Bandicam vs ScreenToGif

Bandicam

• Windows users recording gameplay with an FPS counter
• Recording lectures, tutorials and online meetings on a PC
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

ScreenToGif

• Short GIFs for bug reports, documentation and tutorials
• Windows users who want a free recorder with a built-in editor
• Removing or annotating individual frames before exporting

Bandicam

• The free Windows version limits each recording to 5 minutes and watermarks edited or subtitled exports.
• A Personal license is for non-commercial use; organizations must buy the Business & Education license.
• The Mac app is a separate product with its own App Store subscription, and a Windows license does not cover it.
• A Perpetual license covers Bandicam 2027 on one PC and includes one year of technical support.

ScreenToGif

• Windows only: it needs Windows 10 or 11 and the .NET 9 Desktop Runtime or newer.
• The developer describes it as a quick, small recorder and recommends other software for recordings longer than a few minutes.
• The developer's site now marks ScreenToGif as legacy and presents a newer app, N-Studio, as its successor.
• It is a one-developer project supported by donations and sponsors.

Bandicam

Screen recording modes

Record the full screen, a chosen area or a single window with its own audio, across multiple monitors if needed. Recordings can start and stop on a schedule.

Game recording

A game mode detects the running DirectX, OpenGL or Vulkan game, records it with your voice and can show frames per second while recording.

Webcam and device capture

Overlay a webcam on the screen recording, or capture webcams, smartphones, consoles and other external devices. AI can remove, blur or replace the webcam background.

AI transcription

Transcribes recordings and audio files into text that can be saved as subtitles or a text file. The free version shows only part of the transcript.

Editing, drawing and Smart Zoom

Trim a recording right after capture, draw arrows, shapes and text while recording, and let Smart Zoom zoom in and out automatically around mouse clicks.

Audio recording

Record computer sound and the microphone without the screen, save as MP3 or WAV, and trim the result on a waveform view.

ScreenToGif

Screen recorder

A hollow window is placed over the area to capture and can snap to another window. The frame rate is set from 1 to 60 fps, and the frame can be moved while recording.

Webcam recorder

Captures the video feed from a webcam chosen from the connected video devices; resizing the window changes the size of the recording.

Board recorder

A canvas for drawing with a pen whose color and tip size can be changed. Strokes are recorded automatically as they are drawn.

Frame-based editor

Shows every frame of a recording so unwanted ones can be removed, and adds annotations such as captions and free drawing. It can also import GIFs and videos.

Export to GIF, APNG, video, PSD or PNG

A finished project is saved as an animated GIF or APNG, a video, a PSD file or PNG images, and single frames can be exported as images.

Bandicam

• Free$0

  5 minutes per recording with no watermark on recordings; edited exports are watermarked and AI transcription is limited.

• Personal Annual$33.26

  per year, for 1 PC

  Non-commercial use on Windows with no recording time limit, free updates and technical support. Labeled 10% off.

• Bandicam for Mac Pro$39.99

  per year, or $9.99 per month, as a Mac App Store purchase

  Removes the Mac app's 5-minute limit and adds video trimming and video-to-text. Covers personal and commercial use.

• Business & Education Annual$49.46

  per year, for 1 PC

  Commercial and organizational use on Windows, with an invoice. Shown against a crossed-out $65.95; a 2-PC license is $95.92.

• Personal Perpetual$53.90

  one-time payment, for 1 PC

  Perpetual use of Bandicam 2027 on Windows with one year of technical support. Shown against a crossed-out $77.00.

ScreenToGif

• ScreenToGif$0

  The complete app, downloaded from the developer's site or GitHub, or installed from the Microsoft Store, Chocolatey or FossHub.

Bandicam

• Lifetime license

  Perpetual license for a one-time $53.90

  The Personal Perpetual license covers Bandicam 2027 on one Windows PC for a single payment. The store shows it as 30% off a crossed-out $77.00, with no end date.

• Other savings

  Bandicam + Bandicut discount package

  A Personal 1-year package of the recorder and the Bandicut video cutter is listed at $49.97 against a crossed-out $64.90.

ScreenToGif

No public discounts listed.