ScreenToGif is free screen recording software that lets you capture your computer screen, webcam footage, or sketch board drawings. The program stands out because it creates high-quality animated GIFs, videos and other formats without complicated setup or expensive subscriptions.

ScreenToGif is perfect for creating tutorials, demonstrations, presentations and social media content. Whether you are a teacher, student, content creator or business professional, ScreenToGif makes screen capture simple and effective.
Getting Started with Screen Recording
Default Screen Recorder Interface
The main screen recording feature uses a movable window that you position over the content you want to capture. This window acts like a frame that shows exactly what will be recorded.
How to Use:
- Move the recording window on top of content you want to capture
- Drag or resize the window to adjust the capture area
- Type exact dimensions if you need specific size requirements
- Use the crosshair button to quickly move recorder to any window
New Selection Mode (Beta)
The newer interface offers more flexibility by letting you click and drag to select recording areas. This mode gives you three capture options:
Recording Options:
- Region Mode – Select specific area of your screen
- Window Mode – Capture entire application windows
- Full Screen Mode – Record your complete desktop
Recording Control Features
Capture Frequency Settings
You can control how fast or slow your recording captures frames:
- Manual Mode – You control when each frame is captured
- Normal FPS – Standard frame rate recording (frames per second)
- Timelapse Mode – Slower capture rate (frames per minute or hour)
Check Also – iTop Screen Recorder – High-Quality Screen Recording
Recording Controls
- Record Button – Start capturing your screen activity
- Pause Button – Temporarily stop recording without ending session
- Stop Button – End recording and move to editing phase
- Discard Button – Delete current recording if you want to start over
Webcam Recording Capabilities
The webcam recorder lets you capture video directly from your camera. This feature is useful for creating personal tutorials, reactions videos, or presentations where you want to show yourself speaking.
Webcam Features:
- Resize capture window to adjust video dimensions
- Set maximum frame rate for smooth playback
- Use same control buttons as screen recording
- Record yourself while explaining concepts or procedures
Sketch Board Recording
The sketch board recorder automatically captures your drawings as you create them. This unique feature is perfect for educational content, artistic demonstrations, or explaining concepts through visual drawings.
Drawing Capture Options:
- Auto-capture Mode – Automatically records as you draw
- Manual Control – Press Ctrl to toggle recording on and off
- Adjustable Frame Rate – Control how smooth the final animation appears
- Resizable Canvas – Change window size to match your drawing area
Powerful Editing Tools
File Management Options
The editor provides comprehensive file handling capabilities:
- New Recording – Start fresh recording session
- Open Media Files – Import existing videos or images
- Insert Content – Add new recordings to existing projects
- Recent Projects – Quick access to your latest work
Export Formats Available
- GIF – Animated graphics for web and social media
- APNG – High-quality animated PNG format
- Video – Standard video formats for various platforms
- Images – Export individual frames as pictures
- PSD – Photoshop format for advanced editing
- Project Files – Save work for future editing
Advanced Frame Editing
Basic Frame Controls
- Undo/Redo – Reverse or restore editing actions
- Copy/Cut/Paste – Duplicate or move frames between projects
- Frame Selection – Choose multiple frames for bulk editing
- Preview Playback – Test your animation before exporting
Frame Manipulation Tools
- Delete Frames – Remove unwanted sections
- Remove Duplicates – Clean up repeated frames automatically
- Reduce Framerate – Make files smaller by removing frames
- Reverse Animation – Play your recording backwards
- Yoyo Effect – Create loop that plays forward then backward
- Frame Delays – Adjust timing between frames
Image Enhancement Features
Basic Image Adjustments
- Resize – Change dimensions while maintaining quality
- Crop – Remove unwanted areas from recordings
- Flip/Rotate – Change orientation of your content
Overlay and Effects Options
- Text Captions – Add explanatory text to frames
- Drawings and Shapes – Highlight important areas
- Keystroke Display – Show keyboard inputs during tutorials
- Mouse Click Indicators – Highlight cursor clicks
- Borders and Shadows – Add professional styling
- Watermarks – Protect content with custom images
- Obfuscation – Pixelate sensitive information
Cinemagraph Creation
Create impressive cinemagraphs by selecting which parts of your animation stay static and which parts continue moving. This advanced feature of ScreenToGif creates eye-catching content perfect for social media and presentations.
Customization and Settings
Application Appearance
- Choose from 4 different color themes ranging from light to very dark
- Customize system tray behavior for quick access
- Set automatic update preferences for app and translations
- Configure startup behavior
Recording Preferences
- Select between older or newer screen recorder interface by making your choice based on personal preference
- Choose capture methods: BitBlt, DirectX, with or without memory cache
- Enable cursor following so recorder tracks your mouse movement
- Set default capture frequency modes
Editor Customization
- Adjust previewer background grid color and size
- Enable auto-sizing of editor window based on content
- Set confirmation dialogs for important actions
- Control undo/redo stack limits to manage memory usage
Automation with Tasks
Create custom tasks that automatically apply effects to your recordings. This time-saving feature in ScreenToGif eliminates repetitive manual work by applying your preferred settings automatically.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Set up personalized shortcuts for:
- Opening different recorders quickly
- Controlling recordings (start, pause, stop)
- Accessing editor functions
- Switching between modes
Language and Storage Options
Multi-language Support
ScreenToGif supports 24 different languages and automatically selects the appropriate language based on your operating system settings. You can manually change languages if needed.
Storage Management
- Control how the application stores project data
- Delete old projects to recover disk space
- Manage temporary files and cache
- Access plugin downloads for extended functionality
ScreenToGif combines powerful features with user-friendly design, making it accessible for beginners while providing advanced tools for experienced users. The software’s flexibility in recording methods, editing capabilities and export options makes it valuable tool for anyone who needs to create visual content from screen activity.
License: Free (Open Source)
Download
Size – 4 MB
ScreenToGif 64-bit | Portable 64-bit
ScreenToGif 32-bit | Portable 32-bit
ScreenToGif ARM64 | Portable ARM64
Discover more from Software Wave
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.