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12 Best Game Recording Software Comparison [Dec 2018]

12 Best Game Recording Software Comparison

Best Game Recording Software Comparison

Update: New Drag & Drop Table added further down on this page.

Tool LogoTool NameMore InfoOperating SystemPriceCapture ScreenRecord GamesLivestreamWebcam RecordingCapture MicCapture System AudioNo WatermarkHot Key ControlsRecording Session LimitTimeline EditingAdjust AudioPan & ZoomAdd MediaDrawing ToolAdd AnnotationsVideo Output FormatsAudio Output FormatsUpload Directly to InternetFAQ or KnowledgebaseTutorialsPhone SupportEmail SupportLive ChatMisc
OBSVisit Site
Windows/Mac/LinuxFreeYesNone6, MP4 FLV MOV +3 more1, MP4NoNot easy to get started with but it is great once you learn it.
XSplit FreeVisit Site
Windows 7, 8, and 8.1FreeYesNoneFLV & MP40Yes (& YouTube)
XSplit PaidVisit Site
Windows 7, 8, and 8.1$25 for 3 monthsYesNoneFLV & MP40Yes (& YouTube) Click here for info
CamtasiaVisit Site
Windows/MacWin: $299.00/Mac: $99YesNone51Yes (& YouTube)Better for editing game recordings.
Action!Visit Site
Windows Vista or later30Day Trial, $29.95YesNone2, AVI/MP42, WAV, M4AYes (& YouTube)
Bandicam FreeVisit Site
WindowsFreeYes10 Minutes2, AVI/MP41, WAV (w/ Paid version)Yes (& YouTube)Timeline editing done with Bandicut
ShadowPlayVisit Site
Windows 7 or laterFree w/ certain GeForce gfx cardsYesNone, Shadow 20mins??NoRecords up to the last 20 minutes of gameplay
FrapsVisit Site
WindowsFreeYes30 secs1, AVI0No Click here for info
Screencast-o-Matic FreeVisit Site
Windows/Mac/LinuxFreeNo15 Minutes3, AVI, FLV, MP40Yes (& YouTube)
Screencast-o-Matic ProVisit Site
Windows/Mac/Linux$12/yrOnly Windows Vista or laterNone3, AVI, FLV, MP4?Yes (& YouTube)
DxtoryVisit Site
Windows XP or laterFree Trial, $38YesNoneAVI0No Click here for info
EzvidVisit Site
WindowsFreeYesBuggy at 5 minutes1, WMV0Yes, YouTubeNot recommended

If you are getting started with recording your own video game footage and have time to watch some YouTube videos (watch my OBS tutorial below) that will teach you how to use OBS. I absolutely recommended it for streaming or recording your video games. You’ll have to take those files that it outputs and import them in a video editor and dazzle them up with whatever your pretty little head can dream up to entertain your YouTube audience but you’ll get there. Everyone has to do it, well, unless you just livestream.

Camstudio is missing from the list! That’s because that piece of crap tried to give me a trojan virus! Even all of the comments about it’s download file on sourceforge are saying the same thing. I don’t care, I’m not risking it.

XSplit Gamecaster & Broadcaster is really easy to pickup and learn and has got some seriously cool features for livestreamers but if you just here for recordings then I would opt to one of the free options; *cough* *cough* OBS it’s free and it’s performance and quality is friggin dope!

I would not even bother messing with Dxtory or Ezvid if you are a beginner to game recording because one is crap and the other one is the one that ate it.

ShadowPlay comes free with some Nvidia GeFirce cards and it has the most absolutely coolest feature I have ever heard of. So basically it records your gameplay in the background and saves up to the last 20 minutes of gameplay(or whatever time you set). So at anytime you have a really awesome play or you just got an Ace in CSGO then you just hit ALT+F10 and bam it exports the video for that. It does have manual toggle record but that feature is awesome. Sadly, I have read from a few areas of this salty web that some people experience some skipping in their game footage and the quality isn’t top-notch like you would expect from Nvidia. Either way catching those awesome plays I wouldn’t be too butt hurt that the quality is absolutely awedome because I can’t tell you how many times I had some awesome plays on Dust 2 and I never caught it. Ok 3 or 4 times but I’m not global elite either just a casual.

Compare 1 vs 1

Tool LogoTool NameMore InfoOperating SystemPriceCapture ScreenRecord GamesLivestreamWebcam RecordingCapture MicCapture System AudioNo WatermarkHot Key ControlsRecording Session LimitTimeline EditingAdjust AudioPan & ZoomAdd MediaDrawing ToolAdd AnnotationsVideo Output FormatsAudio Output FormatsUpload Directly to InternetFAQ or KnowledgebaseTutorialsPhone SupportEmail SupportLive ChatMisc

Drag
Here

Drag
Here

Drag
Here

OBSVisit Site
Windows/Mac/LinuxFreeYesNone6, MP4 FLV MOV +3 more1, MP4NoNot easy to get started with but it is great once you learn it.
XSplit FreeVisit Site
Windows 7, 8, and 8.1FreeYesNoneFLV & MP40Yes (& YouTube)
XSplit PaidVisit Site
Windows 7, 8, and 8.1$25 for 3 monthsYesNoneFLV & MP40Yes (& YouTube) Click here for info
CamtasiaVisit Site
Windows/MacWin: $299.00/Mac: $99YesNone51Yes (& YouTube)Better for editing game recordings.
Action!Visit Site
Windows Vista or later30Day Trial, $29.95YesNone2, AVI/MP42, WAV, M4AYes (& YouTube)
Bandicam FreeVisit Site
WindowsFreeYes10 Minutes2, AVI/MP41, WAV (w/ Paid version)Yes (& YouTube)Timeline editing done with Bandicut
ShadowPlayVisit Site
Windows 7 or laterFree w/ certain GeForce gfx cardsYesNone, Shadow 20mins??NoRecords up to the last 20 minutes of gameplay
FrapsVisit Site
WindowsFreeYes30 secs1, AVI0No Click here for info
Screencast-o-Matic FreeVisit Site
Windows/Mac/LinuxFreeNo15 Minutes3, AVI, FLV, MP40Yes (& YouTube)
Screencast-o-Matic ProVisit Site
Windows/Mac/Linux$12/yrOnly Windows Vista or laterNone3, AVI, FLV, MP4?Yes (& YouTube)
DxtoryVisit Site
Windows XP or laterFree Trial, $38YesNoneAVI0No Click here for info
EzvidVisit Site
WindowsFreeYesBuggy at 5 minutes1, WMV0Yes, YouTubeNot recommended

Anyways I hope this list will help you hurry and decide which software to use so you can start rolling that game footage!

Drop a comment if you got anything to add!