5 Best Recorders for Drawing on a Screen

Best for: beginners at screen recording

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5, 50 reviews

Movavi Screen Recorder stands out among the best recorders with drawing tools. It is an easy-to-use screen recorder with an intuitive user interface, making it an ideal choice for users new to screen recording. You can record your screen and webcam footage at the same time and save your output in HD or 4K.

The drawing tool is simple and straightforward, allowing you to quickly add notes, highlights, or scribbles while recording. It helps turn your video content into something more engaging and interactive. There's also an option to add customizable mouse effects, such as click animations, making it easier to demonstrate your recordings.

Key features:

• Save anything you need to keep from your screen, including webcam footage
• Draw notes, shapes, and figures on your screen while recording
• Save in full HD or 4K to enhance your day-to-day productivity
• Show keystrokes and mouse clicks to create easy-to-understand explainers
• Leave no sound behind – record your computer audio, mic and speaker feeds 

Pros:

• Handy drawing tools to make annotations and highlight objects
• Easy upload to YouTube or Google Drive right from the app
• Taking and editing partial or scrolling screenshots is a snap

Cons:

• Enjoy all the functions in the full version of the program

Best for: various drawing functions

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5, 65 reviews

Screencast-O-Matic is another excellent choice for Windows 10 to draw on a screen. It has an array of features, and you can record your screen or webcam footage in HD and 4K quality. The drawing tool allows you to annotate your recordings with shapes, colors, text, and more. You can also zoom in while recording to emphasize important points.

Key features:

• Add shapes, text, and colors to videos

• Zoom in while recording

• Record an area, a window, or your full screen

• Has trimming tools

Pros:

• Various drawing tool options

• Additional tools, like virtual backgrounds and green screen effects

• Basic editing capabilities

Cons:

• Free version has limited features

• Can’t record system audio in the free version

Download Screencast-O-Matic

Best for: easy drawing on a Windows PC

Compatibility: Windows

If you want to write on a screen on Windows 10 while recording, Bandicam is an excellent option. It offers real-time drawing tools and the ability to add text to your video. You can also change the font size, color, and opacity of your annotations, or draw lines in different colors.

The annotation overlays are saved automatically with your recordings so that you don't have to re-enter them each time you replay a video. A big plus for this software is that each drawing tool has a corresponding keyboard shortcut for quick access and uninterrupted recording.

Key features:

• Draw lines, boxes, or highlights while recording

• Include your webcam and microphone to the recording

• Capture in 4K

Pros:

• Each drawing tool has keyboard shortcuts

• Low system requirements

Cons:

• Only available for Windows PCs

• Free version allows up to 10 minutes of recording

• Free version adds a watermark

Download Bandicam

Best for: drawing on a screen on a Windows PC while gaming

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

EaseUS RecExperts is a decent screen recorder with drawing capabilities. It allows you to record any region of your screen and draw arrows, lines, or text on a video. You can save your recordings in multiple formats as well. The software is one of the few that has a dedicated game-recording mode that allows you to capture gameplay in the 4K resolution. 

Key features:

• Draw on a computer screen using lines or text

• Add watermarks to your video

• Schedule your recording tasks

Pros:

• 4K video capture

• Special mode for recording gaming videos

• Basic editing tools

Cons:

• Free version only allows 1-minute recordings

• Most features are not available in the free version

Download EaseUS RecExperts

Best for: simple recordings with drawing

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

Icecream Screen Recorder is a comprehensive yet user-friendly screen-recording tool. It allows you to capture your desktop screen, edit recorded videos, and save them in various formats.

The drawing tool makes it easy to annotate areas right on your recordings. You can draw with different colors and brush sizes and add shapes, such as arrows or boxes.

Key features:

• Easy-to-use drawing feature

• Customizable recording area

• Trimming feature

Pros:

• Can edit videos after recording

• Record drawing on a screen

• Share videos instantly

Cons:

• Free version restricts videos to 5 minutes

• Watermark on the free version

Download Icecream Screen Recorder

1. Movavi Screen Recorder – best for video and audio capture
2. Screencast-O-Matic – suitable for beginners working on a Windows PC or Mac
3. Bandicam – best for recording videos and gameplay on a PC or Xbox
4. EaseUS RecExperts – asimple free screen recorder with facecam
5. Icecream Screen Recorder – best for simple navigation on Mac or Windows