Fraps vs Movavi Screen Recorder (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fraps and Movavi Screen Recorder share a 2.4 GPA, and only Fraps has a free plan.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fraps grades higher on value for money. Movavi Screen Recorder grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fraps
Windows game recorder, frame-rate counter and screenshot tool
Movavi Screen Recorder
Desktop screen recorder with webcam overlay and scheduling
Which one is for you
Pick Fraps if
- Fits if you want a frame counter and benchmark for DirectX or OpenGL games
- Works for people who want a one-time purchase for game recording
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, since it is Windows only
- Not for you if you play newer games that need other capture methods: it covers DirectX and OpenGL
- Tight if you stay free: the limited version adds a watermark and a recording cap
- Watch out: the latest release is 3.5.99 from February 26, 2013, and later Windows versions aren't named
Pick Movavi Screen Recorder if
- Fits if you record webinars, online courses and calls to watch later
- Works for tutorials where you want the cursor and keystrokes highlighted
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need real editing, as the built-in editor only trims and editing is a separate Movavi product
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $19.99 against $44.99 for the whole year
- Not for you if you want to save copy-protected streams, since Movavi says it doesn't capture them
- Tight if you want to try it properly, as the trial lasts 7 days and watermarks output videos
- Watch out: Movavi's own store prices differ by country, and there's no Linux, web or phone version
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFrapsFair | 2.4GPAMovavi Screen RecorderFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$37 once, under three months of a typical $14 video subscription, and level with the $37 one-time middle. | B$44.99 a year on the US Mac App Store works out at $3.75 a month, under the $5 where this category's lowest quarter starts. Pay by the month and it's $19.99, which is dearer than almost anything here, so take the year. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free download of the unregistered version, but the Buy page says recording length is limited and movies carry a watermark. | CNo free plan at all. The download is a 7-day trial that stamps a watermark on your output videos, and nothing in the listing says it wants a card first. |
| Features | CFrame-rate counter, benchmarks, screenshots on a keypress and game capture up to 7680x4800. It does that job fully, but a narrow one, and only for DirectX and OpenGL games. | CIt does the recording job: 4K, system audio and mic, webcam overlay, drawing mid-recording, cursor and keystroke highlights, a scheduler, scrolling screenshots. But that's the smaller job, and the built-in editor only trims; real editing is the separate Movavi Video Editor. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and press a hotkey to record, with nothing to connect. | BNo store rating on record, but it's a desktop app you install and point at the screen. The confusing part is buying it: the Mac App Store sells subscriptions and Movavi's own store sells a year or a lifetime licence. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, and the download page lists up to Windows 7. No Mac, Linux, phone or web version, and no integrations. | CWindows 10 or 11 and macOS, and that's the lot. No web version, no phone app, no Linux, and YouTube is the only integration listed. |
| Best for | showing frame rates and capturing games on Windows | recording webinars and tutorials on a desktop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fraps and Movavi Screen Recorder. How we grade
Where they differ
- Movavi Screen Recorder also covers noise cancellation.
At a glance
| Fraps | Movavi Screen Recorder | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $37, one-time | $19.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US Mac App Store prices) |
| Free plan | Free download of the unregistered version. The site says registering removes the recording-length limit and the watermark on movies. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day trial of the downloaded version, with a watermark on output videos |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Beepa Pty Ltd | Movavi Software Limited |
| Price read from | fraps.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fraps
- Windows only; the download page lists Windows XP, 2003, Vista and Windows 7 and does not name later Windows versions.
- The latest release on the site is 3.5.99, dated February 26, 2013.
- It works with games that use DirectX or OpenGL.
- The free version is limited; the Buy page says registration is needed for unlimited recording and movies without a watermark.
Movavi Screen Recorder
- The free download is a trial: it runs for 7 days and adds a watermark to output videos.
- It runs on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 and on macOS only; no Linux or mobile version is listed.
- Movavi states that it does not capture copy-protected video and audio streams.
- Prices differ by channel: the Mac App Store sells subscriptions, while Movavi's store sells a 1-year subscription and a lifetime license priced by country.
Key features
Fraps
- Frame-rate counter
- Shows frames per second in a corner of the screen while a game runs.
- Custom benchmarks
- Measures the frame rate between any two points and can save the statistics to disk.
- Screenshots on a keypress
- One key takes a screenshot that is named and timestamped automatically.
- Game video capture
- Records audio and video at sizes up to 7680x4800 and custom frame rates from 1 to 120 frames per second.
Movavi Screen Recorder
- Screen and audio capture
- Records the full screen or a custom area together with system audio and your voice, in up to 4K. Used for calls, webinars, online courses and software demos.
- Webcam overlay and drawing
- Overlays a webcam video on the screencast and lets you draw pointers and shapes on the recording while it is in progress.
- Cursor and keystroke highlighting
- Highlights the mouse cursor, clicks and keystrokes so viewers of a tutorial can follow which keys and buttons were pressed.
- Recording scheduler
- Set the date and time for a capture to start and finish, so a webinar or stream is recorded while you are away from the computer.
- Scrolling screenshots
- Captures content that does not fit on one screen as a single scrolling screenshot, alongside ordinary screenshots taken during a recording.
- AI noise reduction and trimming
- Reduces background sounds while recording, and a built-in editor trims the result. Fuller editing comes from the separate Movavi Video Editor.
Plans
Fraps
Free version$0
Unregistered download; the Buy page says registration is needed to record as long as you like and to get movies without a watermark.
Registered$37
one-time, paid through PayPal
Unlocked version with unlimited recording length, no watermark, screenshots saved as JPG, PNG or TGA, and free updates from the Members Area.
Movavi Screen Recorder
Monthly Subscription$19.99
per month, as a US Mac App Store in-app purchase
The Mac App Store edition billed monthly. Movavi's own store also sells Windows and Mac licenses, at prices that vary by country.
3-Month Subscription$29.99
per 3 months, as a US Mac App Store in-app purchase
The same Mac App Store edition billed every three months.
Yearly Subscription$44.99
per year, as a US Mac App Store in-app purchase
The Mac App Store edition billed once a year, the lowest of the three subscription rates.
Ways to pay less
Fraps
No public discounts listed.
Movavi Screen Recorder
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license from Movavi's store
Movavi's store sells Screen Recorder as a one-time lifetime license. Read from India it was listed at ₹2,399 including VAT; the US dollar price was not shown.
- Annual discount
Yearly subscription costs less than monthly
On the US Mac App Store the yearly subscription is $44.99, against $19.99 for a month and $29.99 for three months.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fraps or Movavi Screen Recorder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fraps starts at $37, one-time, and Movavi Screen Recorder starts at $19.99 per month or $44.99 per year (US Mac App Store prices).
Which has a free plan, Fraps or Movavi Screen Recorder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Fraps has a free plan. Movavi Screen Recorder does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Fraps and Movavi Screen Recorder run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Movavi Screen Recorder lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.