CamStudio is a free, open-source screen recorder for Windows. It captures your desktop, a single window, or a selected region and saves the result as MP4 using modern codecs such as H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and AV1.
Originally released in 2001, CamStudio has been revived for modern Windows with the V3 line: a completely new capture engine, GPU-assisted encoding, cleaner controls, and a simpler workflow focused on recording without subscriptions, paywalls, or unnecessary complexity.
- Stable release: CamStudio 3.0, released March 8, 2025
- Current preview: CamStudio 3.1 beta, covering work added between February 17 and March 8, 2026
- Supported platforms: Windows 10 version 1903 or later, and Windows 11
- Architecture: 64-bit
- Website: https://camstudio.org
- Full screen, active window, and custom region capture
- MP4 output with H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 encoding
- GPU-accelerated encoding with software fallback
- System audio capture and application-local audio capture
- AAC and FLAC audio encoding
- Configurable output folder and optional "open when finished" behavior
- Recording limits by duration or file size
- Fragmented MP4 support for safer interrupted recordings
- Resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and scaling controls
- Window capture options including client-area-only capture, rounded-corner preservation, and recording border controls
- Lightweight tray-based workflow with a small resource footprint
| Action | Default hotkey |
|---|---|
| Capture current monitor | Ctrl + F9 |
| Capture active window | Ctrl + Win + F9 |
| Capture selected region | Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
Use the same hotkey again to stop the recording.
- Download the latest build from https://camstudio.org or from GitHub Releases once this repository is public.
- Launch
CamStudio-x64.exe. The current V3 builds are distributed as a portable executable. - Choose your output folder, capture mode, video codec, and audio settings.
- Start recording with one of the default hotkeys.
- Press the same hotkey again to stop. CamStudio saves the recording as an MP4 file.
- 2001: CamStudio 1.0 is released by RenderSoft as open-source screen recording software.
- Early 2000s: later releases continue under the GPL era while ownership and distribution change around the original product.
- May 2005: CamStudio.org is launched to keep the project available and preserve access to community-used releases.
- 2010s: the 2.x line remains the public face of CamStudio, with 2.7.4 becoming the final 2.7.x release.
- 2024: work begins on a figuring out how to use AI to build a V3 of the project from the ground up for current Windows capture APIs.
- March 8, 2025: "wcap" public domain screen recorder now forms the foundations of CamStudio 3.0 with a complete rebuild based on the Windows Graphics Capture API.
- 2026: the 3.1 cycle focuses on recording controls, audio routing, reliability, diagnostics, and general polish.
- Pause and resume recording with a dedicated hotkey
- Delayed-start recording with an on-screen countdown
- Quality presets for faster setup
- One-shot command-line capture for repeatable runs and simple automation
- More flexible audio routing: microphone only, system or app audio only, both together, or no audio
- Microphone device selection and microphone gain control
- Safer recording finalization through temporary output files before rename
- Better output-folder checks and clearer startup error handling
- Built-in manual update checks and stronger diagnostic logging
- Better stop/finalize behavior under load, including browser-heavy recording scenarios
Current 3.1 beta note: combined microphone plus system audio is much better than before, but some hardware combinations can still produce mild single-track crackle (WIP)
- Windows 10 version 1903 or newer, or Windows 11
- 64-bit processor
- 4 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB recommended
- DirectX 11 compatible graphics hardware with current drivers
- At least 500 MB free disk space for the app, plus additional space for recordings
- Administrator approval may be required on first launch for screen capture permissions
Notes:
- H.264 is the default and most compatible codec.
- H.265/HEVC and AV1 depend on driver and hardware support.
- Some HEVC workflows may require Microsoft HEVC Video Extensions.
The public V3 source tree and repeatable build instructions are still being prepared. When this repository is opened for development, this section should document the exact toolchain, dependencies, and release steps used to build CamStudio for Windows.
Bug reports, testing feedback, and patches are welcome. If you open an issue, include:
- Your Windows version
- Your GPU and driver version, if known
- The capture mode you used: monitor, window, or region
- The video codec and audio settings you used
- Whether the issue still happens with GPU encoding disabled
- Any diagnostic files or logs available from the build you tested
- Main website: https://camstudio.org
- Changelog: https://camstudio.org/changelog
- 3.1 beta overview: https://camstudio.org/camstudio-3-1-beta
- Legacy releases: https://camstudio.org/legacy
Although the original wcap software CamStudio V3 is based on was released under "Unlicense" I will have to release V3 onwards under the GNU Public License (as previous versions) because CamStudio's copyright is held with Rendersoft, so I don't have the 'power' to change it.
