Kazam vs ScreenToGif (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ScreenToGif grades higher than Kazam: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ScreenToGif grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Kazam if
- Fits if you run Ubuntu and want a plain recorder that saves WebM
- Works for people who want open-source software under the GPL
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or a Mac, since no build is listed
- Not for you if you need MP4 output: files are VP8/WebM and users ask how to convert them
- Too light for tutorials that need editing, annotation or webcam overlays
- Watch out: the page says fixes cover Ubuntu 12.04 only, and the newest questions listed date from 2023
Pick ScreenToGif if
- Fits if you make short GIFs for bug reports, documentation or tutorials on Windows
- Works for trimming or captioning single frames before you export a short clip
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac, Linux or a phone, as it's Windows 10 or 11 only
- Not for you if you record for more than a few minutes, since the developer recommends other software for that
- Watch out: the developer now marks it legacy and points to a newer app, N-Studio, as its successor
- Watch out: it's one developer's project, paid for by donations, and it needs the .NET 9 Desktop Runtime installed first
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAKazamGood | 2.8GPAScreenToGifGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the GNU GPL v3, with no paid plan. A program anyone can download and run. | ANothing to pay against a category whose middle plan is $10 a month. The whole app is free with its source on GitHub under the MS-PL licence, and donations through PayPal, Patreon and Ko-fi are all the money in it. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, with no cap, watermark or account. | AThe complete app, free from the developer's site, GitHub, the Microsoft Store, Chocolatey or FossHub. No paid version sits behind it and nothing is held back. |
| Features | CRecords the screen to video, with optional audio. It does that job fully, but it is a small one: no editing, and output is WebM only. | CIt does the GIF job fully: record a screen area at 1 to 60 fps, a webcam or a sketchboard, strip out bad frames one by one, add captions, save as GIF, APNG, video, PSD or PNG. But that's a narrow slice of video, and the developer says to use other software past a few minutes. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Installs from the Ubuntu Universe repository or a PPA, and the page assumes a PulseAudio setup. | BNo store rating on record, and nothing to configure: drop a hollow window over what you want and record. One hoop first, the .NET 9 Desktop Runtime or newer, on Windows 10 or 11. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux only, and the page talks about Ubuntu. No Windows, Mac, web or phone version and no integrations. | DOne operating system, Windows 10 or 11, with no Mac, Linux, phone or browser version and no integrations listed. It installs from five places, but that doesn't widen where it runs. |
| Best for | a bare-bones screen recorder on Ubuntu | free short GIFs on Windows |
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: Kazam and ScreenToGif. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kazam has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ScreenToGif has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
ScreenToGif scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than Kazam for less, and none scores higher than ScreenToGif for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ScreenToGif also covers video editing.
In commonFree planOpen sourceScreen recording
At a glance
| Kazam | ScreenToGif | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GNU GPL v3; no paid plans. | The whole app is free, with its source code published on GitHub under the MS-PL license. The developer accepts donations through PayPal, Patreon and Ko-fi. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Kazam Team | Nicke Manarin (N-Tech) |
| Price read from | launchpad.net | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kazam
- The project page describes Ubuntu and PulseAudio setups; no Windows or Mac build is listed.
- The page says fixes are provided only for Ubuntu 12.04 and older releases are unsupported; the newest questions listed date from 2023.
- Output is described as VP8/WebM; a Launchpad question asks how to convert its movie files to MP4.
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.
Key features
Kazam
- Screen capture to video
- Records the contents of the screen into a video file that any player supporting VP8/WebM can open.
- Audio from PulseAudio devices
- Optionally records sound from any input device that PulseAudio supports and shows.
- Distro packaging
- Available from the Ubuntu Universe repository, with stable and unstable PPAs offered for newer releases.
- Python source on Launchpad
- The code is Python, kept in a Bazaar branch on Launchpad under the GNU GPL v3, with bugs and questions tracked there.
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.
Plans
Kazam
Free$0
The whole program, licensed under the GNU GPL v3.
ScreenToGif
ScreenToGif$0
The complete app, downloaded from the developer's site or GitHub, or installed from the Microsoft Store, Chocolatey or FossHub.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kazam or ScreenToGif?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kazam and ScreenToGif are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Kazam or ScreenToGif?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kazam and ScreenToGif have a free plan.
Which platforms do Kazam and ScreenToGif run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kazam lists a Linux app and only ScreenToGif lists 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.