Best Screen Recording Software for Tutorials and Gaming

In 2025, sharing what is on your screen has become a daily habit for millions. Whether you are a teacher explaining a complex math problem, a gamer showing off a triple-kill in Call of Duty, or a manager recording a quick bug report for your team, you need the right tools.

But the world of screen recorders is confusing. Some are free but leave a giant ugly watermark on your video. Others cost hundreds of dollars. Some are lightweight, while others slow your computer down to a crawl.

This guide is your map. We have tested the top software on the market to find the best screen recorders for two main groups: Tutorial Creators and Gamers.

Why You Cannot Use Just One Tool

Before we dive into the list, it is important to understand a secret: There is no “perfect” screen recorder.

• For Tutorials, you need tools that can zoom in, highlight your mouse cursor, and show your keystrokes. You want clear audio and easy editing.
• For Gaming, you don’t care about mouse clicks. You care about Frame Rate (FPS). You need software that captures fast motion without making your game lag.

If you try to use a tutorial recorder for high-speed gaming, your video will look choppy. If you use a game recorder for a tutorial, your students won’t see where you are clicking.

Here are the best tools for every need.

Category 1: The “Gold Standard” (Free & Powerful)

1. OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)

If you ask any professional streamer what they use, the answer is almost always OBS Studio. It is completely free, open-source, and has no watermarks.

Why It Is the Best:

OBS is a beast. It can record your screen, your webcam, your microphone, and your computer sound all at once on separate “tracks.” This means if your game sound is too loud, you can lower it later without ruining your voice recording.

Best Features:

• Unlimited FPS: You can record at 60 FPS, 120 FPS, or even higher if your computer can handle it.
• Scenes: You can set up different “scenes.” For example, Scene 1 is just your game. Scene 2 is your face full-screen for chatting. You can switch between them with a single button press.
• Low CPU Usage: It uses your graphics card (GPU) to do the heavy lifting, so your computer stays fast.

The Downside:

It is complicated. When you first open OBS, it looks like a cockpit of a spaceship. You have to learn about “bitrate,” “encoders,” and “sources.” It is not for people who want a one-click solution.

Verdict: Best for people who want to learn a professional skill and pay zero dollars.

Category 2: Best for Tutorials and Education

2. Camtasia

Camtasia is not just a recorder; it is a full video editing studio. It is widely considered the king of tutorial software.

Why It Is Great for Teaching:

Imagine you are recording a video on “How to use Excel.” With Camtasia, after you finish recording, the software automatically knows where your mouse was. You can drag a “Cursor Effect” onto the timeline, and suddenly your mouse is highlighted with a yellow circle. You can even make the mouse click sound louder.

Key Features:

• Pan and Zoom: You can easily zoom in on a specific button you are clicking so viewers on mobile phones can see it clearly.
• Quizzes: You can add interactive quizzes directly into the video (if you host it on their platform).
• Assets: It comes with arrows, boxes, and text animations that look professional instantly.

The Downside:

It is expensive. The price tag is high compared to other tools, though they often offer educational discounts.

Verdict: Best for professionals, teachers, and businesses who need to make high-quality training videos daily.

3. ActivePresenter

If you love the features of Camtasia but hate the price tag, ActivePresenter is your hidden gem.

Why It Stands Out:

The free version of ActivePresenter is incredibly generous. It includes advanced features like “Smart Capture.” This doesn’t just record a video; it takes a screenshot every time you click a mouse or press a key. This turns your action into a slide deck automatically.

Key Features:

• No Watermark: The free version has no watermark for personal and non-commercial use.
• No Time Limit: You can record for hours.
• Audio Editing: It has built-in tools to remove background noise (hiss) from your microphone.

The Downside:

The interface looks a lot like Microsoft PowerPoint. If you like PowerPoint, this is great. If you find PowerPoint boring/confusing, you might not like this interface.

Verdict: The best free alternative to Camtasia for making educational content.

4. ScreenPal (Formerly Screencast-O-Matic)

This is a favorite for school teachers and quick explainer videos. It runs from a browser launcher, so it is very lightweight.

Why It Is Useful:

It is fast. You open it, drag a box around the part of the screen you want to record, and hit the red button. It is perfect for “quick and dirty” videos.

The “Free” Limits:

The free version allows you to record up to 15 minutes. For most YouTube tutorials, this is plenty of time. However, it may add a watermark, and you cannot record “System Audio” (the sound coming from your computer) on the free Mac version.

Verdict: Best for quick, casual videos where you don’t need fancy editing.

Category 3: Best for Gaming (High Performance)

5. NVIDIA ShadowPlay (GeForce Experience)

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card in your PC (like an RTX 3060 or 4070), you already have this software installed. You just might not know it.

The “Instant Replay” Magic:

Have you ever pulled off an amazing move in a game and shouted, “I wish I recorded that!”?

ShadowPlay solves this. It is always recording the last 5 to 20 minutes of your gameplay in the background. If something cool happens, you press a hotkey (usually Alt+F10), and it saves that last 5 minutes to your hard drive.

Key Features:

• Zero Lag: Because it is built into your graphics card, it uses almost no CPU power. Your game will run smoothly.
• High Quality: It supports recording in 4K at 60 FPS and even 8K at 30 FPS on newer cards.

Verdict: The absolute best choice for gamers with NVIDIA cards who want to capture highlights without planning ahead.

6. Bandicam

Bandicam is a legend in the gaming world. It is famous for one thing: being able to run on old, slow computers.

Why It Survives:

Bandicam uses a high-compression technology. This means the video files it creates are small in size but still look good. If you have a low-end PC or a laptop with limited storage space, Bandicam is a lifesaver.

The 2025 Limitations:

The free version of Bandicam has a 10-minute recording limit per video and puts a watermark at the top of the screen. To remove these, you must buy a license.

Verdict: Best for gamers on older PCs or laptops who need high performance.

7. FBX Game Recorder

FBX is a newer competitor that is gaining popularity because it is simple and smooth.

Why It Is Cool:

Unlike OBS, which takes hours to set up, FBX works out of the box. It is designed specifically for high-speed gaming. It supports up to 144 FPS recording, which makes your videos look buttery smooth on YouTube.

Verdict: A great middle-ground for gamers who want better performance than OBS but simpler settings.

Category 4: Quick Clips & Communication

8. ShareX

ShareX is an open-source tool that is primarily for screenshots, but its screen recording features are underrated.

Why Use It:

It is completely free and has zero advertisements. It is amazing for recording a 10-second GIF to show someone a bug or a quick process. It can automatically upload your video to the cloud and copy the link to your clipboard.

Verdict: Best for developers and IT support workers.

Comparison Table: At a Glance

To help you decide quickly, look at this simple comparison.

3 Technical Tips for Better Recordings

No matter which software you choose, your video will look bad if your settings are wrong. Here are three rules to follow in 2025.

1. Match Your Resolution

Always record in the same resolution you want to upload.

• If you want a 1080p video on YouTube, make sure your screen (or the recording box) is set to 1920×1080.
• If you record a weird size like 1366×768 (a common laptop size), YouTube will stretch it, and it will look blurry.

2. The Bitrate Rule

“Bitrate” is the amount of data used for every second of video.

• Low Bitrate = Blocky, pixelated video (looks like old TV).
• High Bitrate = Clear, sharp video.
• Rule of Thumb: For 1080p recording at 60fps, set your bitrate to 12,000 kbps (12 Mbps) or higher. For 4K, go for 40,000 kbps.

3. Separate Your Audio Tracks

This is the pro tip that saves lives. In settings (especially in OBS or Bandicam), look for “Record audio to separate tracks.”

This saves your voice on Track 1 and the game/computer sound on Track 2.

• Why does this matter? If you scream in excitement during a game and it is too loud, you can lower the volume of your voice without lowering the volume of the game explosions.

Conclusion: Which One Should You Download?

The answer depends on what you are creating today.

• If you want to be a YouTuber/Streamer: Download OBS Studio immediately. Watch a few YouTube tutorials to learn it. It is a skill that will serve you forever.
• If you are a Gamer with an NVIDIA card: Turn on ShadowPlay. It is already there, it is free, and it is the easiest way to capture moments.
• If you are a Teacher or creating a Course: Start with ActivePresenter if you have no budget. If you have money to invest, buy Camtasia; it will save you hundreds of hours in editing time.

Stop worrying about the tools and start creating. The best video is the one you actually finish and upload!