12 rules in 4 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 9.
Version 1, published 8 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "first-year price", then to the name.
Screen recorders that run on Windows, as an app or in the browser.
Capture 30 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Webcam overlay
Record your webcam on top of the screen recording.
6
System sound and microphone
Record the computer's sound and your microphone at the same time.
6
4K recording
Record at 3840 × 2160 or higher, on at least one plan.
6
60 frames a second
Record at 60 frames a second or more, on at least one plan.
6
Draw while recording
Draw or highlight on the screen during a recording.
6
Editing and sharing 25 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Built-in editor
Trim and cut recordings in the same product.
8
Share by link
Upload a recording and share it by link from the product.
8
Automatic captions
Generates captions or a transcript of the recording automatically.
9
Systems 15 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Desktop systems
Records on each desktop system, as an app or in the browser. Each one earns 5 points.
15
Price and licence 30 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free without watermark or time limit
A free version (not a trial) that records with no watermark and no time limit per recording.
12
First-year price
The cheapest paid plan that saves recordings without a watermark: the first year's cost in US dollars (12 times the monthly price billed yearly, or a one-time licence at full price). A product that is entirely free counts as $0. $50 or less earns 10 points, $100 or less 6, $200 or less 3.
10
Open source
The source code of the apps is public under an open-source licence.