Movavi Screen Recorder vs OBS Studio

Movavi Screen Recorder

• Recording webinars, online courses and video calls to watch later
• Tutorial makers who want cursor and keystroke highlights
• People who would rather buy a lifetime license than subscribe

OBS Studio

• Live streamers who want detailed control of scenes, sources and audio
• Recording gameplay, tutorials or presentations without paying for software
• Linux users: there is an official Flatpak and an Ubuntu PPA

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.

OBS Studio

• It captures and mixes video in real time; the feature list on its site does not include editing a recording afterwards.
• Downloads are offered for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13.0 or newer, and Linux; no mobile or browser version is listed.
• The Game Capture source is Windows only, according to the quick start guide.
• Help comes from a knowledge base, forums and a community Discord server rather than a vendor support desk.

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.

OBS Studio

Scenes and sources

Compose a scene from window and display captures, webcams, capture cards, images, text and browser windows, and set up as many scenes as you need.

Recording and live streaming

Record to a local file or stream to one of the included services or a custom server. A replay buffer can save recent footage with a hotkey.

Audio mixer with filters

Each audio source can take filters such as a noise gate, noise suppression and gain, and VST plugins are supported.

Studio Mode and Multiview

Studio Mode lets you preview and adjust a scene before it goes live. Multiview shows 8 scenes at once and cues any of them with a click.

Virtual camera

Sends an OBS scene, or a single source, to any app that accepts a webcam, such as Zoom or Discord.

Plugins and scripting

An API supports native plugins and scripts written in Lua or Python, and community-made plugins are shared in the site's Resources section.

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.

OBS Studio

• OBS Studio$0

  The complete program for Windows, macOS and Linux, including recording, live streaming, the virtual camera, plugins and scripting.

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.

OBS Studio

No public discounts listed.