2026-03-25 · Vyds Team
Best Mac Screen Recording Apps Compared
Comparing the best screen recording apps for macOS in 2026, from free built-in tools to full-featured apps with system audio capture.
Screen recording on Mac: more options than you think
macOS has built-in screen recording, but it has some notable gaps. Most importantly, the native recorder cannot capture system audio without a third-party audio driver. If you need to record a presentation with sound, a product demo with audio, or anything beyond a silent screen capture, you will need a dedicated app.
Here are five options for Mac screen recording, from free built-in tools to full-featured apps.
The best Mac screen recording apps
1. Vyds Desktop App
Vyds offers a native macOS app built with Tauri. It captures your screen with system audio, includes a camera bubble overlay, and uploads recordings for instant sharing. Trim and stitch editing is available in the web editor.
Price: Free (5 min, 720p, BYOS), $7/mo Plus (1080p, editing), $12/seat/mo Pro (4K, teams).
System audio: Yes, built-in capture without third-party drivers.
Sharing: Instant link generation after recording.
Editing: Trim and stitch in the web editor (Plus plan and above).
Best for: Teams and individuals who want system audio capture, fast sharing, and affordable pricing.
2. Loom Desktop App
Loom's macOS app is polished and widely used. It captures screen, webcam, or both with system audio. Recordings are instantly available via Loom's cloud.
Price: Free (5 min), $15/mo individual, $18/seat/mo Business.
System audio: Yes.
Sharing: Instant via Loom links.
Editing: Trim on paid plans.
Best for: Teams already inside Confluence and Jira who need reliable recording with integrations.
3. ScreenPal
ScreenPal's macOS app covers basic recording and editing. It includes a webcam overlay, annotation tools, and video hosting. Pricing is among the lowest.
Price: Free (watermarked), $4/mo Solo Deluxe, $6/user/mo Team.
System audio: Requires virtual audio driver on some versions.
Sharing: Via ScreenPal hosting.
Editing: Built-in editor with cuts, text, and annotations.
Best for: Budget users who want basic editing built into the recorder.
4. CleanShot X
CleanShot X is a screenshot and screen recording tool for macOS. It excels at screenshots with annotation, scrolling capture, and OCR. Screen recording is a secondary feature but works well for quick clips.
Price: $29 one-time, or $10/month with cloud hosting.
System audio: Yes.
Sharing: CleanShot Cloud for quick sharing, or local save.
Editing: Trim. Stronger on screenshot editing than video.
Best for: Developers and designers who want a great screenshot tool that also records video.
5. macOS Built-in Screen Recording
macOS includes two built-in recording options. The Screenshot toolbar (Cmd+Shift+5) lets you record the full screen or a selected area. QuickTime Player offers more control with File > New Screen Recording.
Price: Free.
System audio: No. macOS does not capture system audio natively. You need a third-party virtual audio driver like BlackHole to route audio.
Sharing: Saves to local file. No cloud sharing or link generation.
Editing: QuickTime has basic trim. No stitch, no annotations.
Best for: Quick, silent screen captures when you do not need audio or sharing.
Comparison table
| App | Price | System audio | Sharing | Editing | Webcam overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vyds | Free/$7/$12 | Yes | Instant link | Trim + stitch (Plus+) | Yes |
| Loom | Free/$15/$18 | Yes | Instant link | Trim (paid) | Yes |
| ScreenPal | Free/$4/$6 | Driver needed | ScreenPal host | Built-in editor | Yes |
| CleanShot X | $29 or $10/mo | Yes | CleanShot Cloud | Trim | No |
| macOS built-in | Free | No | Local file | Basic trim | No |
The system audio problem on Mac
This is the single biggest frustration with Mac screen recording. macOS does not provide a way for apps to capture audio playing from other applications without either a system extension or a virtual audio driver. The built-in recorder is completely silent.
Apps like Vyds, Loom, and CleanShot X have solved this with built-in audio capture that works without requiring you to install a separate audio driver. If system audio matters for your recordings, this should be your top filter.
Which Mac recorder should you pick?
For professional use with system audio and instant sharing, Vyds offers the best value. For a one-time purchase screenshot-first tool, CleanShot X is excellent. And for zero-friction silent captures, the built-in macOS recorder works fine. Test your top two picks with a real recording and see which workflow feels faster.
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