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Free Screen Recorder for PC
A free screen recorder for Windows 10 and Windows 11. No watermark, no time limit, no signup. Record your full screen, a single monitor, or one application window. Captures system audio and microphone, saves as MP4, and shares with a single link. Lightweight install, hardware-accelerated, works on any modern PC.
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TL;DR
Medalis a free screen recorder for Windows 10 and 11. Install in under 2 minutes, press F8 to record (or use a manual start/stop), save as MP4 with no watermark and no time limit. Capture system audio and mic on separate tracks. Works on NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs with hardware-accelerated encoding so it doesn't slow down your PC.
Record Your Screen in 3 Steps
1. Install
Download Medal and install in under 2 minutes. Auto-detects your GPU and best encoder.
2. Pick Source
Choose full screen, a specific monitor, or a single application window in settings.
3. Record
Press F8 or hit record. Saves as MP4 locally. Share with one click when ready.
Why Use a Dedicated Screen Recorder Instead of Xbox Game Bar
Windows 10 and 11 ship with Xbox Game Bar, which can record some apps, but it has real limits. Game Bar refuses to record File Explorer, Desktop, and certain full-screen apps. It also has a hard recording length cap and limited audio control. Medalrecords anything on your screen, captures system audio and microphone on separate tracks, has no time limit, and saves files locally as standard MP4. It also uses the same hardware-accelerated encoders Game Bar uses, so performance is comparable. You just don't hit the artificial restrictions.
Record Full Screen, a Window, or Just a Region
Most free screen recorders force you into one mode. Medal lets you switch between full screen (capture everything on a monitor), display capture (one specific monitor in a multi-monitor setup), or window capture (one application only, useful for recording a Zoom call, a single browser tab, or a software tutorial without picking up notifications). All modes record at up to 1440p 60fps and save as standard MP4 you can drop into any video editor.
System Audio and Microphone, on Separate Tracks
Recording your screen is one thing. Capturing audio is where most free recorders fall apart. Medal records system audio (whatever your PC is playing through speakers or headphones) and your microphone on independent tracks. Mute either after the fact in the built-in editor, or export both tracks separately to mix in Audacity, Premiere, or DaVinci Resolve. No need for VB-Cable, Voicemeeter, or any extra audio routing software.
No Watermark, No Time Limit, No Signup Wall
Most “free” PC screen recorders have catches: a logo stamped on every video, a 5-minute cap, a forced signup, or a trial that expires. Medal has none of these. Recordings save clean as MP4 on your local drive. You can record for as long as you want. The only limit is disk space. You can use Medal without creating an account, though signing in is free and unlocks shareable links if you want them.
Hardware-Accelerated, Low Performance Impact
Medal uses NVENC on NVIDIA cards, AMF on AMD cards, and Quick Sync on Intel CPUs, which means encoding happens on dedicated silicon instead of your main CPU. On a typical modern PC, screen recording with Medal adds under 5% CPU load, low enough that you can record while gaming, video editing, or running CAD software. Software-only recorders that don't use GPU encoding can chew through CPU cycles and noticeably slow things down. Medal auto-detects and picks the best encoder available on your machine at install.
Share Recordings Without Uploading to YouTube
A 2GB MP4 is awkward to send. Medal solves this with optional one-click sharing: hit share, get a link, paste it anywhere. Links embed perfectly in Discord, Slack, X, Reddit, and group chats. Your viewer just clicks and watches in-browser, no download, no signup.You skip Discord's 25MB file cap, YouTube's processing wait, and Drive's permission prompts. Or skip the link entirely and just keep the MP4 local. The file is yours.
Bonus: Game Recording and Auto-Highlight Detection
Medal started as a gaming clip tool, so if you do happen to record gameplay it has extras most general screen recorders don't: auto-clipping that detects kills, victories, and notable moments in 100+ gamesand saves them automatically, plus an instant-replay buffer so you can save the last few seconds retroactively. These features are off by default if you're just using Medal as a regular screen recorder; they only kick in when a supported game is detected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free screen recorder for PC?
Medal is one of the best free screen recorders for PC because it has no watermark, no time limit, no signup wall, and works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 with any GPU (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel). Recordings save as MP4 at up to 1440p 60fps, capture system audio and microphone, and can be shared with a single link. No upload to YouTube or compression required. Other free screen recorders like ShareX and OBS are powerful but harder to set up; Medal is closer to a one-click recorder.
How do I record my screen on Windows 10 or Windows 11?
Install Medal, open it, and press the record hotkey (default is F8 to save the last few seconds, or you can manually start and stop). Medal records your full screen by default but can also be set to record a single window or a specific monitor in the settings. You don't need admin permissions, you don't need to install drivers, and the Xbox Game Bar built into Windows isn't required. Medal works on its own.
Does Medal screen recorder have a watermark or time limit?
No. Medal does not put a watermark on your recordings and has no time limit on how long you can record. Many free screen recorders for PC limit you to 5 or 10 minute clips or stamp their logo on your video. Medal is genuinely free with unlimited recording length. Your hard drive size is the only limit.
Can I record system audio and my microphone at the same time?
Yes. Medal captures system audio (game sound, music, video calls, anything playing on your PC) and microphone input simultaneously and on separate tracks. You can mute either source after the fact in the built-in editor. This works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 without installing extra audio drivers like VB-Cable or Voicemeeter.
Will a screen recorder slow down my PC?
Medal uses hardware-accelerated encoding (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF on AMD, Quick Sync on Intel) so the CPU stays mostly idle while recording. On most modern systems the performance hit is under 5%. Software-only recorders like older versions of OBS without GPU encoding can hit your CPU much harder. Medal auto-detects the best encoder for your hardware at install.
What file format and resolution does Medal record in?
Medal saves screen recordings as MP4 (H.264) which plays everywhere: Windows Media Player, VLC, browsers, mobile, video editors like Premiere or DaVinci Resolve. You can record at up to 1440p 60fps; resolution and bitrate are configurable in Medal's settings. Files are stored locally on your PC. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose to share.
Can I record a specific window or just part of my screen?
Yes. Medal can record your full primary monitor, a specific monitor on a multi-monitor setup, or a specific application window. Window capture is useful for recording one program (a browser, Discord call, design tool, or game) without picking up the rest of your desktop or notifications. Switch capture mode in the settings.
Is Medal really free? What's the catch?
Medal is free to download and use indefinitely. There's no trial, no credit card, no recording cap. Medal makes money on optional paid plans for power users (longer cloud history, longer share-link retention, higher upload limits). The core screen recording, local saving, editing, and sharing are free forever with no watermark.
Start Recording in 2 Minutes
Free screen recorder for Windows 10 and 11. No watermark, no time limit, no signup.
Download Medal