The 5 Best Free Tools to Record Your Screen for Teaching
Recording your screen is one of the highest-impact skills a teacher can develop. Asynchronous video lessons, tutorial walkthroughs, personalised feedback on student work and professional development content all start with a screen recording. Here are the five best free tools to do it.
1. Loom
Best for: Quick, shareable video messages and lesson walkthroughs.
How it works: Install the Loom browser extension (or desktop app). Click Record and choose screen, camera, or both. When you stop, Loom instantly uploads the video and gives you a shareable link — no waiting for exports.
Free plan: Up to 25 videos, each up to 5 minutes. Viewers can comment and emoji-react directly on the video timeline.
Best feature: The recipient does not need a Loom account to watch. Send the link in an email, LMS or Slack message.
2. Screencastify
Best for: Chrome-based classrooms and Google Workspace schools.
How it works: A Chrome extension that records your tab, full desktop or webcam (or combinations). Recordings save automatically to Google Drive.
Free plan: Unlimited recordings up to 30 minutes each. A Screencastify watermark appears in the top corner.
Best feature: The Submit tool lets students record themselves (answering a question, reading aloud, demonstrating a skill) and send the video directly to the teacher — no account needed for students.
3. OBS Studio
Best for: High-quality recordings and live streaming with full control.
How it works: A free, open-source desktop application (Windows, Mac, Linux). Completely unlimited — record as long as you like at any resolution, add multiple video/audio sources, stream live to YouTube or Zoom simultaneously.
Free plan: Completely free, forever. No watermarks, no limits.
Limitation: Steeper learning curve than browser-based tools. Best for teachers who want maximum quality and control and are willing to spend an hour learning the settings.
4. Clipchamp (Windows built-in)
Best for: Windows users who want a screen recorder and video editor in one tool.
How it works: Built into Windows 11 and available free in the Microsoft Store for Windows 10. Records screen and webcam, then opens in the Clipchamp editor where you can cut, add captions, transitions and background music.
Free plan: Unlimited recordings and editing. Export at 1080p free. No watermark.
Best feature: The combination of recording and editing in one tool saves significant time compared to recording in one app and editing in another.
5. Chrome's Built-in Screen Recorder
Best for: One-off recordings with no setup.
How it works: In Chrome, open a new tab and type chrome://new-tab-page — or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+H (Windows) to open Screen Capture from Chrome's built-in cast menu. No extension or account required.
Free plan: Completely free, no account.
Limitation: Very basic — no editing, no webcam overlay. Good for capturing exactly what is on screen quickly without any setup.
Which should you use?
- Quickest to share: Loom
- Google Workspace school: Screencastify
- No limits, maximum quality: OBS Studio
- Windows with editing: Clipchamp
- Zero setup, one-off: Chrome built-in
Start with Loom if you have never recorded a screen before. The instant shareable link removes every friction point between recording and delivering content to students.
