HD screen recording refers to the process of recording video and audio on a computer or mobile device in high-definition quality. This is typically done using an HD screen recorder capable of capturing video and audio at 1080p.

This post lists and compares ten useful HD screen recording programs to let you create professional-looking videos, as high-quality audio and video can help to improve the overall production value. You just pick the right tool from the list to help you create tutorials, record video calls, or capture other video and audio content that are displayed on your screen.

Let’s dig into it.

1. Awesome Screenshot & Recorder

Reason for recommendation: A capable HD screen recorder extension with cloud storage

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS

Lifetime free trial: Available

Pricing: Free, $5/month for Basic plan, $6/month for Professional plan

Awesome Screenshot & Recorder is a browser extension that allows users to take screenshots and record videos of their screen in high or ultra-high definition. This HD screen recorder is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari web browsers. It also includes video editing and cloud storage features.

You can use this screen recording program to record videos or capture screenshots at 1080P or even 4K resolution. It offers cloud recording to upload your recordings to the cloud automatically and allows instant sharing via a link.

Features

• Allows you to record 1080p or even 4K videos from the entire screen, a browser tab, any selected area, or a specific window
• Enables you to record screen with audio and/or webcam
• Lets you take screenshots from the entire screen, any selected area, or a scrolling webpage
• Offers options to save your HD videos locally or to the cloud
• Provides built-in video editor and image annotator
• Enables you to host and share your screen recording

How to screen record HD videos with Awesome Screenshot & Recorder

Step 1. Download and install Awesome Screenshot & Recorder to your browser. Launch it, Sign in or create a new account.

Step 2. Select “Record” and choose from 4 recording modes: “Desktop”, “Camera Only”, “This Tab” or “Custom(This Tab)” based on your needs. Set the video resolution as 1080p and choose whether to open the webcam or microphone sound.

Step 3. Once the setting is done, you can click “Start Recording” to proceed with the recording. If you have chosen the “Desktop” mode, you will be asked to select the page or window to record before the recording starts. If you have chosen the “Custom(This Tab)” mode, you will need to drag to select the recording area and then let the recording start.

Step 4. When you want to end the recording, you can click the Awesome Screenshot & Recorder icon, then click the “Stop” button.

Step 5. Your HD video will be saved to the cloud automatically. You can check it in “My Items”. It also allows you to edit it online or generate a shareable link in a snap.

2. Screencast-O-Matic

Reason for recommendation: A cross-platform online HD screen recorder & video editor

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Lifetime free trial: Available

Pricing: Free, starts from $4/month

Screencast-O-Matic is an HD screen recording and video editing software that allows users to capture video and audio from Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android devices. With this quality video recorder, users can capture their screen, webcam, and audio simultaneously and then use the built-in video editor to trim, cut, and combine clips, add effects and transitions, and export the final video in a variety of formats.

The software also includes a library of royalty-free music and sound effects that can be used in videos. In addition, users can upload their videos to the Screencast-O-Matic website, save them to their local computers, or share them to cloud services.Pros

• Records screen, audio, and webcam in high-quality at the same time
• Offers drawing tools to let you annotate recordings as you want
• Provides a built-in video editor for basic video editing
• Supports a variety of file formats
• Allows you to upload recordings to its site or share to other platforms

Cons

• Add a watermark to videos created by the free trial version
• Has 15 minutes limit on each recording of the free trial version
• Lacks advanced video editing features

3. OBS Studio

Reason for recommendation: The best free and open-source HD screen recorder and streaming tool

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Lifetime free trial: Available

Pricing: Free

OBS, which stands for Open Broadcaster Software, is a free and open-source screen recording and video streaming software available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is widely used by gamers, content creators, and other users who need to record high-quality video and audio from their computers.

With OBS Studio, users can capture HD video and crystal-clear audio from multiple sources, such as their screen, webcam, microphone, and system audio. The software also includes a variety of video and audio filters, as well as support for multiple scenes and transitions, that can be used to enhance the quality of the recorded video.

In addition, this best free screen recorder software allows users to live stream their HD video to popular streaming platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook.

Pros

• Free and open-source with no limitations
• Allows high-quality recording and streaming
• Offers tons of powerful and flexible features and tools
• Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Cons

• Require steep learning curve
• No customer support as other commercial tools provide
• Lags when used with demanding video recording and streaming tasks

4. Camtasia

Reason for recommendation: The best HD screen recorder and video editor

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS

Lifetime free trial: No

Pricing: Starts from $299.99

Camtasia is a screen recording, and video editing software developed and published by TechSmith. This HD screen recorder is available for Windows and Mac, and it is commonly used by content creators, educators, and businesses to create professional-looking video content in 1080p or 4K.

With Camtasia, users can record their screen, webcam, and audio simultaneously, and then use the built-in video editor to add effects, annotations, and callouts to their videos. The most surprising thing is that it also includes a library of royalty-free music, sounds, and motion graphics that can be used in videos.

In addition, Camtasia helps create interactive quizzes and surveys. It allows users to publish their videos to popular video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.Pros

• Offers professional-grade screen recording and video editing features
• Provides a media library
• Integrated with other TechSmith products, such as Snagit and Jing

Cons

• Too expensive
• Only offers 30 days of free trial
• Adds a watermark to the output of the free trial version

5. Flashback Express

Reason for recommendation: An easy-to-use HD gaming screen recorder

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS

Lifetime free trial: Yes

Pricing: Free, Starts from $49

Flashback Express is a simple HD screen recording software developed by Blueberry Software. Available for both Windows and Mac, it is commonly used by gamers, educators, and businesses to create video content with ease.

With Flashback Express, users can record their screen, webcam, and audio simultaneously, and then use the built-in video editor to trim, cut, and combine clips, add effects and transitions, and export the final video in a variety of formats.

Once the recording is done, users can upload their HD videos to YouTube and other video-sharing platforms and share them via email or social media.Pros

• Easy-to-use
• Provides a built-in video editor
• Supports exporting the HD recording to multiple file formats
• Offers quick sharing options

Cons

• Offers limited features in the free version
• The free version only allows users to record videos up to 15 minutes

6. Litecam HD

Reason for recommendation: An intuitive HD screen recorder for Windows

Compatible OS: Windows

Lifetime free trial: Yes

Pricing: Free, Starts from $19.99

liteCam HD is an intuitive screen recording software for Windows PC. It allows you to capture and record any screen activities in full HD. It is an ideal screen recorder to record streaming videos, webinars, gameplay, and more.

With industry-leading technology, it helps you record your screen with higher compression and faster speed without compromising quality. You are allowed to draw on the screen while recording. After the recording is done, you can edit it by adding titles, ending credits, and logos.

You can convert your recorded HD videos into MP4 or WMV format, then instantly upload them to Youtube or elsewhere.Pros

• Records any screen activities in full 1080p HD up to 30 fps
• Allows you to schedule recordings
• Allows you to extract audio from recordings
• Speeds up recordings with hardware acceleration technology

Cons

• The free trial version has a watermark and a 10-minute recording limit
• Offers only basic video editing tools
• Only works on Windows

7. Ezvid

Reason for recommendation: A fast and free screen recorder and video editor

Compatible OS: Windows

Lifetime free trial: Yes

Pricing: Free

Ezvid is a free HD video creation software program for Windows. It is typically used for creating instructional or tutorial videos but can be used for various purposes.

Providing a variety of tools and features, it allows users to record the screen with audio from a desktop, browser, games, and webcam, then edit the recordings by making speed changes, re-arrangement, adding text, image slides, and much more. You can save the HD video to your PC or upload it directly to YouTube. Pros

• Free and powerful
• Offers an advanced video editor for free
• Allows drawing while recording
• Provides Speech Synthesis features to convert text to computer narration
• Offers royalty-free music

Cons

• Only works on Windows
• No cloud storage

8. Movavi Screen Recorder

Reason for recommendation: An easy-to-use HD screen recorder

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS

Lifetime free trial: No

Pricing: Free, starts from $34.9/year

Movavi Screen Recorder is a software program that allows you to easily record your screen with audio and create full HD video tutorials, presentations, and demonstrations. With its intuitive interface and versatile features, Movavi Screen Recorder makes it simple to capture video or image from your computer screen and save it in any popular video format, including MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, GIF, MP3, PNG, BMP, JPG.

Movavi Screen Recorder can record Skype calls, online chats, streaming video, gameplay, and more. You can also adjust the recording settings to customize the quality and size of your video files.Pros

• Records any screen with audio or webcam in full HD
• Captures scrolling screenshots
• Supports exporting the output to multiple file formats
• Allows you to schedule recordings
• Allows drawing on videos

Cons

• Requires you to download an extra video editor for further video editing
• Only offers a 7-day free trial
• Adds a watermark to all exported videos during the free trial period

9. Debut Video Capture

Reason for recommendation: The free HD screen recording software to capture videos from any sources

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS

Lifetime free trial: Yes

Pricing: Free

Developed by NCH Software, Debut Video Capture is a free HD screen recorder for Windows. The most helpful thing is that it can record high-quality videos from any sources, including a webcam, computer screen, network camera, or external devices.

You can adjust color settings, video effects, resolution, size, and frame rate before recording. Use video overlay to record your screen and webcam simultaneously. You can record HD video as avi, wmv, flv, mpg, mp4, mov, and more video formats. This free HD screen recorder also provides helpful video editing tools, allowing you to add text captions, time stamps, and watermarks to your recordings. Pros

• A free HD screen recording software with a set of powerful features
• Provides the schedule recording feature
• Allows you to replace the background with an image, video, or solid color
• Lets you upload videos directly to YouTube, Vimeo, or Flickr
• Offers time-lapse video recording
• Enables you to take screenshots of a recording

Cons

• Out-dated interface
• No cloud storage

10. Icecream Screen Recorder

Reason for recommendation: An simple HD screen recorder for desktop and mobile

Compatible OS: Windows, macOS, and Android

Lifetime free trial: Available

Pricing: Free, starts from $29.95 per year

Icecream Screen Recorder is an easy-to-use software to record full screen or any selected area with audio and/or webcam. It also lets you take screenshots and save them as JPG or PNG files.

As to screen recording, it allows you to record the screen in full HD and draw or annotate while recording. Once the recording is done, you can trim your videos, change speed, mute, and much more.

It provides a cloud server that can store your recordings. You can upload your videos to it to share with your colleagues or clients. It even tracks the number of recording views.Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Provides a variety of recording options
• Allows annotation during recordings
• Offers schedule recording feature
• Lets you take screenshots

Cons

• The free version puts a watermark on your recording and limits you to 10 minutes of recording time
• Requires you to upgrade to the paid version to use the advanced features
• Provides only basic video editing tools