Free & open source alternatives to Bandicam

3 free screen recording apps to use instead of Bandicam

The best free alternative to Bandicam is OBS Studio. No watermark, no time limit, webcam overlay and livestreaming.

Other great options: ShareX and Snipping Tool & Xbox Game Bar.

Quick pick: For screen recording with no watermark and no time limit: OBS Studio. For quick recordings and GIFs on Windows: ShareX.

Reviewed November 2026 against each vendor's official website.

Official ways to use Bandicam for free

Bandicam Free records, but adds a watermark and limits each video to 10 minutes.

Free plans and trial lengths are set by the vendor and can change. Check the official website before signing up.

3 best alternatives to Bandicam

OBS Studio

Video & audio HealthGood (95/100)79,148

Open sourceSome learning curve

No watermark, no time limit, webcam overlay and livestreaming.

The world's most widely used open-source app for screen recording and live streaming. No watermark and no time limit.

Records screen and webcam, mixes multiple sources
Streams to YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and more
No watermark, no recording limit

Platforms: Windows · Mac · Linux

OBS Studio details Official website ↗

ShareX

Video & audio HealthGood (95/100)40,798

Open sourceEasy to use

Records MP4 and GIF, captures scrolling pages, and is very light.

An open-source screen capture and recording tool for Windows. It does region and scrolling capture, MP4/GIF recording and OCR.

Records GIFs and captures long scrolling pages
Lightweight with lots of hotkeys

Platforms: Windows

ShareX details Official website ↗

Snipping Tool & Xbox Game Bar

Video & audio

FreeEasy to use

Built into Windows for quickly recording a region or window.

Two screen recorders already built into Windows, no install needed. Snipping Tool (Windows 11) records a screen region, Xbox Game Bar (Win + Alt + R) records an app or game window.

Already installed, nothing to download
No watermark

Platforms: Windows

Snipping Tool & Xbox Game Bar details Official website ↗

Quick comparison

App	Type	Platforms	Ease of use	GitHub stars
OBS Studio	Open source	Windows, Mac, Linux	Some learning curve	79,148
ShareX	Open source	Windows	Easy to use	40,798
Snipping Tool & Xbox Game Bar	Free	Windows	Easy to use	—

Open source: anyone can use, study and modify it, including businesses. Free: no cost, but the code is closed. Freemium: a lasting free plan with paid tiers for extra features. Source available: code is public but the license adds conditions.

FAQ

What is the best free alternative to Bandicam?

The most popular picks are OBS Studio, ShareX and Snipping Tool & Xbox Game Bar. For screen recording with no watermark and no time limit: OBS Studio. For quick recordings and GIFs on Windows: ShareX.

How do I record my screen with audio and no watermark?

In OBS Studio, add a "Display Capture" source and "Desktop Audio", then click Start Recording. Videos save as MP4/MKV with no watermark and no time limit.