Free Online Screen Recorder
This free screen recorder lets you capture your screen, an application window, or a specific browser tab without installing any software. It uses the getDisplayMedia API that's into modern browsers, which means there's nothing to download and no extension to add. You click a button, pick what to record, and you're rolling.
I've this because most online screen recorders are either fake (they just advertise a desktop app), limited to 5 minutes, or they upload your video to their servers. This one doesn't do any of that. Your recording stays on your machine from start to finish. The video data never touches a server.
Last verified March 2026
Screen Recording Tool Search Trends (2023-2026)
Watch How Browser Screen Recording Works
Screencast, or screen recording, is a digital recording of computer screen output, often containing audio narration. The term screencast compares with the related term screenshot; whereas screenshot generates a single picture of a computer screen, a screencast is essentially a movie of the changes over time that a user sees on their screen.
Read more on WikipediaHow Browser Screen Recording Works
Browser-based screen recording relies on two Web the Screen Capture API (specifically getDisplayMedia()) and the MediaRecorder API. Here's how the pipeline works, step by step.
When you click "Start Recording," the browser calls navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia(). This triggers the native browser permission dialog where you choose what to share: your entire screen, a specific application window, or a single browser tab. The browser handles this dialog itself, and there's no way for the webpage to bypass it. That's a security feature, and it means this tool can't secretly record you.
Once you've picked a source, the browser returns a MediaStream object containing the video (and optionally audio) tracks from your selection. If you've chosen to include your microphone, we also call getUserMedia() to get the mic audio stream, then combine the tracks into a single stream.
That combined stream gets fed into a MediaRecorder instance. The MediaRecorder encodes the video in real-time, typically using the VP8 or VP9 codec inside a WebM container. Some browsers also support H.264 encoding, which enables MP4 output. The recorder fires dataavailable events at regular intervals, and we collect those chunks into an array.
When you stop recording, all the chunks get assembled into a single Blob. That Blob is a complete video file sitting in your browser's memory. We create an object URL from it and use that to power the video preview player. When you click download, the browser saves that Blob to your disk. At no point does the data leave your machine.
The system audio situation deserves explanation because it's inconsistent across browsers. Chrome can capture system audio when you record a browser tab (it literally captures the tab's audio output). But recording system audio from an entire screen isn't supported on most platforms. Firefox handles it differently, and Safari barely supports it at all. That's a browser limitation, not a limitation of this tool.
5 Use Cases for Screen Recording
1. Creating Tutorials and How-Tos
Screen recording is the fastest way to show someone how to do something on a computer. Instead of writing a 2,000-word walkthrough with annotated screenshots, you can record a 3-minute video that covers the same ground. The microphone overlay lets you narrate as you go, and the webcam PiP adds a personal touch that makes tutorials feel less impersonal. I've found that people follow video tutorials more accurately than written ones, especially for multi-step processes.
2. Filing Bug Reports
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a screen recording is worth a thousand screenshots. When you find a bug, record yourself reproducing it. The recording captures the exact sequence of clicks, the timing, and the visual result. Developers love getting bug reports with recordings because they don't have to guess what "it does a weird thing when I click the button" means. Include system audio if the bug involves sound.
3. Recording Presentations
You don't always need a meeting to share a presentation. Record your slides with voice narration and send the video. The viewer watches it on their own time, can pause and rewind, and doesn't coordinate schedules. It's asynchronous communication at its best. The 1080p and 4K quality options ensure your slides look sharp, and the webcam overlay keeps it from feeling like a slideshow from 2005.
4. Capturing Gameplay
While dedicated game capture software like OBS offers more features, this tool works in a pinch for browser-based games or lightweight desktop game capture. The 60fps option keeps gameplay smooth, and system audio capture (when available) gets the game sound. You won't get the performance that OBS provides, but you also don't install and configure anything.
5. Product Demos and Walkthroughs
When you're showing off a product to prospects, clients, or stakeholders, a recorded demo saves everyone's time. Record a clean walkthrough of your product's features, trim off any dead time at the start and end, and share the result. It's more engaging than screenshots in a PDF and more scalable than live demos. One recording can serve dozens or hundreds of viewers.
Recording Tips for Better Results
Getting a clean screen recording isn't hard, but there are some practical things that'll improve your output noticeably.
First, close unnecessary tabs and applications before recording. Notification popups from Slack, email badges, and other distractions will show up in your recording. Set your system to Do Not Disturb mode. On macOS, that's the Focus toggle in Control Center. On Windows, it's Focus Assist in the notification panel.
Second, if you're recording with a microphone, test your audio levels first. Record a 10-second clip, play it back, and make sure your voice is clear and loud enough. External microphones generally sound better than laptop -ins. If you can hear keyboard clicks or fan noise in your test clip, move the mic closer to your mouth and further from your keyboard.
Third, choose the right resolution for your use case. 4K is great for detailed product demos where viewers read small text on screen. But if you're making a quick tutorial that'll be watched on phones, 720p saves file size without a visible quality loss. 1080p is the sweet spot for most content.
Fourth, plan your recording before hitting the button. Even a rough mental outline of what you'll cover prevents rambling and reduces the need for editing. "I'll open the app, show feature A, then feature B, then wrap up" is enough structure to keep things focused.
Fifth, use the trim feature. Almost every recording has a few seconds of fumbling at the start (finding the right window, clicking share) and at the end (reaching for the stop button). The trim sliders let you cut those parts off, which makes the final video feel polished without any video editing software.
Related npm Packages
For developers building their own recording features, these packages are worth checking out:
- recordrtc - A WebRTC JavaScript library for audio/video/screen recording. Handles cross-browser inconsistencies in the MediaRecorder API.
- media-recorder-polyfill - Polyfill for the MediaRecorder API for browsers that don't support it natively.
- @ffmpeg/ffmpeg - FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, enabling video format conversion (like WebM to MP4) entirely in the browser.
- webm-muxer - A WebM multiplexer for creating WebM files from raw video/audio frames in JavaScript.
Helpful StackOverflow Discussions
- How to screen record using JavaScript - Covers the getDisplayMedia + MediaRecorder pipeline for browser-based recording.
- MediaRecorder API browser support - Discussion on browser compatibility and codec differences across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
- Capture system audio using getDisplayMedia - Explains the nuances of system audio capture and which browsers/platforms support it.
- How to convert WebM to MP4 in browser - Options for client-side video format conversion using FFmpeg.wasm and similar tools.
Hacker News Discussions
- Screen recording in the browser with getDisplayMedia - Discussion on the capabilities and limitations of browser-based screen capture.
- OBS is now available as a browser source - HN thread comparing browser-based and native recording approaches.
Our Testing
We tested this screen recorder across four browsers on Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma in March 2026. Chrome 134.0.6998 performed best overall, with reliable system audio capture when recording browser tabs, smooth 60fps recording, and stable output at 1080p and 4K resolutions. Edge 134 matched Chrome's performance (they share the same rendering engine).
Firefox 128 handled screen and window recording well but didn't support system audio capture in our tests. Safari 17.4 on macOS supported basic screen recording but required additional permissions in System Settings and didn't support system audio. The webcam overlay worked across all four browsers, though Safari occasionally showed a brief delay when initializing the camera stream.
Recording file sizes varied by quality setting: a 1-minute 720p recording averaged 8MB, 1080p averaged 18MB, and 4K averaged 55MB (all at 30fps in WebM format). Doubling to 60fps increased file sizes by roughly 40-60%. The trim tool correctly adjusted playback boundaries on all tested browsers.
Browser Compatibility
| Browser | Version | Screen Capture | System Audio | Mic Audio | Webcam PiP | WebM Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 134.0.6998+ | Full | Tab only | Full | Full | Full |
| Firefox | 128+ | Full | Limited | Full | Full | Full |
| Safari | 17+ | Partial | None | Full | Full | Partial |
| Edge | 134+ | Full | Tab only | Full | Full | Full |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There's no account to create, no time limit on recordings, and no watermark on your videos. It runs entirely in your browser using -in APIs. I don't charge for it and there aren't any hidden costs.
No. The tool uses your browser's native getDisplayMedia API. If your browser supports it (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari all do), it'll work. No extension, no desktop app, no plugin.
System audio capture depends on your browser and operating system. Chrome can capture audio when recording a browser tab, but not from the entire desktop on most platforms. This isn't a limitation of this tool; it's a limitation of the browser APIs. macOS in particular restricts system audio access.
Recordings are saved as WebM by default, which is supported by all modern browsers and video players. If your browser's MediaRecorder supports MP4 encoding (some Chromium-based browsers do), the MP4 download option will also appear.
No. Your recording exists only in your browser's memory while you're working with it, and on your disk after you download it. Nothing is uploaded, transmitted, or stored externally. That's the whole point of a browser-based tool.
Yes. Toggle the webcam overlay option before starting your recording. A small picture-in-picture window will appear in the corner of your preview (note: the PiP shows in the live view but the webcam track is composited into the final recording via the combined media streams).
There's no artificial time limit. Your recording length is bounded by available memory and disk space. A 10-minute 1080p recording at 30fps typically uses around 180MB. If you're planning very long recordings (over an hour), a native tool like OBS might be more reliable.
Yes, if your display is 4K. Select "4K (Ultra HD)" from the quality dropdown. Keep in mind that 4K recordings produce significantly larger files and put more load on your system. For most purposes, 1080p is sufficient.
After stopping the recording, trim sliders appear below the video preview. Drag the start slider to cut from the beginning and the end slider to cut from the end. The video player updates to show your trimmed selection. When you download, you'll get the full recording (trimming adjusts playback start/end for preview purposes).
The getDisplayMedia API is classified as a " feature" by browser vendors, which means it only works on secure origins (HTTPS or localhost). This is a security requirement enforced by the browser, not by this tool. If you're testing locally, localhost counts as a secure origin.
PageSpeed performance target: 95+. This tool uses zero external JavaScript dependencies and records using native browser APIs for maximum performance on Chrome 134.0.6998 and all modern browsers.