The best clipping software for PC

Updated 5 November 2026

The best clipping software is the one that is running when the moment happens and saves it with one key. Which tool that is depends on your graphics card, on whether you stream, and on what you do with clips afterwards. Here is a fair look at the main options and who each one suits.

What to look for in clipping software

Before comparing names, decide what matters to you. These are the questions that separate one clipping tool from another in daily use:

Instant replay: can you save the last stretch of play with one key, after it happened?
Starting by itself: does it begin recording when a game starts, or do you have to remember?
Your hardware: does it encode on your graphics card, whatever brand it is?
Audio: can you separate game sound, voice chat and your microphone?
After the save: is there an editor, a way to share, and are the clips plain files you own?

Clippy

Clippy is a free clip recorder for Windows 10 and 11. It starts recording by itself when a game starts and stops when it closes, and F8 saves the replay as an MP4. It encodes on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics, with a software fallback, and it records the game's window only, so notifications do not end up in clips. On Windows 11 the game, other sound such as Discord, and your microphone are separate tracks.

There is an editor with trim, chapters, speed and GIF export, vertical 9:16 export for TikTok, Shorts and Reels, and optional sharing to clippy.gg with a link. The recorder is free.

Who it suits: players who want instant replay that works on any graphics card without setup, and who want editing and sharing in the same app. Download Clippy.

ShadowPlay and AMD's Radeon recorder

NVIDIA ShadowPlay, now Instant Replay in the NVIDIA app, needs an NVIDIA graphics card. AMD has its own recorder in Radeon software. Intel graphics users have neither, which matters on laptops and on PCs built around integrated graphics.

Who they suit: players who already have the matching graphics card and its software installed, and who want a recorder from the card maker. If you change card brands later, you also change recorders. Compare them with Clippy: Clippy vs ShadowPlay and Clippy vs AMD.

Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows, so there is nothing extra to install.

Who it suits: someone who wants to try clipping today without downloading anything, or who only saves a clip now and then. If you find yourself wanting more, see Clippy vs Xbox Game Bar.

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free and very capable. It is built for streaming and recording sessions, and its replay buffer needs setting up by hand.

Who it suits: streamers and people who record long sessions and want full control over scenes and sources. Clippy's streamer mode reads OBS's live state, so each saved moment knows how far into the stream it happened. Read Clippy vs OBS.

Medal

Medal is a clip app with a social network built around it.

Who it suits: players who want their clips to live in a social feed with followers. If you would rather keep clips as files on your own disk and share them by link when you choose, Clippy works that way. See Clippy vs Medal, or the full list of comparisons.

Switching does not mean leaving old clips behind. Clippy can import clips from Medal, ShadowPlay, OBS, Xbox Game Bar and Outplayed, copied on your PC and never uploaded.

Questions

What is the best free clipping software?

Clippy, Xbox Game Bar and OBS Studio are all free. Clippy is built around instant replay and starts by itself, Game Bar is built into Windows, and OBS is built for streaming and recording sessions.

Which clipping software works on Intel graphics?

ShadowPlay needs an NVIDIA card and AMD's recorder is part of Radeon software, so Intel users have neither. Clippy encodes on Intel graphics with Quick Sync.

Can I move my old clips to a new clipping app?

Clippy imports clips from Medal, ShadowPlay, OBS, Xbox Game Bar and Outplayed. They are copied on your PC and never uploaded.

Do I need an account to use clipping software?

Not for Clippy. Recording and editing work without one; an account is only needed if you want to share clips to clippy.gg.