Free Online Screen Recorder

By default the recorder saves the raw capture as .webm (VP8/VP9 video + Opus audio) because browsers natively produce that container. If you prefer .mp4 (H.264 + AAC) use the Settings > Export format > MP4 option which runs an in‑browser ffmpeg.wasm transcode — expect CPU use and export times roughly 2–4× the recording time on a typical laptop. Audio‑only exports are available as .wav (uncompressed) or .mp3 (compressed) from the same Export menu. Choose WebM for fastest capture and smallest files, MP4 for maximum player compatibility.

Open screenrecorderonlinefree.com in Chrome/Edge/Firefox on desktop, click the blue Start Recording button, then pick Entire screen, Application window or Chrome tab in the browser permission dialog. Toggle Microphone and Record Webcam if you want audio or a picture‑in‑picture camera overlay, then click Start sharing; when finished press Stop and use the Download button to save .webm or Export > MP4. No account, no installer and no watermark are applied — downloads go to your browser's Downloads folder as the .webm/.mp4 file you chose.

Yes on desktop Chrome/Edge you can capture microphone plus tab or screen audio: in the getDisplayMedia prompt choose the screen/tab and check Share audio (Chrome shows a checkbox). The recorder stores mixed audio as Opus in .webm or AAC in exported .mp4; microphone-only can also be exported as .wav for editing. Note Safari on macOS supports video capture but typically blocks system audio, and iOS Safari does not support getDisplayMedia for web apps, so system audio capture is not available there.

There is no artificial time cap on recordings, but practical limits depend on available disk space, browser memory and export/transcode CPU. Long single files over ~4GB can cause playback problems on older players and may strain in‑browser ffmpeg export on machines with less than ~4GB RAM; we recommend splitting sessions longer than 2–4 hours or recording in chapters. Also avoid running many background tabs because Chrome throttles timers which can cause dropped frames in very long captures.

Enable the Record Webcam toggle before starting; the tool will capture camera as a picture‑in‑picture overlay and merge it into the main .webm/.mp4 file by default. You can resize and drag the webcam frame while recording using the on‑screen handle, set webcam position and size in Settings, and choose to Export webcam as a separate file (.mp4) if you need an isolated track for editing. Typical webcam capture is 30 fps and up to 1080p depending on your camera and browser permissions.

A black capture often stems from recording DRM/protected video (Netflix, Hulu) which the browser blocks, or from choosing the wrong capture source — try switching from Entire screen to Application window or a specific Chrome tab. GPU/hardware acceleration or outdated graphics drivers can also cause black frames; try toggling Chrome Settings > System > Use hardware acceleration off and relaunch. Finally confirm the site has Screen and Camera permissions by clicking the lock icon in the address bar and allowing Screen/Camera/Microphone access.

Chrome and Edge provide the broadest support: they allow tab and (on desktop) screen audio capture and produce .webm natively with optional MP4 export. Firefox primarily records to .webm and has more limited system audio support, while Safari on macOS can capture video but often blocks system audio and may not allow ffmpeg.wasm MP4 export due to codec availability. On iOS (Safari or Chrome) in‑browser getDisplayMedia is restricted, so use the device's native screen recorder or a desktop for full features.

Open Settings before recording and adjust Resolution (720p/1080p/1440p), Frame rate (15/30/60 fps) and Bitrate slider; for screen demos 1080p at 30 fps with 4,000–6,000 kbps gives a good balance of clarity and size. Choose VP9/WebM for smaller files at similar quality but expect longer CPU time for MP4 export; select H.264/MP4 for compatibility if you plan to edit on older NLEs. Reducing frame rate to 15 fps or lowering bitrate will drop file size but can make mouse movement or gameplay appear choppy.

Android Chrome (modern versions) can use getDisplayMedia to record the screen, but behavior varies by device — you’ll see the system share sheet and the recording runs until you stop it in the browser; audio capture may be limited. iOS Safari and browsers on iOS do not allow third‑party in‑browser screen capture due to WebKit restrictions, so use the iOS Control Center recorder and import the file. Mobile recordings also have more CPU/memory limits; for sessions over 20–30 minutes prefer a desktop to avoid crashes and large in‑memory buffers.

By default everything is processed in your browser memory and the final file is downloaded to your local Downloads folder — no upload to our servers unless you explicitly use the optional Share/Upload feature. Temporary buffers exist in RAM during recording and export; closing the tab without downloading discards the recording. If you use Export > Upload to cloud the site will show a clear consent dialog and then upload the file; otherwise recordings remain local and private to your device.

Screen Recorder Online Free is designed for quick, no‑install captures and single‑file exports, whereas OBS Studio is a full desktop recorder/streamer offering multi‑scene switching, separate audio tracks and hardware encoding (NVENC/QuickSync). HandBrake is a dedicated transcoder for offline re‑encoding and batch compression; use it if you need advanced bitrate control or container changes. If you need one‑click screen+webcam captures without setup, the online tool is faster, but for heavy multi‑source streaming, long multi‑hour encoded files or real‑time hardware encoding, a desktop app is better.

If the microphone is silent, check the browser lock icon > Site settings > Microphone and ensure the correct device is selected in Settings > Audio device; also verify OS privacy settings (Windows Privacy > Microphone or macOS System Preferences > Security & Privacy). For audio/video sync drift try reducing frame rate or bitrate and avoid putting the tab in the background; export failures during MP4 transcoding often occur on low‑RAM machines — retry with WebM or shorten the clip. If downloads won’t start, disable any strict adblockers or test in a fresh Chrome profile and use the Download button rather than relying on auto‑save.