# Fraps review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Windows game recorder, frame-rate counter and screenshot tool Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Fraps is a Windows program for games that use DirectX or OpenGL. It shows a frame-rate counter, runs benchmarks, takes screenshots on a keypress and records game video with audio. The latest release listed on the site is version 3.5.99 from February 2013. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** Beepa Pty Ltd - **Website:** https://fraps.com - **Runs on:** Windows - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, since it is Windows only. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Fraps has a free plan, and paid plans start at $37, one-time. - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **Free plan:** Free download of the unregistered version. The site says registering removes the recording-length limit and the watermark on movies. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://fraps.com/buy.php on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Fraps before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Gamers who want a simple FPS counter and capture tool on Windows - Reviewers who benchmark frame rates between two points in a game ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.4 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Fraps is a Windows tool that shows a frame-rate counter, runs benchmarks and records game video, for a one-time $37. The latest release on the site is from February 2013, the free version limits recording length and adds a watermark, and it only supports DirectX and OpenGL games. - **Value for money: A.** $37 once, under three months of a typical $14 video subscription, and level with the $37 one-time middle. - **Free plan and trial: C.** A free download of the unregistered version, but the Buy page says recording length is limited and movies carry a watermark. - **Features: C.** Frame-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. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. You install it and press a hotkey to record, with nothing to connect. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Windows only, and the download page lists up to Windows 7. No Mac, Linux, phone or web version, and no integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Fraps's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among screen recording and video tools - Fraps's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 66 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 22. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 102 of 133) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/video ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Nothing Fraps does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company. It costs $37, paid once. - You could not: Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video. - You could not: Capture tools hooked into the operating system. - You could not: A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Screen recording, Screenshots, One-time purchase ## Alternatives - [OBS Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obs-studio): Free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fraps-vs-obs-studio) - [Bandicam](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bandicam): Screen, game and webcam recorder for Windows, with a Mac edition. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bandicam-vs-fraps) - [Movavi Screen Recorder](https://toolgpa.com/tools/movavi-screen-recorder): Desktop screen recorder with webcam overlay and scheduling. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fraps-vs-movavi-screen-recorder) - [ScreenRec](https://toolgpa.com/tools/screenrec): Desktop screen recorder and screenshot tool with instant share links. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fraps-vs-screenrec) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://fraps.com - https://fraps.com/buy.php - https://fraps.com/download.php Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/fraps Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).