Open Source Screen Recording Software
Screen Recording software captures video and audio from a computer display to create tutorials, bug reports, and product demonstrations. These tools record specific screen regions or full desktops and encode the footage into video files or GIFs. This type of software serves developers and educators who need to document workflows without sending sensitive visual data to external servers. By hosting these apps locally, you keep video recordings and transcribed audio on your own hardware. This approach ensures that private screen activity remains off public clouds.
This page lists 12 open source tools in the Screen Recording category. The most popular are OBS Studio, ShareX and screenpipe. Most use the GPL-3.0 or MIT license, and 3 offer an official Docker image.
OBS Studio
Captures, composites, encodes, records, and streams video content for use across various platforms and live streaming providers.
ShareX
Captures screen regions, records video and GIFs, and uploads files to various cloud destinations via keyboard shortcuts.
screenpipe
Continuously records screen and audio locally, transcribes content, and enables AI‑driven search and automation.
Cap
Record screen and webcam with local editing and instant sharing for product demos and async updates.
Recordly
Record screen captures and create polished demo videos with automatic zooms, cursor smoothing, and styled frames.
Kap
Records screen activity as videos or GIFs for the creation of tutorials, demonstrations, and bug reports.
Screenity
Record screens, tabs, or cameras with integrated annotation tools and a built-in editor for creating tutorials.
eSearch
A cross-platform screen capture tool featuring offline OCR, image search, and integrated translation capabilities.
Streamlabs Desktop
Live streaming software for Windows and macOS built using Electron and the OBS project framework.
asciinema
Host and share terminal session recordings and live streams through a self-hosted web platform.
BetterShot
Capture, edit, and enhance screenshots and screen recordings with built-in annotation and beautification tools for macOS.
OpenScreen
Record and edit polished product demos with automatic zooms, cursor smoothing, and on-device captions.
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