ShareX review

ShareX is the free answer for Windows users who mainly want to grab part of the screen and share it. The ShareX Team describes it as a free and open source screenshot tool with screen capture, screen recording and file sharing in one lightweight application, with no ads and no account required. You can record the full screen, a region, a window or a monitor to video or straight to an animated GIF, then run after-capture tasks such as annotation, OCR or upload to a destination you choose, including Amazon S3 or a custom uploader. The site lists more than 34 million downloads and over 18 years of development. Compared with OBS it is far quicker for a short clip of a bug or a settings change, since one hotkey starts a region recording. It is Windows only and has no webcam overlay, scenes or streaming, and the settings menus are dense, so it suits power users more than beginners.

Who it is for

Windows users who want a free recorder with no ads

Price

Free and open source; no paid plan.

Free forever. Open source. No account required.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Screen recording and screen recording to GIF
• Capture full screen, a region, an active window, a monitor or a scrolling page
• After-capture tasks such as OCR, annotation and upload
• Uploads to a wide range of destinations, including custom uploaders and Amazon S3
• Video converter, video trimmer and animated GIF maker

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free, open source, no ads and no account required
• Strength: More than 34 million downloads over 18 years of development
• Strength: Portable and Microsoft Store versions alongside the installer
• Weakness: Windows only
• Weakness: Built around screenshots, so recording has fewer options than a dedicated recorder
• Weakness: No webcam overlay or live streaming

Key facts

• Price: Free, open source
• Platform: Windows
• Downloads: More than 34 million
• Recording formats: Video and GIF

Where it ranks

ShareX is No. 5 in our Best OBS Alternatives verdict.