3 Mac Screen Recorders and Which One is Best for You

With countless Mac screen recorders for you to choose from it can be complicated to choose the one that suits your needs and is easy to use.

We’ve done the groundwork and created a list of the three best screen recording tools for Mac. By the end of this blog, you’ll know not only how to screen record on Mac but also which Mac screen recording software is best for you and why.

We’ll cover:

1. How to record your screen with QuickTime on Mac
2. How to screen record on Mac using the Screenshot Toolbar
3. How to Record Your Screen with VEED’s Free Screen Recorder Browser Extension

[#TOC1]How to record your screen with QuickTime on Mac[#TOC1]

Best for: People who need a free built-in quick solution to record short and simple tutorials.

QuickTime is a built-in, free screen recording software for Mac that can handle various images and video formats. Most people know it for watching videos, but less know about its powerful recording features. It’s ideal for people who need small and light recordings.

It also allows you to trim the video as per the needs. But if you expect software with powerful tools that enhance the video experience for viewers, then QuickTime is not the ideal choice for you.
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It has a paid version that comes with a few additional features such as:

• Video compressor
• Editing videos 
• Cropping and resizing of videos

‍NOTE: File sizes with QuickTime are large. And you'll need a video compressor to reduce the scope for sharing or storing.

1. ‍Open QuickTime player
   

2. ‍From the top bar click on ‘File’ and select new screen recording.

3. ‍Once on the screen you can choose between options for resizing your screen.

4. ‍To record the screen with your audio. Click on ‘Options’ and choose the microphone of your choice to record the audio.

5. ‍Once you’re done with the setup click on record to start recording.

Note: the recording starts instantly so make sure you’ve finished all of your setup. 

6. ‍To stop the recording, click on the stop icon at the top right hand side. 

7. ‍Once done, you can find the recording on the desktop or your preferred folder.

[#TOC2]How to screen record on Mac using the Screenshot Toolbar[#TOC2]

Best for: people who want to capture the screen quickly for an instant tutorial.

The screenshot toolbar is accessed through a keyboard shortcut that allows you to record your screen instantly. So if you’re someone who likes to work with keyboard shortcuts, then recording your screen with a screenshot toolbar is the right option for you.

With this method, you don’t have to crowd your dock with all of the apps, and it is easily accessible.

The screenshot toolbar gives you multiple options:

• Record the entire screen, a specific window, or you can select a particular area to record it.
• Choose the specific folder in which you want to save this recording.
• Easily choose the option to add your voice with the microphone.

Here’s how you can record a quick video with screenshot toolbar:

1. To open the screenshot toolbar, press ‘Command+shift+5’.[/1]

2. Once done, at the bottom of the screen you can spot your toolbar. 

3. With the toolbar, you can change the size of the screen from various options.
   👉 Capture entire screen
   👉 Capture selected window
   👉 Capture selected portion

4. ‍To record the screen with audio click on ‘options’ and choose the appropriate input device.

5. ‍To start recording click on ‘Record’.

6. ‍Once you’re done recording click on the stop icon at the top right hand corner.

7. ‍If you haven’t selected any folder to save the recording, you can find it on your desktop by default.[/7]

[#TOC3]How to Record Your Screen with VEED’s Free Screen Recorder Browser Extension[#TOC3]

Best for: people and teams who need to create lots of shareable and customizable screen recordings plus want cloud storage.

VEED’s screen recorder browser extension is a simple yet powerful screen recording software that lets you tap into your creative side with tons of extra features. You can screen record your entire screen, and in case you switch between tabs, VEED records all of that.

And the best part about the extension is—it’s completely free with unlimited recordings and recording length.

Here’s how you can get started with VEED:

1. Head over to the chrome web store and install the VEED screen recorder extension.

2. ‍As soon as you add it to the chrome, it'll prompt a new page to load where you’ll be asked to create a free account or you can log in to the existing one. 

After you finish up the installation process, you can pin up the VEED extension to the browser toolbar for easy access.

3. ‍To start, click on the VEED icon on the toolbar.

Your system must have prompted you to ask for access to your camera and microphone.

4. ‍Choose the layout for your screen recording. 

Before you hit recording, think about the way you want to present the video. VEED has three layouts for you to choose from:

1. Screen and webcam
2. Screen only
3. Webcam only

You can also spot two boxes with an option for your microphone and camera access. You can also use an external or built in device to record the screen with audio.

5. ‍Click on ‘Start recording’ 

It'll prompt a new window where you can select the screen(s) you want to record.

1. Window
2. Entire Screen
3. Chrome Tab

6. ‍Initiate recording after the 3 second timer. 

VEED gives you a few seconds to have everything in place so you don’t go haywire in setting up things before it starts recording.

To control the recording, you can find the toolbar on the left side of the screen. And in case you find that the webcam is blocking the view, you can move or resize it around to display everything on your screen better.

7. ‍Try the VEED’s screen recorder tools to make your video more creative and fun to watch. If you want to highlight something while recording you can use:
   
   🌈 Rainbow draw tool to annotate or highlight.
   📒 Sticky note to add any additional information for future reference.
   🪄 Magic tool to add a celebration effect in the recording.

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And all of these tools are free to use, so go on and uncover your creative side.

8. ‍Click on the stop icon on the left side to stop recording.

Then, VEED will render your video. And the duration of the rendering process can vary according to the file size.

Note: You can record unlimited videos without any limits to the recording length. If you want to store your recordings, you can create a free or paid VEED account to host your content.

9. ‍Click on share and choose ‘Copy link’.

Click to share your video on social media channels, embed it , or email it.

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You can share the video when it’s marked as public with anyone who has the link. But if you want to keep it private, turn off the public video toggle so only you can view the video.

So what’s the best free screen recorder for Mac for you?

If you need just the basics to occasionally record your screen, QuickTime is the best free built-in screen recording tool to use. 

If you’re looking for a quick, simple, and easy-access solution the screenshot toolbar shortcut is the fastest free way to record your Mac screen without clicking to open another app. 

But, if you’re looking for an all-in-one video tool to screen record, edit, cost, and share videos, then VEED is the best free screen recorder app.

The best part is VEED allows unlimited recordings without any time constraints and the number of recordings you make!

Try VEED’s screen recorder chrome extension for free.