SimpleScreenRecorder

Free, lightweight screen recorder for Linux with OpenGL capture.

Visit SimpleScreenRecorder See 4 alternatives

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
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About SimpleScreenRecorder

SimpleScreenRecorder is an open-source Linux program for recording the screen, a region or a specific OpenGL application such as a game. Despite the name, it exposes plenty of options: codecs and containers through FFmpeg libraries, frame rate, scaling, audio from ALSA, PulseAudio or JACK, and live streaming. It is known for being reliable on modest hardware and for showing statistics while recording so you can see if frames are being dropped. It is packaged by most Linux distributions, so installation is usually a single command. It is free with no paid tier. The main limitation is that it was designed around X11; on Wayland desktops, which most major distributions now default to, support is limited and tools such as OBS Studio or GNOME's built-in recorder may work better. There is no editor or sharing, so it is purely a capture tool for Linux users.

Best for: Linux users on X11 who want a dependable, no-frills recorder.

What works

Free, open source and packaged by most distributions
Light on resources with live recording statistics
Can record OpenGL games directly

Why people leave

Built around X11 with limited Wayland support
Linux only
No editing or sharing

Top SimpleScreenRecorder alternatives

See all 4

1
OBS Studio
Better Wayland support plus scenes and streaming on Linux.
66.5
2
Cap
Open-source recorder with Linux builds and instant share links.
59.6
3
Screenity
Browser-based recording that works on any Linux desktop with Chrome.
57.2
4
Kdenlive
Pair with or move to a full open-source editor for finished videos.
52.2

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SimpleScreenRecorder: common questions

Is SimpleScreenRecorder free?

Yes. SimpleScreenRecorder is free, open-source software.

Is SimpleScreenRecorder open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at MaartenBaert/ssr.

What platforms does SimpleScreenRecorder run on?

SimpleScreenRecorder is available for Linux.

What are the best alternatives to SimpleScreenRecorder?

The highest-ranked SimpleScreenRecorder alternatives right now are OBS Studio, Cap and Screenity. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 SimpleScreenRecorder alternatives

SimpleScreenRecorder facts

4 of 4 verified

License: GPL-3.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
Platform: Linux; Checked Oct 25, 2026maartenbaert.be(opens source in a new tab); “SimpleScreenRecorder is a Linux program that I've created to record programs and games.”
OpenGL capture: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026maartenbaert.be(opens source in a new tab); “Records the entire screen or part of it, or records OpenGL applications directly (similar to Fraps on Windows).”
Installation: Official repositories of most distributions; Checked Oct 25, 2026maartenbaert.be(opens source in a new tab); “Download SimpleScreenRecorder should work on any Linux distribution, and in most cases can be installed from the official repositories.”