SimpleScreenRecorder review

SimpleScreenRecorder is a long-standing Linux recorder that sits between one-click tools and OBS. Its developer built it to record programs and games, and it can capture the full screen, a region, or an OpenGL application directly, which is how its documented Steam workflow works: you add ssr-glinject to a game's launch options and select OpenGL recording. During a recording it shows the file size, bit rate and actual frame rate, can show a live preview, and pauses or resumes with a hotkey. It uses the libav/ffmpeg libraries, so codec and format choice is wide, and the defaults are sensible enough to record without changing anything. On Ubuntu and Debian it installs straight from the official repositories. The main caveat is age: the project page is written around X11 and does not mention Wayland, which is now the default session on Ubuntu, and there is no webcam overlay. Also note the developer's warning that simplescreenrecorder.com is a fake site.

Who it is for

Ubuntu and Debian users on X11 who want a reliable recorder from the official repositories, including OpenGL and Steam game capture.

Price

Free and open source under the GNU GPL; no paid plan.

SimpleScreenRecorder is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License .
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Records the entire screen, part of it, or OpenGL applications directly
• Pause and resume with a button or hotkey
• Live statistics during recording: file size, bit rate, recording time and actual frame rate
• Optional preview while recording
• libav/ffmpeg encoding with many codecs and formats, plus experimental live streaming

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Installs from the official repositories with sudo apt-get install simplescreenrecorder on Debian 9 or newer
• Strength: Sensible defaults and tooltips mean little reading is needed
• Strength: Guides on the project site cover recording Steam games and game audio
• Weakness: The project page describes X11-era recording and does not mention Wayland support
• Weakness: The Arch package moved to the AUR in April 2023 because it had no maintainer
• Weakness: No webcam overlay or scene layouts

Key facts

• Platforms: Linux
• Install: Official repositories on Debian 9+, RPM Fusion on Fedora, AUR on Arch
• Game capture: OpenGL recording, with a Steam launch option guide
• Project page updated: May 23, 2026

Where it ranks

SimpleScreenRecorder is No. 3 in our Best Screen Recorders for Linux verdict.