Play & stream
Best Game Recording Software in 2026
From keeping a full session to saving a quick replay, recording tools differ in the ways they capture gameplay. Compared on capture resolution, recording modes and GPU encoding, the entries also show whether instant replay, webcam overlay and watermark-free video are available.
- 31 ranked
- 1
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is free, open-source software for recording video and live streaming on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Free
- Windows
- Linux
- 2
Bandicam
Bandicam is a freemium recorder for gameplay, screens, webcams, meetings, and audio.
- Free
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
- 3
RePlays
RePlays is a free, GPL-3.0-licensed tool for recording, clipping, and sharing gameplay.
- Free
- Windows
- Linux
- Open source
- 4
NVIDIA ShadowPlay
NVIDIA ShadowPlay is part of the NVIDIA App, a Windows companion for PC gamers and creators.
- Free
- Windows
- 5
- 6
- 7
Razer Game Clips
Built into Razer Cortex, Razer Game Clips records gameplay at no charge.
- Free
- Windows
- 8
Streamlabs Highlighter
Streamlabs Highlighter, now called G HUB Replay, helps streamers capture, edit, and share highlight clips from streams or gameplay.
- Free
- Windows
- 9
Captail
Captail is a free Windows instant replay utility that keeps recent gameplay in a rolling buffer and watches its capture pipeline for stalls.
- Free
- Windows
- 10
Steam
Valve operates Steam as a free service for playing, discussing, and making games.
- Free
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
- 11
SteelSeries Moments
On Windows 10 and newer, SteelSeries Moments records games at no charge.
- Free
- Windows
- 12
PlayShot
PlayShot is a free Windows app for saving recent PC gameplay after the moment has passed.
- Free
- Windows
- 13
Outplayed
On Windows, Outplayed records game moments, lets you edit clips, and supports sharing.
- Free
- Windows
- 14
- 15
Action!
Action! is paid Windows software for gameplay recording, console capture, screenshots, benchmarking, and live broadcasting.
- Free trial
- Windows
- 16
- 17
Revidi
Revidi is a Windows game clip and screen-recording app built around a rolling replay buffer for screen and audio.
- Free
- Windows
- 18
FBX
FBX is Windows software for recording gameplay, streaming live and saving highlights while playing.
- Free
- Windows
- 19
- 20
- 21
Insights Capture
Insights Capture is Windows game-recording software that detects games, records matches automatically, and marks kills, deaths, and assists for later clipping.
- Free
- Windows
- 22
Vice
Vice is a free Linux game clipper for saving recent gameplay, recording full sessions, editing footage, and sharing clips through public links.
- Free
- Linux
- 23
- 24
Powder
Powder is a Windows app that uses AI to turn gameplay recordings and completed streams into clips.
- Free
- Windows
- 25
Before you pick
Supported platforms help you check fit with your setup; compare free plans and paid-from pricing for cost context. OBS Studio, SteelSeries Moments and Medal are among the options shown. Consider whether you need flexible capture modes, replay controls or a webcam view when weighing these tools for your play and streaming routine.
Each tool's facts are read from its maker's own pages, with the day they were read. How we rank · Disclosure