OpenScreen

Free plan APILinuxMacSelf-hostedWindows

What OpenScreen is

OpenScreen is a free, MIT-licensed screen recorder and video editor for creating product demos and walkthroughs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It records webcam footage, system audio, and microphone input, with maximum video quality up to 4K. Click-based zooms follow a fixed rule rather than AI or a network call. Editing tools include trims, speed ramps, cursor styling, backgrounds, annotations, blur regions, and transcript-based cuts.

Webcam footage can be arranged picture in picture, side by side, vertically stacked, or full screen; background blur, cutout, and replacement are processed locally. Transcription uses whisper.cpp on the device and, after a one-time model download, can work offline. Captions can be styled and burned into video. Exports include MP4 in H.264 at 720p, 1080p, or source resolution and 24, 30, or 60 fps, plus GIF. Optional AI editing and caption translation can use connected provider keys, including Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, OpenRouter, MiniMax, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Recording, transcription, and rendering happen locally. The desktop app also includes a CLI for headless recording, project editing, and rendering, with NDJSON output available through --json.

Who it suits

OpenScreen suits individuals or teams making demos and walkthroughs who want recording, editing, and exports on a desktop computer. It is also relevant to users who prefer local processing, offline transcription after downloading the model, or a CLI workflow.

What it does well

Records webcam, system audio, and microphone input.
Edits include trims, speed ramps, annotations, and transcript-based cuts.
Processes recording, transcription, and rendering locally.
Offers MP4 and GIF exports with multiple resolutions and frame rates.
Free for personal and commercial use under an MIT license.

What to know first

No hosted sharing, cloud storage, team workspaces, or comments.
Captions are burned into video; SRT and VTT exports are unavailable.
Requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later, macOS 13 or later, or specified Linux support.

Limits

The free plan has no usage caps or premium tier. There is no hosted sharing, cloud storage, team workspace, or comments, and the app does not export SRT or VTT caption files.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	Free forever · No paywalls · no premium tier · no usage caps · personal and commercial use	Free

As getopenscreen.com lists them, read 10 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit https://getopenscreen.com/.
Choose Windows, macOS, or Linux, checking the listed system requirements.
Install and open the desktop app; the project directs users to Discord for real-time help.
Download the transcription model once if you want on-device captions.
Connect a provider key only if you want optional AI editing or caption translation.

Verdict

Choose OpenScreen if you want a free desktop recorder and editor with local processing, flexible camera layouts, and MP4 or GIF output. It is a poor fit if your workflow depends on cloud storage, team workspaces, hosted sharing, or separate caption files. Check the listed operating-system requirements before choosing a platform.

Questions

How much does OpenScreen cost?

The Free plan costs nothing, billed free forever. It has no paywalls, premium tier, or usage caps.

Which platforms does OpenScreen support?

It supports Windows 10 version 1903 or later, macOS 13 or later, and x64 Linux with PipeWire and xdg-desktop-portal.

Is OpenScreen open source, and can it be used commercially?

OpenScreen is MIT licensed and free for personal and commercial use.

Does OpenScreen store or share recordings online?

It has no hosted sharing, cloud storage, team workspaces, or comments; recordings remain on the user's disk.

Can I export caption files?

No. Captions can be styled and burned into the video, but SRT and VTT files are not exported.

Can I use AI features?

Optional AI editing and caption translation support keys for Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, OpenRouter, MiniMax, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Provider requests are made only after the user connects a provider.

Facts from OpenScreen's own pages

AI integrations: Optional AI editing and caption translation support provider keys for Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, OpenRouter, MiniMax, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Automatic zooms: It places zooms based on recorded clicks using a fixed rule, without AI or a network call. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Camera: Webcam footage can appear picture in picture, side by side, vertically stacked, or full screen, with background blur, cutout, or replacement processed locally. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Caption limits: Captions are burned into the video, and the app does not export SRT or VTT caption files. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Captions: Transcription uses whisper.cpp on the device; after the one-time model download, it can work offline, and captions can be styled and burned into the video. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Command-line interface: The desktop app includes a CLI for headless recording, project editing, and MP4 or GIF rendering, with NDJSON output available through --json. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Editing: The editor supports trims, speed ramps, cursor styling, backgrounds, annotations, blur regions, and transcript-based cuts. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Export: It exports MP4 in H.264 at 720p, 1080p, or source resolution and 24, 30, or 60 fps, as well as GIF. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
License and use: OpenScreen is MIT licensed and free for personal and commercial use. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Microphone recording: Yes · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
Supported platforms: windows,macos,linux · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
Privacy: Recording, transcription, and rendering happen locally, with no OpenScreen server, analytics, or crash-reporting SDK; AI provider requests are made only after the user connects a provider. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Sharing limits: OpenScreen has no hosted sharing, cloud storage, team workspaces, or comments; recordings remain on the user's disk. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs users to Discord for real-time help and GitHub Issues for bug reports and feature requests. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
System audio: Yes · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
System requirements: The site lists Windows 10 version 1903 or later, macOS 13 or later, and x64 Linux with PipeWire and xdg-desktop-portal; it recommends 8 GB minimum and 16 GB RAM. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026
Maximum video quality: 4k · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
Webcam recording: Yes · getopenscreen.com, 20 Sept 2026
What it does: OpenScreen is a free, open-source screen recorder and video editor for making polished product demos and walkthroughs. · getopenscreen.com, 10 Oct 2026

Where OpenScreen stands on Freedom251

Screen Recording Software#12 of 132
AI Screen Recorders#12 of 39