Collaboration tools have emerged as a necessity owing to the recent shift to the work-from-home culture. Screen recorder is one such indispensable tool, and they come in handy to collaborate, troubleshoot, and create product demos. If you are a heavy user, screen recording extensions are the best option!
They offer a multitude of features and help improve your workflow. However, if you aren’t sure which is the best option, Fret not! I have rounded up the best screen recording extensions for Chrome.
- Loom for Chrome
- Nimbus Capture
- Screencastify
- Screen Recorder
- Vidyard
- Awesome Screenshot & Screen Recorder
1. Loom for Chrome – Editor’s choice
I have used Loom for screen recording needs for quite some time. The extension scores brownie points for user experience and slick integration with other apps, including Google Drive and Slack.
Loom for Chrome lets you record in three different ways. You can choose between Screen and Camera, Screen Only, and Camera Only. With Loom, you can set whether you want to record Full Desktop or only the Current Tab.
Webcam output is displayed in the bottom left and can be dragged anywhere on the screen. Team Library makes it super easy to share and collaborate with the whole team without the hassles of sharing links.
Pros
- Intuitive user interface
- Option to create multiple workspaces
Cons
- Video recording limited to 5-minutes in free version
- Occasional delays in processing videos
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $8/month)
2. Nimbus Capture – Nimble and customizable
Nimbus is a comprehensive Chrome screen recording extension. It lets you record videos of Chrome tabs and desktop. You can pin Nimbus on Chrome for easy access. Nimbus allows you to capture selected areas, an entire page, desktop screenshot, and record video. Select and Scroll option allows you to scroll while taking screenshots.
Nimbus offers a robust suite of editing options, including annotations, stickers, blur tools, and more. Certain features, like video editing tool, watermark, trim and unlimited recordings, are reserved for the “Pro” version. Nimbus Capture lets you upload the screen.
Pros
- Customizable Hotkeys
- Seamless integration with Slack and Google Drive.
Cons
- Watermark in the free version
- Free version upload quota limited to 100/Mb per month. (Translates to 10-minutes of screen capture.)
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $3.50/month)
3. Screencastify – High on performance
Screencastify is one of the top-rated screen recorder Chrome extensions raking more than a 10-Million downloads. The extension touts seamless integration with Google account, letting you save recordings on Google Drive. This way, you can avoid purchasing separate cloud space for storing your recordings.
Screencastify scores high on the utilitarian front as it lets you record the Tab and even the entire desktop. All you need to do is hit the record button, and voila!
The extension not only records your desktop but also records the audio. Furthermore, you can select mic and record narrations. That apart, you can embed a webcam in the bottom right while recording the screen.
The extension offers a decent set of video editing tools, including trim, merge, add text, crop, and much more. The free version limits video duration to 5-minute per recording, and you can get rid of time limitations with the paid plan.
Pros
- Free plan supports pause/resume for screen recording
- Offers real-time screen annotation
Cons
- Watermark in the free version
- Free version lacks video editing tools
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $49/year)
4. Screen Recorder – Unparalleled offline support
Screen Recorder is a no-frills Chrome video recording extension with no watermarks and unlimited video support. The extension has me impressed with the minimalistic design and the option to record videos without signing up.
Some Chrome extensions struggle to function adequately in offline mode. However, Screen Recorder works well in the offline mode and saves the video locally. If you travel a lot or work in an area with limited connectivity, Screen Recorder is one of the best options out there.
Screen Recorder has yet to add support for Screen+Camera mode, currently one of the most significant drawbacks.
Pros
- Remarkable offline support
- Supports audio recording across multiple channels
Cons
- Free version lacks decent video editing tools
Price: Free
5. Vidyard – Record hour-long videos for free
A majority of Chrome screen recording tools impose a time limit on their free account. Vidyard is one of the very few recording extensions to record HD videos for up to one hour.
With the extension, you can record using a mic, a handy feature for creating tutorials or product demo. Vidyard lets you stitch multiple videos and create a shareable playlist. The 3-seconds animated GIF preview is a thoughtful feature.
Pros
- Lets you add call-to-action in the video.
- Create video playlists
Cons
- Complex user interface
- It collects user data, including IP address, technical data for advertising
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $15/month)
6. Awesome Screenshot & Screen Recorder – Multipurpose with Hotkeys
True to its name, Awesome Screenshot extension packs some impressive features. You can record desktop, current Tab, or Camera only.
I loved the two-tab menu that lets you quickly switch between Awesome Screenshot and Awesome Screen Recorder. Best of all, you get to choose between video resolutions starting from 720p to 4K. Furthermore, you can directly share the video to Slack, Jira, Trello, Asana, and GitHub.
Awesome Screen Recorder lacks advanced features like live annotation and video editing tools.
Pros
- Hot Key to switch between screenshot and screen recording mode.
Cons
- Limited screen recording features
- The free tier restricts video recording to 30-seconds.
- No option to record the screen and webcam at the same time.
Price: Free (Paid starts at $4/user/month)
Wrapping it up
Chrome screen recording extensions come in handy on more than one occasion. Be it troubleshooting your parent’s laptop or virtual brainstorming session with your teammates.
It is mighty helpful for creating product demos and collecting sales leads. Which is your favorite screen recorder Chrome extension? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more:
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Mahit is an engineer by Education with a corporate stint to his name. He ditched the corporate boardroom wars in favor of the technology battleground. For the better part of a decade, he has worked for popular publishing outlets, including Dennis Publishing, BGR India, AppStorm, MakeUseOf, and iPhonehacks.