6 Best Free Screen Recorders for Mac

Screen recorders are more popular than ever. Mac users can create video tutorials, record live lectures, or attend webinars and corporate meetings. You can also stream games, create videos for family and friends, and seek customer assistance with the help of screenshots. 

Make sure the specifications of the screen recorder for Mac corresponds to your requirements.

Find out the best screen recorders for Mac that will not burn a hole in your pocket below. You can find a screen recorder for Mac that is both free and effective for your needs.

Top 6 Free Screen Recorders For Mac

Want to find the best screen recorder for your personal hobby or business that gets the job done? Here are the top choices you can subscribe to.

1. Movavi Screen Recorder

Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac is our top pick as a Mac screen recorder. You can create screenshots while recording the audio and screen simultaneously or separately. You can also schedule recordings, highlight the mouse effects, demonstrate keyboard actions and take a photo through your webcam.

You can also add drawings during the recordings to make the videos more engaging.

 Unlike most screen recorders for Mac, Movavi Screen Recorder has a SuperSpeed mode to save videos in seconds. You can also record audio from multiple devices at the same time.

Pros

• User-friendly interface.
• Enables you to upload on your YouTube channel directly.
• Supports various output formats.
• Integrated with recording and editing tools.
• Wide range of presets.

Cons

• The software might crash sometimes.

2. OBS Studio

OBS Studio can help you stream and record educational lectures through multiple streaming options. You get a good array of presets and edit options and can mix elements from different sources to create a single recording.

Use it to capture screen, capture recordings, or record screen while scrolling and extracting texts from a video screen capture on Mac.

OBS supports a variety of plugins to enhance its performance.

Pros

• Customize the background easily.
• Facilitates recording while scrolling.
• Quick and efficient.
• Free for Mac users.

Cons

• Better compatible with Mac than Windows.
• The user interface could have been more attractive.

3. ScreenRec

ScreenRec is another free screen recorder for Mac users on the list. Some of the key highlights of this software are- Audio Recording, Cloud Recording, Instant Sharing options and Mouse effects.

If you are an educator and tired of repeating lectures, this screen recorder for Mac enables you to record a detailed step-by-step tutorial to ease your burden. The students can access these videos at their own pace using the pause option.

ScreenRec is also well suited for Sales, Onboarding, Customer Service, Designers, Business Communication and Product Management.

Capture videos at 1080p HD at any frame rate, without any lag. It guarantees security through strict password protection and private link sharing.

Pros

• Free for Mac as well as Windows users.
• No watermarks.
• Has no limits on the recording.
• Allows you to merge your computer sound and your voice recording.

Cons

• No video editing features.
• Can lag sometimes.

4. Icecream Screen Recorder

Icecream Screen Recorder is very user-friendly software. It allows you to capture the desired area of your screen either in the form of a video file or a screenshot. With its intuitive interface, you can easily record the most graphically demanding games.

However, you can only record your screen for a time limit of 5 minutes in the free version. It also facilitates screen recording with webcam and audio simultaneously. Use the advanced version to explore more functions.

Pros

• The software provides a free trial.
• You can add custom texts.
• Very minimalistic and user-friendly software.
• Hassle-free.

Cons

• Bulk uploading is not allowed.
• The software is only available for desktop users for now.
• Watermark in the free version of the software.

5. Active Presenter

If you are an online video marketer, this is an excellent screen recorder for Mac.  Create manuals, videos, lectures, documentations and interactive presentations. It also facilitates the export of content in HTML format.

The interface is very simplistic, enabling the school and university educators to access the software better.  Customized quizzes, assessments and pre-built templates are its major highlights.

Active Presenter has the best combination of features like the pan n zoom option, timeline editing, multiple options and formats for exporting and no extra cost for the extra features.

You can create and edit online assignments with its wide range of editing tools.

Upgrade to Active Presenter Standard and Pro by clicking here.

Pros

• Allows you to export video in HTML5, MKV, AVI, WEBM, MP4.
• Wide range of animations and transitions.
• No watermark on full HD video recordings.
• You can record system, audio, and webcam sounds simultaneously.
• Create engaging e-learning content.
• Directly upload edited content on your YouTube channel.

Cons

• Exporting video takes a little longer in comparison to another free screen recorder for Mac.
• The interface is very old school.

6. Apowersoft

This screen recorder for Mac is website-based. That means you do not need to download the software separately. Record any activities on your Mac screen, including live game streaming, live chat, tutorial videos.

You can insert a webcam while recording lectures, meetings and webinars through chat services like Skype, Zoom and many more. Annotations like texts, highlights, lines and shapes make the recorded videos even more instructive.

The website contains a free user guide for beginners and professionals.

Pros

• You can export videos in a wide range of formats like ASF, MP4, GIF, AVI, MPEG, WMV and FLV.
• Store videos either in the local drive or RecCloud.
• No watermark in the free version.
• You can edit and customize videos in real-time.
• Allows the scheduling of tasks.

Cons

• Cannot record and capture on a secondary monitor.
• Might lag on Mac sometimes.

Capture your favorite game moments, work presentations and more with a screen recording solution that you can start in just a few clicks.

Have you tried out one of these screen recorders already? What are the top features that you look out for when getting a new screen recorder? Let us know in the comments below.