Guide To Free Screencasting Tools: 8 Great Tools To Record Your Screen

There are several ways to communicate your Ideas more effectively and clear, than a simple videos. Have you throught to record your computer screen to create video presentations, product demos, tutorials, to be published online. Screencasting tools allow you to do it in a simple and fast way.

Here, I listed some services to add to your Screencasting experience. They each have are free to use, and they can help you to improving your works online.

Recording a screencast is a fast way to create video tutorials without using a camcorder, create presentations without using power point, and promote a service or product in a new way.

Image Credit: Bern@t

Each services have its particularity. You can pick to record a selected region or your whole desktop screen, record your audio, as add the videos from your webcam into your video to integrate the screencast.

Screencasting tools are available in two ways: web-based services and Desktop applications. The good news is that there are a growing number of screencasting tools that are completely free to use; some do not even require a registration to let you get started.

How can you differentiate each screencasting tool for your purposes?

Below I listed some things you need to know(each with a different colors) to help you compare these different services and choose your ideal free screencasting tool.

• Operating system: Check up if the service is compatible for windows or Mac.
• Screen region capture: Check up if the screencasting tools recording for an entire screen or a specific area of the screen.
• Audio recording: Check up if the service allows audio recording to complement your video recording.
• Webcam recording: Check up if the service support Webcam video embedded inside your screencast.
• Output format: Check up if the service support video formats to export your screencast.
• Upload to YouTube: Check up if the service allows you to upload your screencast to YouTube.
• Price: Each services are free to use.

ScreenToaster – Is a free web-based screencasting tool that allows you to record your desktop without downloading any software to your computer. All you have to do is to register and go. You can both record a selected region or a entire screen. You are also able to make an audio and webcam recording. Once done, you can also save your work as a MOV video file and SWF files that allows you to upload to any video-sharing site like YouTube.

ISU – ISU is a free screen recording software. Available for Windows operating systems, it’s are able to recording you entire screen. Unfortunatly, no region capture is available. It also allows you to add notes, drawing or adding a voice-over narration into your recording. Once you saved in WMV format, you can also send your screencast via e-mail, IM or any other application. It don’t allows you to direct upload your clips to YouTube is not available.

Copernicus – is a free screencasting available for Mac  software that allows you to either record your whole screen or just a selected region. It don’t support audio recording. You can save your file as a .MOV format. Webcam recording and direct upload to YouTube are not available.

GoView – GoView is a free screencasting software tool that allows you to creates video with audio by recording your entire screen. Available for Windows, screencasts produced with GoView are saved to Flash-based (FLV) video file formats. So, you can easily upload it on YouTube or other video-sharing sites. No webcam recording and the ability to record a specific screen region is available.

AviScreen Classic – is a free screen recording software for Windows that allows you to capture your screen. You can choose to record your entire screen or a selected region of the screen. Once done, you are able to save your work as AVI video or to a sequence of BMP images. Webcam and audio recording are not supported.

Jing – Jing is a free software that allows you to either record your selected region of the screen or your entire screen. Available for Windows and Mac operating systems, you are also able to record your audio along your video to create video tutorials. You can save your file as a Flash (SWF) file that allows you to upload to any video-sharing site like YouTube, Flickr or Screencast.com. No webcam recording facility is available.

Wink – is a free screencasting software tool available for Windows. Wink allows you to either record your selected region of the screen or your entire screen. No screen region capture are availables. You can also edit, annotate, and add a voice-over narration into your videos. You are able to save your videos as Flash (FLV) file formats. No webcam recording and direct upload to YouTube are available.

CamStudio – Maybe the most known free screencasting software out there. Available for Windows, CamStudio allows you to record every screen activity(entire screen or a selected area of your screen) and audio on your computer. Screencasts producedcan be saved as AVI or Flash (SWF) video file formats. No direct upload to YouTube or other video-sharing sites is available.

uTIPu – uTipu is a free Windows software tool that allows you to record your entire screen or a selected area of your screen. You can also record your audio along your video to create video tutorialscreate a video tutorial, demo or product showcase. Screencasts produced with uTipu are saved to both AVI or FLV video formats. You can also upload your screencasts to YouTube through the “TipCam to YouTube”. Webcam recording is not supported.