ScreenToGif vs SimpleScreenRecorder (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ScreenToGif and SimpleScreenRecorder share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about ease of use, where ScreenToGif grades higher, or features, where SimpleScreenRecorder does.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan 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 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
Pick SimpleScreenRecorder if
- Fits if you play or demo on Linux and want an OpenGL capture like Fraps
- Works for people who want to pick their own codecs and keep the software free
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or a Mac, as there is no build for either
- Not for you if you want to edit the recording, because it only records
- Watch out: live streaming is labelled experimental by the author
- Watch out: the Arch Linux package moved to AUR in April 2023 for lack of a maintainer, and the vendor warns simplescreenrecorder.com is a fake site
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAScreenToGifGood | 2.8GPASimpleScreenRecorderGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree software under the GNU GPL, with no paid plan. A program anyone can download and run. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AThe whole program is free, with no cap or watermark. |
| Features | 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. | BWhole-screen, region and OpenGL capture, pause and resume, a live preview and many codecs and formats. Streaming is marked experimental by the author. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. Settings are laid out in a wizard, but codec and format choices are yours to make. |
| Platforms and 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. | DLinux only. The page lists distributions and no Windows, Mac, web or phone builds, and no integrations. |
| Best for | free short GIFs on Windows | recording games and screens on Linux |
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: ScreenToGif and SimpleScreenRecorder. How we grade
Price against what you get
ScreenToGif has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimpleScreenRecorder has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than ScreenToGif for less, and none scores higher than SimpleScreenRecorder 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.
At a glance
| ScreenToGif | SimpleScreenRecorder | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | 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 software distributed under the GNU General Public License; no paid plans. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Nicke Manarin (N-Tech) | Maarten Baert |
| Price read from | github.com | maartenbaert.be |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SimpleScreenRecorder
- Linux only; the project page lists distributions and no Windows or Mac builds.
- The page says the Arch Linux package moved to AUR in April 2023 for lack of a maintainer.
- The vendor warns that simplescreenrecorder.com is a fake site and that only the maartenbaert.be page is official.
Key features
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.
SimpleScreenRecorder
- Screen and OpenGL capture
- Records the entire screen, part of it, or an OpenGL application directly, similar to Fraps on Windows.
- Pause and resume
- Recording can be paused and resumed with a button or a hotkey, with live statistics such as file size and frame rate.
- Preview while recording
- An optional preview shows what is being captured so a wrong setting is noticed before the recording ends.
- Many codecs and formats
- Encodes through libav/ffmpeg libraries, so it supports many codecs and file formats, with custom codec options.
- Experimental live streaming
- Can also stream live, which the author labels experimental, with a how-to page for it.
Plans
ScreenToGif
ScreenToGif$0
The complete app, downloaded from the developer's site or GitHub, or installed from the Microsoft Store, Chocolatey or FossHub.
SimpleScreenRecorder
Free$0
The whole program, distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ScreenToGif or SimpleScreenRecorder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ScreenToGif and SimpleScreenRecorder are free to use.
Which has a free plan, ScreenToGif or SimpleScreenRecorder?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ScreenToGif and SimpleScreenRecorder have a free plan.
Which platforms do ScreenToGif and SimpleScreenRecorder run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ScreenToGif lists a Windows app and only SimpleScreenRecorder lists a Linux 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.