screencastify is a simple video capture extension for Google Chrome rather than a stand-alone app. Advantage in browser video recording, it’s a good choice if you want to find the one that owns basic recording functions with limited budget. Screencastify supports browser tap and desktop recording inserted with webcam. At the same time, you can use the embedded camera to record self-made videos. More importantly, it has the built-in editor for cutting, cropping as well as adding text. After recording, copy sharable links and optionally download or upload the video to anywhere you want to share.

Pros:
● Record full screen and application window or a particular area of your screen.
● The built-in editor to edit your videos.
● Instant sharable links are convenient for social media sharing.
● More choices for exporting: MP4/Audio Only/Animated GIF

Cons:
● Unable to select the recording region manually.
● System sound can only be captured in Desktop mode.

Price: $49 per person per year

4. Screen Recorder

Operating system: Any Mac and Windows system with Chrome browser

Screen Recorder is another extension for Google Chrome. Compared with Screencastify, it owns simpler operations yet fewer recording choices. It provides two recording modes, one is screen recording and the other is camera recording. It enables users to capture screen recording and camera capturing separately, which means that you can’t capture your screen with your facial emotions at the same time. In the screen recording mode, you can choose among the desktop, specific application window and Chrome tab. To start recording, you just need to click the Start Recording button and the task will be automatically began.

Pros:
● Easy operation and clear interface.
● Three basic recording modes for you to capture videos.
● Auto-replay after the recording.
● No time limit for recording.

Cons:
● System sound and microphone can’t be used at the same time.
● No choices for video format, frame rate and quality.
● You are not allowed to capture the screen along with camera turned on.

Part 3 – Best Free Video Capture Software for PC/Mac

5. OBS Studio

Operating system: Windows 8/8.1/10, mac OS 10.12 and above, Linux

OBS Studio is undoubtedly the best open source screen recorder and video capture software suited for recording and living stream. The main user interface has five sections: Scenes, Sources, Audio Mixer, Scene Transitions and Controls. Each panel has the specific function. Scenes are groups of sources like live and record videos, audio, as well as videos. Sources section is for adding sources like audio input/output capture, display capture, game capture… You can mute the audio and change the volume in the mixer panel. If you want to switch between scenes, you can set transition effects. The final section is for some fundamental buttons: Start recording/streaming, Settings and Exist. With the software, you can complete any video recording.

Pros:
● Support not only video recording but also living streaming broadcasting.
● Multiple recording sources to choose: audio, game, window…
● Equipped with advanced settings like encoding.
● No watermark in the recorded video.
Cons:
● A little complicated for the beginner.
● Lack of detailed guidance and help service.
● There are some potential dangers considering it’s an open source application.

6. ScreenRec

Operating system: Mac and Windows and Linux

ScreenRec is one of the best screen recorders with audio which is totally free. ScreenRec promises to provide easy-to-make service and convenient sharing way. You can use the application to capture any area on your screen. All you need to do is drag your mouse and circle the recording area, then you can start recording. Voice capturing is available and you can even record video in HD. The outstanding feature of this software is the cloud storage. Once the recording begins, it will automatically save your recordings to your cloud accountant. In the case, you will never worry about the loss of any important videos.

Pros:
● 2GB Free and convenient cloud storage.
● Instant sharable links and support passwords for sharing to protect your privacy.
● No time limit on recording.
● Video can be recorded with microphone and system sound.
Cons:
● A little troublesome for full screen recording.
● Annotation function is only accessible for screenshots.
● No more choices for video format, frame rate and quality.

In conclusion

This best video capture software list covers both desktop software and browser plug-ins, free or paid, so you can make your own choice according to your actual need. If you still worry about some unpleasant recording results or experience like: the video quality is not satisfying and it looks blurred, the file size is so large that it’s hard to upload it online, or the software operation is too complicated and time-consuming to finish, we’d like to recommend the easiest yet feature- and setting-rich screen recorder – RecMaster to you. Wish you a pleasant screencasting experience.

You may also be interested in: Best Screen Capture Software for Screenshot and Screencast, How do You Video Capture Screen on Windows 10