What this comparison covers
This guide compares three free ways to record a Windows 11 screen for tutorials. It is based on official documentation: Microsoft support articles, Windows Insider blog posts and the OBS Project site, read on 13 October 2026. We have not run the recorders ourselves, so there are no quality, performance or sync measurements here. Menus change between Windows builds and app updates; confirm what your own installed version shows.
Who this is for: people making software walkthroughs, internal training clips or bug reports on Windows. Who can skip it: anyone with a working OBS profile that already imports cleanly into their editor.
Snipping Tool screen recording
Microsoft's Snipping Tool article says to open Snipping Tool, select Record, then New, or press Windows logo key + Shift + R. You choose the area of the screen, select Start, and select Stop when done. You can save the recording or open it in Clipchamp with Edit in Clipchamp. On 13 October 2026 that article did not state a file format, a length limit or a default video folder, and it described audio only as an editing step in Clipchamp. [1]
The feature first rolled out to Windows Insiders in December 2022; that announcement described selecting and refining the part of the screen to record and previewing before saving. [2] An August 2023 Insider post announced 'support for optionally recording your PC audio and voice overs using a microphone' in Snipping Tool version 11.2307.44.0. [3] Those are dated Insider announcements, not a current support page, so open the recording toolbar on your PC and confirm the audio controls are there before relying on them.
Xbox Game Bar
Microsoft's Game Bar instructions for Windows 11 say to turn on Enable Xbox Game Bar in Settings, go to the game or app you want to record, and press Windows key+Alt+R to start and stop. Windows key+Alt+M toggles the microphone during recording, and Windows key+G shows the controls. To include all computer sounds, the page says to open Game Bar settings, go to Capturing and choose All. Recordings are saved as MP4 files in a Captures subfolder of Videos, named with the app and the date and time. [4]
The instructions are written around a single game or app. They do not describe capturing the whole desktop or switching between windows during one clip, and they do not state a maximum length. For a tutorial that moves across File Explorer, Settings and several apps, we would not plan around Game Bar without a test.
OBS Studio
OBS describes itself as free and open source software for video recording and live streaming on Windows, Mac and Linux; on 13 October 2026 its homepage listed version 32.2.2. [5] It is the free option when a lesson needs a webcam overlay, separate audio sources or scene changes. The trade-off is setup: you build a scene, add sources and choose the recording format yourself. Our OBS remux checklist covers the container and editor checks.
Side-by-side summary
A 'not stated' entry means the official page did not say, not that the feature is absent. [1][3][4][5]
| Recorder | What it targets | Audio per official pages | Output stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snipping Tool | A selected screen area | PC audio and mic announced in an Aug 2023 Insider build | Not stated on the support page |
| Xbox Game Bar | The game or app you are in | Mic toggle; Capturing set to All for computer sound | MP4 in Videos, Captures |
| OBS Studio | Any source you configure | Configurable | Your choice |
Where Clipchamp fits
Snipping Tool hands off to Clipchamp for edits. Microsoft's Clipchamp screen recording article says a raw Clipchamp screen recording downloads as WebM, while an exported project produces MP4. For personal accounts it says audio recording only works when screen recording a browser tab, and it suggests several shorter recordings for long sessions because a maximum recording time is shown during capture. If you record inside Clipchamp rather than Snipping Tool, check those limits first. [6]
Pick, then test for two minutes
We would choose like this, with no purchase needed:
- Snipping Tool for a single narrated region or full-screen clip.
- Game Bar for capturing one app window quickly.
- OBS for multi-source lessons, webcam overlays or long sessions you want full control over.
- Before the real take, record 30 seconds with speech, a system sound and some window switching, then play the file outside the recorder and import it into your editor.
- Fictional example: a trainer records a lesson in Game Bar, switches to File Explorer halfway, and later finds the clip does not show what they expected. This is invented to illustrate why a short switching test matters.
Questions before you decide
Does Snipping Tool record system audio?
A Microsoft Windows Insider post from August 2023 announced optional PC audio and microphone recording in Snipping Tool. The current support article does not describe these controls, so check the recording toolbar in your build.
Where does Game Bar save recordings?
Microsoft's instructions say recordings go to the Captures folder inside Videos as MP4 files named with the app and the date and time.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Microsoft Support: Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Windows Insider Blog: Screen recording in Snipping Tool begins rolling out to Windows Insiders (8 December 2022) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Windows Insider Blog: New updates for Snipping Tool and Notepad for Windows Insiders (31 August 2023) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support: Use a screen reader to record your screen with Xbox Game Bar Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- OBS Project homepage Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Support: How to make a screen recording (Clipchamp) Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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