BetterCapture
A menu bar screen recorder with ProRes, HEVC and H.264 output, system audio plus microphone, and content filters.GetMIT
Screen recorders
Open-source screen recorders for Mac that capture the screen, a window or an area with audio, from quick GIF clips to edited demo videos.
macOS can record the screen through its screenshot toolbar, with few options for audio, formats or editing. Screen recorders add system audio and microphone capture, webcam overlays, output format and quality settings, and in some cases editors that add cursor zooms, captions and backgrounds.
The apps below range from small tools for short clips and GIFs to studios for streaming and polished product demos. Consider which audio sources you need to capture, which formats you deliver in, and whether recordings stay on your Mac or go to a sharing service.
All Apps
15 free, open-source apps
BetterShot
Screenshots, screen recording and image and video editing in one app, with OCR, a color picker and a media gallery.GetBSD-3-Clause
Cap
Record your screen and camera, edit a polished video, and share it from your own workflow.GetAGPL-3.0
Kap
Capture a small moment on your screen and share it as a clip.GetMIT
LICEcap
A tiny screen recorder from Cockos that captures part of the screen straight to an animated GIF.GetGPL-2.0+
macshot
A screenshot and screen recording tool with annotation, redaction, OCR, translation and scrolling capture.GetGPL-3.0
OBS Studio
Build scenes, record your screen and broadcast live.GetGPL-2.0
OpenScreen
Records your screen and turns the capture into a polished demo video with zooms, backgrounds, captions and cursor effects.GetMIT
QuickRecorder
Record screens, windows, and apps with audio and presenter controls.GetAGPL-3.0
Recordly
Record your screen and edit it into polished demos with automatic zooms, cursor smoothing and styled frames.GetAGPL-3.0
Reframed
Record your screen, a window or an iOS device, then add cursor zooms, captions and a webcam overlay before exporting.GetMIT
Screendrop
Screenshots, screen recordings and quick video messages with annotation, on-device OCR and optional self-hosted sharing.GetCC0-1.0
Screenize
Record your screen and get automatic zooms that follow your cursor, then fine-tune them on a timeline.GetApache-2.0
Shotnix
Screenshots, OCR, annotations and screen recordings, plus a video editor with auto-zoom and captions.GetMIT
Snapzy
Capture screenshots and screen recordings from the menu bar, then annotate and edit them.GetBSD-3-Clause
