# Kazam review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source screencaster for Linux desktops Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Kazam is a simple screen recording program that captures the screen and writes a video file that plays in any player supporting VP8/WebM. Audio can be recorded from any input device visible to PulseAudio. It is distributed under the GNU GPL v3 and is installed from the Ubuntu Universe repository or a PPA. - **Category:** Screen Recording & Video - **Made by:** Kazam Team - **Website:** https://launchpad.net/kazam - **Runs on:** Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use Windows or a Mac, since no build is listed. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Kazam is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source under the GNU GPL v3; no paid plans. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The whole program, licensed under the GNU GPL v3. | Read from https://launchpad.net/kazam on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Kazam before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Ubuntu users who want a light recorder with no cost - Quick screencasts that need a basic interface - People who prefer open-source software ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Kazam is a free, open-source screen recorder for Linux that saves WebM video and can record PulseAudio sound. It does that one job and nothing more, the project page describes Ubuntu 12.04-era support, and no Windows or Mac build exists. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source under the GNU GPL v3, with no paid plan. A program anyone can download and run. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole program is free, with no cap, watermark or account. - **Features: C.** Records 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. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. Installs from the Ubuntu Universe repository or a PPA, and the page assumes a PulseAudio setup. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Linux only, and the page talks about Ubuntu. No Windows, Mac, web or phone version and no integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the Kazam project'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 - Kazam's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 89 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 14. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 117 of 133) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - Kazam has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/video ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Kazam is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 89 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade. - You could not: Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video. - You could not: A real app for Linux. 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, Open source ## Alternatives - [SimpleScreenRecorder](https://toolgpa.com/tools/simplescreenrecorder): Free Linux screen recorder with a Qt interface. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kazam-vs-simplescreenrecorder) - [OBS Studio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obs-studio): Free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kazam-vs-obs-studio) - [ScreenRec](https://toolgpa.com/tools/screenrec): Desktop screen recorder and screenshot tool with instant share links. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kazam-vs-screenrec) - [Cap](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cap): Open-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cap-vs-kazam) - [ScreenToGif](https://toolgpa.com/tools/screentogif): Free Windows recorder that turns screen captures into GIFs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/kazam-vs-screentogif) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://launchpad.net/kazam Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/kazam Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).