OpenScreen — Open-Source Screen Recording and Demo Creation Tool

Introduction

OpenScreen is a free, open-source desktop application for creating professional screen recordings and product demos. It offers studio-quality output without subscriptions, watermarks, or usage limits, and is fully free for commercial use.

What OpenScreen Does

• Records screen, window, or region with system and microphone audio
• Applies automatic zoom, cursor effects, and smooth transitions
• Exports to MP4, GIF, and WebM formats
• Provides a timeline editor for trimming and arranging clips
• Runs entirely on the local machine with no cloud dependency

Architecture Overview

Built on Electron with PixiJS for GPU-accelerated rendering, OpenScreen captures frames via the desktop capture API and composites them with cursor overlays and transition effects in real time. The editing pipeline processes video locally using FFmpeg, keeping all data on the user's machine.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Clone the repository and run with Node.js 18+
• Build distributable binaries via npm run build for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Configure output resolution, frame rate, and codec in the settings panel
• No server or account required; works fully offline
• Extend recording presets through the JSON configuration file

Key Features

• Zero-cost alternative to Screen Studio and similar commercial tools
• Automatic cursor highlighting and click animations
• Background blur and padding for polished presentations
• Built-in GIF export for quick sharing
• No telemetry, watermarks, or usage restrictions

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Screen Studio — commercial macOS-only; OpenScreen is free and cross-platform
• OBS Studio — streaming-focused with steeper learning curve
• Loom — cloud-based with storage limits; OpenScreen is fully local
• Kap — macOS-only, lighter features
• ShareX — Windows-only with less post-processing polish

FAQ

Q: Which operating systems are supported? A: Windows, macOS, and Linux via Electron builds.

Q: Can I use recordings commercially? A: Yes. OpenScreen is fully free for commercial use with no watermarks.

Q: Does it require an internet connection? A: No. All recording, editing, and export happen locally.

Q: What video formats are supported for export? A: MP4 (H.264), WebM, and animated GIF.

Sources

• https://github.com/siddharthvaddem/openscreen
• https://openscreen.dev