Short answer: OpenScreen is a free, MIT-licensed screen recorder for Windows, macOS and Linux with automatic zoom on clicks, local captions and webcam layouts, and no paid tier at all. Girato does the same core job, adds a browser version you can use with no install, and puts its effort into the cinematic finish: a 3D tilt on every zoom, click and typing sounds from your real input, and a transcript you can edit the video with. If you want free and open source on the desktop, OpenScreen is a good pick. One thing to know: the original OpenScreen repository was archived by its creator on 17 Oct 2026, and development continues as a community-maintained project at getopenscreen.com. If you want to start in a browser tab, or want the most produced look, try Girato.
Side by side
| OpenScreen | Girato | |
|---|---|---|
| Project | Community-maintained continuation; the original repository was archived on 17 Oct 2026 | Developed by the Girato team, updated weekly |
| Price | Free, MIT licence, no paid tier | Free tier; Pro $12/mo or $8/mo billed yearly; $99 lifetime |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, and the browser with no install |
| Watermark on free exports | None | 3 clean exports a month, then a Made with Girato badge |
| Auto-zoom | Yes, placed from where your cursor went, with an optional 3D camera | Yes, flat or a cinematic 3D tilt (desktop apps; by hand in the browser) |
| Click and typing sounds | Not listed on its site | Yes, from your real clicks and keystrokes |
| Captions | On your device (whisper.cpp), 100 languages, a 264 MB model | On your device, free, a one-time model download |
| Webcam | Four layouts, background blur or replacement | Picture-in-picture bubble you can place anywhere |
| Export | MP4 at 24, 30 or 60 fps, or GIF; 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 4:5 and more | MP4 and GIF, WebM and up to 4K with Pro; 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 |
| Uploads your footage | No | No, everything stays on your device |
Decided?Start free in your browser or get lifetime, $99 once
OpenScreen details are from getopenscreen.com and its original GitHub repository, checked 29 Oct 2026. Its site also notes that its Windows installer is not code-signed, so SmartScreen warns before it runs.
Choose OpenScreen if…
You want a free, open-source desktop recorder with automatic zoom and no watermark, you are happy to install it, and you are on Linux, where Girato has no app.
Choose Girato if…
You want to start in a browser tab with nothing to install, you want the camera to lean in like a film rig rather than only scale, you want click and typing sounds built from what you actually did, or you want to cut the video by deleting words from its transcript and copy YouTube chapters from the same text. Everything renders on your device, and a $99 lifetime licence ends the subscription question.
The fastest way to judge is to open the browser version, record twenty seconds of any tab and see the result. No download, no card.
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenScreen really free?
- Yes. OpenScreen's site says it is MIT licensed.
- No paid tier, no watermark and no account.
- Checked 29 Oct 2026.
Why pick Girato over OpenScreen?
- To start in a browser tab with no install.
- For a cinematic 3D tilt on your zooms.
- For click and typing sounds made from your real input.
- For transcript editing and chapters.
- For a team behind the product and a $99 lifetime licence.
Does Girato's browser version zoom on clicks automatically?
- No. In the browser you add zooms by hand on the timeline.
- Girato cannot read your clicks outside its own tab.
- The free Windows and Mac apps place zooms from your clicks.
See it on your screen
- Record and edit in your browser, nothing to install
- Desktop apps zoom on every click
- Free to start, no time limit