Free · no sign-up · nothing uploaded
Screen recorder for Mac
Record your Mac's screen right here, in Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox, with your voice and, in Chrome, the Mac's own sound. For system audio at 60 fps with automatic zoom on every click, use the ZoomCap terminal recorder.
Free · no sign-up · no watermark · nothing uploaded
For computer sound, tick Share audio in the browser's picker.
Record your Mac's screen on this page in 3 steps
- Click Start recording above and pick your entire screen, one window or one tab in the browser's picker. Leave Microphone on to record your voice.
- Allow screen recording the first time. If macOS says your browser can't record the screen, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, turn on the switch for your browser, then quit and reopen it. That's the name Apple's Mac User Guide uses for the setting (checked October 2026).
- Stop, watch, download. Click Stop and save or the browser's Stop sharing button. The video plays back on the page; download it as an MP4 (Chrome, Edge, Safari) or WebM (Firefox).
You can pause and resume as often as you like. There's no watermark, no time limit set by us and no account, and the video stays in the browser tab until you download it. The same recorder works on Windows, Linux and ChromeOS on our main free online screen recorder page.
What the Mac's built-in recorder does, and doesn't
Every Mac has a screen recorder in the Screenshot toolbar. According to Apple's support page (checked October 2026):
- Shift+Command+5 opens the toolbar. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Record Selected Portion, then click Record.
- Options holds Microphone, Include System Audio (macOS 27 Golden Gate or later), Show Mouse Clicks, Timer, Save to, and on macOS 26 or later a Capture format: SDR (H.264, most compatible) or HDR (HEVC).
- To stop, click Stop in the menu bar or press Command+Control+Esc. The file saves to the desktop as “Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov”.
- QuickTime Player: File → New Screen Recording, or Control+Command+N. On current macOS this can open the same Screenshot toolbar.
For a bug report or a quick “here's what I mean” clip, that's enough. What it leaves out matters once someone else has to watch the video: there are no zooms, no cursor smoothing, no background or captions, and editing stops at a trim (click the floating thumbnail after you stop). The Mac's own sound needs macOS 27, which Apple lists only for Apple silicon Macs. Our step-by-step guide on how to screen record on a Mac covers every built-in option, including the screencapture command.
| ZoomCap terminal recorder | This page (free) | Shift+Command+5 / QuickTime | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install | One command, npx zoomcap record | Nothing | Built in |
| Your microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Mac's own sound | Yes, macOS 15+ | Chrome 141+ on macOS 14.2+, or one tab's sound | macOS 27 only |
| What it records | A whole display | Screen, window or tab | Screen, window (macOS 26+) or portion |
| Automatic zoom | Yes, on clicks and typing | No; add zooms by hand in the editor | No |
| Cost | $29 once (or $12.49 a month) | Free | Free |
Recording your Mac with sound
A Mac recording can carry two kinds of sound: your voice from a microphone, and the Mac's own sound, such as a video, a call or an app's alerts. Your voice is easy everywhere. The Mac's sound depends on the tool and the macOS version:
- On this page, in Chrome: Chrome 141 or later on macOS 14.2 or later shows a Share system audio switch when you share a window or the whole screen, according to tests by the Pipe team (Google's release notes don't state it). In Chrome or Edge you can also share a single tab and tick Share audio to get that tab's sound. Safari and Firefox record your microphone but not the Mac's sound.
- On macOS 27 Golden Gate: Shift+Command+5 → Options → Include System Audio, plus a microphone from the same menu.
- With ZoomCap's terminal recorder, macOS 15 or later: system audio and mic in one recording through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, with no virtual audio driver to install. Add
--no-micfor system audio only. - With OBS Studio: free and open source; its download page lists macOS 13 or newer (checked October 2026).
Check your mic level before a long take; a five-second test recording played back with headphones catches most problems. If you get a silent file, our guide to recording a Mac screen with audio walks through the fixes, and does Cmd+Shift+5 record audio? lists exactly what each macOS version captures.
Automatic zoom on a Mac
A raw recording of a 14-inch MacBook screen shrinks to tiny text on a phone or in a small player. Zooming in on each click fixes that, and on a Mac ZoomCap does it for you:
npx zoomcap recordThat one command (Node 18 or later, part of the Pro and Lifetime plans) records your display, system audio and mic at 60 fps on macOS 15 or later, and notes where you click and when you type. It logs typing as timing only, never which keys. When you stop (q, the global shortcut ⌃⌥S, or the ● REC item in the menu bar), the editor opens in your browser with zooms already placed: clicks and typing bursts become zooms that hold, then release. A typing zoom aims at your last click, not the text caret. Press ⌃⌥Z during a take to force a zoom at that moment.
In the editor you add a background, padding, rounded corners, a macOS window frame, captions, a webcam overlay and music, switch to 9:16 or 1:1 for social, and export an MP4 up to 4K or a GIF. The recorder runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. macOS asks once for Screen Recording permission for your terminal app, plus Accessibility or Input Monitoring for the click data; npx zoomcap doctor tells you what's missing. On macOS 14 and older it falls back to video with an optional mic, no system audio.
Recordings from this page get zooms too, but you place them by hand, because a browser can't see clicks outside its own tab. How the click-based zooms compare with other apps is in screen recorders with automatic zoom.
Mac screen recorders compared
ZoomCap's row comes from our own product. The other rows come from each vendor's own site or GitHub page, checked September 2026; we did not hands-on test the paid apps.
| Recorder | Price (checked Sep 2026) | Free tier | Platforms | Local vs cloud | Auto zoom | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomCap | Free recorder; editor and CLI $29 once (or $12.49 a month) | Recorder free with no watermark; editor 2 exports a month with a small watermark | Browser recorder on any Mac; CLI on macOS and Linux (X11) | Local, never uploaded | Yes, from clicks and typing (CLI recordings) | Pay once; no motion blur or share links |
| Screen Studio | $29/mo · $108/yr ($9/mo billed yearly) · No longer sold to new buyers | Free download to try; exporting needs a plan | macOS only (Ventura 13.1+); no Windows plans | Local, with optional share links | Yes, from clicks | The most mature Mac app (motion blur, share links, iOS recording), but a subscription and Mac-only |
| OBS Studio | Free | Free and open source (GPL-2.0), no limits | Windows, macOS 13+, Linux | Local | No (third-party plugins only) | The best free capture and streaming tool; no editor or automatic zoom |
| Cap | Pro $12/user/mo · Desktop licence $29/yr; Pro about $98/yr · $58 once (desktop licence, commercial use) | Free for personal use only (no commercial use) | macOS, Windows (beta), Linux, Chrome extension | Local editing, optional cloud sharing | Yes (trigger not specified by the vendor) | Open source with sharing built in; commercial use needs a paid licence |
| Loom | Business $18/user/mo · Business $180/yr | 25 videos per person, 5-minute limit, 720p | macOS, Windows, Chrome extension, iOS, Android | Cloud | No | Best for quick async messages to a team; no automatic zoom |
| FocuSee | $19.99/mo (1 computer) · $49.99/yr (1 computer) · $199.99 once (FocuSee 2.x only, 5 computers) | Trial exports one video | Windows and macOS | Local editing; AI features use paid credits | Yes, follows clicks and typing | Cross-platform with typing zoom, but AI features cost credits and lifetime covers v2 only |
| OpenScreen | Free | Free for personal and commercial use, no watermark, no account (MIT) | macOS, Windows, Linux; also a CLI for scripts and CI | Local, GPU export; optional AI editing with your own API key | Yes, follows the cursor | Free, open source, with motion blur and per-segment speed; self-described as under active development with occasional breaking changes |
On price: $29 once is $295 less than Screen Studio's yearly plan over three years, and less than one year of FocuSee ($49.99/yr (1 computer)). Of the recorders we price-checked, Glidesmith (Mac only) matches that one-time price, and OBS Studio and OpenScreen cost nothing. Full plans are on the pricing page.
Which Mac screen recorder should you use?
- A recording right now, nothing to install: the recorder at the top of this page.
- A quick bug report or one corner of the screen: Shift+Command+5 with Record Selected Portion.
- A product demo, tutorial or launch video: ZoomCap's terminal recorder, for system audio and zooms on clicks and typing, $29 once.
- Streaming, or hours of multi-source recording: OBS Studio, free.
- Motion blur, hosted share links or recording an iPhone: Screen Studio, which has them according to its site.
- Quick updates your team watches through a link: Loom, whose free plan allows 25 videos per person, 5-minute limit, 720p.
- Automatic zoom with a budget of exactly $0: OpenScreen, open source.
What ZoomCap doesn't do on a Mac
- No motion blur.
- Speed changes apply to the whole video (1×, 1.5× or 2×), not per section.
- Automatic zoom needs the CLI's click data. On browser recordings and imported videos you place zooms by hand.
- No hosted share links, comments or viewer analytics. You export a file and share it yourself.
- The terminal recorder captures a whole display, not one window or region, and has no pause.
- No webcam bubble while recording on this page; add a webcam video in the editor.
On safety: recordings are edited and exported on your Mac and never uploaded to us. The security page shows what leaves your device. Payments go through Dodo Payments, and there's a 14-day refund if it doesn't work for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free screen recorder for Mac?
For a recording right now with nothing to install, the free recorder on this page: no sign-up, no watermark, and the video never leaves your Mac. For quick clips, the built-in Shift+Command+5 toolbar is already on every Mac. If you need a free desktop app for streaming or long multi-source sessions, OBS Studio is open source. For demos with automatic zoom, ZoomCap's terminal recorder costs $29 once (or $12.49 a month).
Does a Mac have a built-in screen recorder?
Yes. Press Shift+Command+5 to open the Screenshot toolbar, then choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Record Selected Portion and click Record. QuickTime Player's File > New Screen Recording (Control+Command+N) does the same job.
How do I screen record on a Mac with audio?
For your voice, turn on the microphone: the Microphone button on this page, or Options > Microphone in the Shift+Command+5 toolbar. For the Mac's own sound: on macOS 27 Golden Gate, choose Options > Include System Audio; on this page, record in Chrome 141 or later on macOS 14.2 or later and turn on Share system audio, or share a tab with Share audio ticked. ZoomCap's terminal recorder records system audio and mic together on macOS 15 and later.
Where do screen recordings save on a Mac?
The Shift+Command+5 toolbar saves to the desktop by default, as a .mov file named Screen Recording with the date and time; change it under Options > Save to. Recordings from this page go wherever your browser saves downloads, usually the Downloads folder. ZoomCap's terminal recorder saves to ~/Movies/ZoomCap by default.
How do I record only part of my Mac's screen?
In the Shift+Command+5 toolbar, choose Record Selected Portion and drag the frame's edges. On this page, the browser's picker records a whole screen, one window or one tab; to keep just one area, record the screen and crop it in the ZoomCap editor.
How long can I screen record on a Mac?
Apple's support pages don't list a time limit for the built-in recorder; free disk space is the practical limit. This page sets no limit either, but it holds the video in the browser's memory until you download it, so very long sessions depend on your Mac's free memory.
Does it work on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?
Yes. This page works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on any Mac, Apple silicon or Intel. ZoomCap's terminal recorder is a universal binary for both. Include System Audio in Shift+Command+5 needs macOS 27, and Apple's compatibility list for macOS 27 has only Apple silicon Macs (M1 from 2020 and later) and the MacBook Neo.
How do I stop a screen recording on a Mac?
For the built-in recorder, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Command+Control+Esc. On this page, click Stop and save, or the browser's Stop sharing button. In ZoomCap's terminal recorder, press q, the global shortcut Control+Option+S, or use the REC menu-bar item.
Is it safe to record my Mac's screen on this page?
Yes. The recorder uses the screen capture built into your browser and keeps the video in the open tab until you download it. Nothing is uploaded and you don't need an account. The ZoomCap editor also processes video on your computer.
Does this Mac screen recorder add a watermark?
No. Recordings you download from this page have no watermark and no time limit set by us. The optional ZoomCap editor's free plan exports 2 videos a month with a small watermark; $29 once (or $12.49 a month) removes it.
Why is my Mac screen recording black?
Either the app doing the recording lacks permission, or the content is protected. Allow your browser or recorder under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, then quit and reopen it. Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, don't allow their windows to be recorded at all.
Record your Mac now
Scroll up and click Start recording; it's free and takes a few seconds. On another computer, use the online screen recorder. When you want automatic zoom and the Mac's sound in one take, ZoomCap's terminal recorder is $29 once (or $12.49 a month).