An OBS alternative
for simple screen recording.
If you want to capture a region or your full screen, with audio, that's one hotkey in Maxisnap.
Free · No watermark · No time limit · Windows 10 (1903+) / 11
Maxisnap is a simple OBS alternative for Windows when you just want to record the screen. Press a global hotkey and it records a region or the full screen with sensible defaults.
OBS Studio is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming on Windows, Mac and Linux. obsproject.com
This page is published by Maxisnap. It is not an independent review.
$ cat maxisnap-quick-recording
[MAXISNAP] first launch ++ installs, sits in tray, ready [MAXISNAP] set up a recording ++ press Ctrl+Alt+4 [MAXISNAP] record just a region ++ press Ctrl+Alt+3, drag the box [MAXISNAP] capture computer audio ++ WASAPI loopback, on by default, no driver [MAXISNAP] finish + share ++ result window: trim, export, copy, upload
What "simple" actually means here
Simple doesn't mean stripped-down. Maxisnap records the full screen on the monitor under your cursor with Ctrl+Alt+4, or any rectangle you drag with Ctrl+Alt+3 — both global hotkeys, both remappable in settings. A small recording badge appears while you capture and is excluded from its own recording, so it never shows up in the file. Stop the way that suits you: press the hotkey again, click Stop on the badge, or use the tray.
Maxisnap captures your desktop/system audio through driver-free WASAPI loopback and your microphone, mixed into a single track by default so you hear everything on playback, with no virtual audio cable and no second driver to install. Encoding uses hardware acceleration when it's available (NVENC, Intel QuickSync, AMD AMF) and falls back to libx264 software encoding on machines without it. ffmpeg ships inside the installer, so there's nothing else to download.
When you stop, a result window opens with an inline player so you can watch it back immediately. Trim the dead air off the start and end, then choose an export Format — MP4, AI-optimized MP4, GIF, or WebM — with quality presets. The AI-optimized export builds a tiny aioptimized_*.mp4 (about 1280px, 24fps, CRF 28, mono audio) that's purpose-made to drop into AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. From the same window you can Save, Copy, drag the file straight into another app, or Upload to share a link. Recording is free, with no watermark and no time limit.
When OBS Studio May Suit You Better
Choose OBS Studio if you want free and open source software for live streaming as well as video recording, or if you record on Linux. Maxisnap has no scene graph, no live streaming and no webcam overlay; it offers start/end trim.
What Maxisnap Includes
For Maxisnap, this table describes the Windows app. A Mac version is also available, for macOS 13 or later.
OBS alternative questions
What is OBS Studio?
OBS Studio is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Is there a simple free screen recorder for Windows?
Yes — Maxisnap. One global hotkey, sensible defaults, desktop and mic audio mixed automatically, a result window for trimming and exporting to MP4, GIF, or WebM. No watermark, no time limit, and ffmpeg is bundled so nothing extra to install.
Does it capture computer audio?
Yes. Maxisnap uses driver-free WASAPI loopback for system audio and records your microphone too, mixed into one track by default. No virtual audio cable. Hardware encoding (NVENC / QuickSync / AMF) is optional with a software fallback, so it runs on lower-end machines.
Can it take screenshots too?
Yes. Maxisnap is a full screenshot tool — region and full-screen capture, 12 annotation tools, OCR, one-hotkey upload — and the same app now records video. One install, both jobs.
Is screen recording available on Mac?
Yes. Maxisnap for Mac records a region or the whole display with system audio, without an extra driver, on macOS 13 or later; recording your microphone needs macOS 15 or later.
Press one hotkey. Start recording.
A simple screen recorder for Windows — region or full screen, system + mic audio, trim and export. Free, no watermark, no time limit.
Related: screen recorder + screenshot tool · free screen recorder for Windows · Loom alternative · how to record your screen on Windows free · features · pricing
Maxisnap is not affiliated with OBS Studio. This page describes OBS Studio as its official site presented it in October 2026; check the official site for its current features, pricing and platforms.