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Interface and features
The user interface for Free Cam 8 is clean and intuitive. While it lacks a lot of advanced editing features, it does include a single-track timeline with features for controlling volume (including options to make a section silent or remove noise) and trimming or removing unnecessary clips. Some users have complained that the trim function isn’t very precise, though, as it only allows users to edit in two-second increments.
User experience
The overall Free Cam app user experience is generally positive, especially for users who don’t have a ton of video editing experience. The editing timeline offers a visual way to cut your video and control audio, but users who want to record a separate voiceover will need to either opt for the paid version or use another video editing platform. The free version only includes a single track for audio and video editing, making it impossible to overlay audio tracks or add video layers.
Video editing
If you only need simple editing tools, like volume control and trim, then you’ll have no problem using Free Cam for all of your editing and publishing needs. However, many screencasters and online educators find that it’s easier to record their screen for a lesson or presentation, then add a voiceover later. This eliminates the need to do a perfect take of your voiceover while performing tasks on your computer at the same time.
Sharing
Want to share your Free Cam videos to YouTube? Free Cam makes this easy with direct YouTube uploads for its free and paid versions. However, YouTube seems to be Free Cam’s only direct integration for video publishing. Users can easily save their recordings as WMV videos and share them to their preferred platforms, but this does add an extra step to the sharing process. Also, Free Cam only supports exports of WMV files. If you want to save a video in another file format, you’ll need to use separate video editing or converting software. Users should also be aware that the free version caps video quality at 760p for saved files and 720p for YouTube uploads.
Performance
For the most part, Free Cam performs as expected. It records a video from part or all of your screen, and it can record audio from your microphone and/or system audio. However, as we mentioned above, some users have reported issues with YouTube uploads. Inconsistency with sharing to YouTube can be a massive headache, especially since the software doesn’t have capabilities to share to any other platform.
Video and audio quality
Free Cam videos are limited to 760p resolution when you share your video to your desktop or 720p for YouTube uploads. This is decent quality for a lot of users, but if you need HD video and audio quality, you might be disappointed by Free Cam.
Pricing
As you might expect from its name, the Free Cam screen recorder is free, but the free version does have some significant limitations.
Compare and contrast: Free and paid versions of Free Cam
As we’ve mentioned, Free Cam has a professional version that includes a lot of features and capabilities that aren’t included with the free version. Let’s explore a few of the differences and how they compare.
· Pricing. The paid version of Free Cam is $277 per year, and the developer does not offer a lifetime license option.
· Video editing capabilities. Free Cam does include some limited video editing capabilities. Users can easily trim and splice their screen recording to create a coherent presentation. You can also control volume or remove it from selected clips. The paid version gives you multi-track editing capabilities, allowing you to add a voiceover and/or other audio tracks after your initial recording. The paid version also includes a few transitions, the ability to add pictures and graphics to your video, and a few other simple editing features. However, if you need to do much more than that, you’ll still need to find another video editing platform to complete your project.
· Webcam recording. Free Cam reserves webcam recording capabilities for its paid version. With this version, you can record your screen and webcam at the same time or separately.
· Video quality. Free Cam limits video quality to 760p. The pro version gives you the option to record up to 1080p for higher quality video output.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- No watermark or time limit
- Easy screencast recording
Cons:
- No webcam recording available for free version
- Imprecise editing only allows trimming in two-second increments
- Users report issues uploading screen recordings to YouTube
- Not compatible with Windows 11 and macOS
Free Cam screen recorder is screen recording software that allows users to capture a video of the activity in part or all of their computer screen. With a Free Cam download, you can select a portion of your display, choose a specific window, or record your full screen. Capabilities include voiceover recording and recording system sounds, noise reduction, video trimming, and direct upload to YouTube. With that in mind, users who opted to go with Free Cam for free (versus paying for the pro version) have reported occasional issues with uploading their videos to YouTube.
