Are you having a hard time choosing a GIF screen recorder with so many options out there? Do not worry, we have got you covered. In this post, we will present six outstanding screen recorders that you can choose from. Each tool comes with key features, upsides, and other details to help you decide. This way, choosing the right recorder becomes simple and stress-free.
Top 1: AVAide Screen Recorder
The first in the list is AVAide Screen Recorder. It is the leading GIF screen recorder, and unlike others, it supports GIF as an output format. With that, you can record your screen and save it directly as a looping animated image.
FREE DOWNLOAD For Windows 7 or later
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FREE DOWNLOAD For Mac OS X 10.13 or later
Secure DownloadWith just a single click, you can kick off recording, and it keeps things smooth and high-clarity, even if you push frame rates up to 15 fps. It works on both Windows and Mac, so you are not locked into one system.
Pricing: Offers a free version and a subscription that starts $39.00
Key Features:
• Take a screenshot easily.
• No watermark on recordings.
• Record full screen or a custom area.
• Preview output instantly after recording.
• Save an animated image up to 400 megabytes.
Upsides: Easy to use, lets you add annotations like text, whiteboard drawings, and focus points. After recording, you can edit your output by trimming, compressing, etc.
Downsides: To use all features without limits, you need to subscribe.
Top 2: ScreenToGif
If you want a powerful but free program to record your screen as GIFs, ScreenToGif is a hidden gem. It is open‑source, lightweight, and lets you capture part of your screen, your webcam feed, or even draw live on a sketchboard. After recording, you can edit, trim, and export your work as a moving image.
Pricing: Free
Key Features:
• Screen, webcam, and sketchboard recording.
• Export options: GIF, video, PSD, and PNG sequence.
• Built-in editor for trimming, frame-by-frame editing, and more.
Upsides: Totally free and open-source, lightweight and portable, and offer flexible recording options.
Downsides: Windows‑only, interface can feel a bit old-school, and requires .NET runtime.
Top 3: CleanShot X
On a Mac and want more than GIF recording? CleanShot X offers screen recording to GIF, screenshots, and powerful features all in one. With that, you do not need to juggle different applications just to grab your screen or make a quick clip. It makes it ideal for daily use, especially when other applications feel too basic.
Pricing: $29 (One-time payment)
Key Features:
• Combine & annotate multiple images easily.
• Screenshot content beyond the visible screen.
• Record at a lower resolution to make the file smaller.
Upsides: Clean, polished UI, lots of powerful capture and annotation tools, and supports cloud integration.
Downsides: Mac operating system only. There is no trial, though there is a 30-day refund policy.
Top 4: GIPHY
Most know GIPHY for its massive GIF library, but you can also use it to make your own. With GIPHY Create, you upload a video (or use a URL), then spice it up with captions, stickers, filters, and even set when text appears and disappears. It is super simple and web‑based, so you do not need to install anything.
Pricing: Free
Key Features:
• Use stickers and filters.
• Create an animated image from video URLs or uploaded files.
• Add text to GIF with timing (when they appear or disappear).
Upsides: Totally free, offers easy sharing, good for fun and social media, and works entirely online.
Downsides: Limited format support, some URLs do not work, and it requires an internet connection.
Top 5: GIF Brewery
If you like to fine-tune how your looping image will look, GIF Brewery is a solid animated GIF recorder option on Mac. It is made for turning video files or screen captures into GIFs, and lets you tweak everything. It includes frame delay, loops, color filters, and size. It is not the flashiest tool, but it is powerful in its way, especially when you want control over your final output.
Pricing: Free
Key Features:
• Add captions and overlay images.
• Frame count & delay customization.
• Loop options (normal, reverse, palindrome).
Upsides: Free to use, and good for making optimized, high-quality animated images.
Downsides: The user interface feels a bit old, lacks modern sharing, and development is slow.
Top 6: Gifox
For Mac users who want a sleek program that records screen snippets as GIFs without breaking the bank, Gifox is excellent. This screen GIF recorder has a clean menu-bar interface, works on any selected screen area or display, and even lets you import videos or images to make GIFs. In addition, it gives you control over compression so your output will look good without being huge.
Pricing: Free forever (Gifox Basic) & $14.99 (Gifox Pro)
Key Features:
• Share via Dropbox, Google Drive, and Imgur.
• Built-in editor: cut, trim, crop, duplicate, re-export.
• Compression control: frame rate, colors, dithering.
Upsides: Polished interface, powerful compression options, and good export flexibility.
Downsides: Basic free version is quite limited, while the full version costs money.
Bonus: How to Record a GIF on Mac/Windows
As a bonus, we will show you how to record a GIF on Mac and Windows using AVAide Screen Recorder. Do not worry, it is really easy and fast to use. You can capture your screen, incorporate annotations, and create high-clarity GIFs in just a few clicks. So, please go ahead and try it by following the steps below!
Step 1First, download and install AVAide Screen Recorder on your Mac or Windows computer. Make sure you select the correct version for your system. After installing, open the program to get started with recording GIFs.
FREE DOWNLOAD For Windows 7 or later
Secure DownloadFREE DOWNLOAD For Mac OS X 10.13 or later
Secure DownloadStep 2On the main interface, choose your recording area. You can select full screen or a custom region.
Step 3Click the Settings drop-down menu, go to Output Settings, and set GIF as the output format. If you like, you can also change the Frame Rate from 1fps to 15fps, the Keyframe interval from 1s to 10s, and the Quality to Very High. When done, hit the OK button to apply the changes you made.
Step 4Hit the REC button to start recording. While recording, use the Edit option to add text, captions, drawings, callouts, blur effects, or airbrush highlights to make your GIF more engaging.
Step 5Once you finish recording, preview the GIF to check the result. If you are happy with it, click the Save button to export the GIF file to your computer. Now, your GIF is ready to use or share wherever you want.
There you go! You already finished learning how to record a GIF. We also want you to know that AVAide Screen Recorder is not just limited to recording a GIF. You can also use it to record a video, like tutorials and how-to guides, product demos, presentations, and online meetings.
Recording GIFs is truly enjoyable, especially when you capture fun moments or essential screen actions, which you can proudly share with your family, relatives, friends, or on social media. You can use AVAide Screen Recorder for that.
It allows you to record GIFs and incorporate annotations, captions, and effects to make your moving images more lively and engaging. With its simple steps and high-clarity results, recording has never been this easy, fun, and shareable.
Record screen, audio, webcam, gameplay, online meetings, as well as iPhone/Android screen on your computer.
