Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people in the U.S. who want clear, presenter‑led screen recordings they can quickly repurpose, a browser‑based studio like StreamYard is the best starting point. If you need heavy desktop capture or ultra‑simple async clips for internal sharing, tools like OBS or Loom can complement that workflow.

Summary

• StreamYard gives you an in‑browser studio for multi‑person screen recording, simple layouts, and high‑quality local multi‑track files you can edit anywhere. (StreamYard)
• OBS is powerful, free desktop software when you want deep control over encoding and local capture and are comfortable configuring your hardware. (OBS)
• Loom focuses on fast, async screen shares with tight caps on its free plan and per‑user pricing for higher tiers. (Loom)
• A practical stack for many creators is: record in StreamYard, then do detailed cutting in your favorite editor (Premiere, Final Cut, CapCut, etc.).

What do people actually mean by “screen recording and video editing software”?

When people search for “screen recording and video editing software,” they’re usually asking for a complete workflow, not just an app.

They want to:

• Hit record fast, without wrestling with settings.
• Capture their screen plus their face, clearly and consistently.
• Avoid flaky audio, glitchy video, or random app crashes.
• Trim, polish, and repurpose that footage into tutorials, courses, social clips, or internal training.
• Share or publish the final video with as little friction as possible.

In other words, the recording tool and the editor are two halves of one job: capture and craft. You don’t need one product to do everything, you need a combination that’s fast, reliable, and comfortable on the laptop you already own.

Why start with a browser‑based studio instead of a traditional screen recorder?

Most traditional screen recorders started life as desktop utilities: you pick a region, hit record, and end up with a single long file on your hard drive. That still works, but it also leaves you doing a lot of manual cleanup later.

A browser‑based studio like StreamYard flips that experience:

• You see your layout while you present: camera, slides, and shared screen exactly as your viewers will see them.
• You can bring in guests for interviews, panel demos, or customer walkthroughs—recording with up to 10 people on paid plans and 6 total on the free plan. (StreamYard)
• You can share your screen while keeping presenter notes and controls visible only to you.
• You can apply branded overlays, logos, and backgrounds as you record, cutting down on design work later.
• You can capture both landscape and portrait outputs from the same session, which is useful when you want long‑form content and vertical shorts from one recording.

Because the studio runs in the browser, there’s no download for you or your guests, which is especially helpful on managed work laptops or Chromebooks. (StreamYard)

For many creators and teams, that “what you see is what you’re recording” approach feels closer to being on stage with slides than to running a utility.

How does StreamYard handle recording quality and audio tracks?

Editing goes a lot smoother when your source files are clean and flexible.

On StreamYard, you can:

• Capture 1080p HD local recordings, so each participant’s audio and video are recorded on their own device and uploaded, rather than relying only on the live call quality. (StreamYard)
• Download separate audio and video tracks per participant, which makes noise reduction, level balancing, and cutting between speakers much easier in any editor. (StreamYard)
• Independently control screen audio (system sound) and microphone audio, so you can record app sounds when needed or keep them off when they’d be distracting.

On the free plan, local recording is limited to 2 hours per month; on paid plans, local recording is effectively unlimited, subject to your own device and storage. (StreamYard)

For most workflows, you’ll record in StreamYard, export those clean tracks, and then drop them into your favorite editor for trimming, captions, and final polish.

How do OBS and Loom compare for screen recording?

When you’re picking tools, it helps to understand where each one is aiming.

OBS (desktop power user option)

OBS Studio is free, open‑source software for video recording and live streaming on Windows, macOS, and Linux. (OBS) It gives you:

• High‑performance real‑time video and audio capture with complex scenes and layouts. (OBS)
• Deep control over encoders, bitrates, and formats.
• Purely local recording, limited only by your hardware and disk space.

The trade‑offs: you need to install it, learn its interface, and tune it to your machine. If you love tweaking settings and want fine‑grained control for gameplay, advanced overlays, or unusual capture setups, OBS is a strong fit. For many non‑technical presenters, that learning curve is more than they need.

Loom (async communication option)

Loom is designed around quick, shareable screen + camera bubble recordings, mainly for async updates and feedback.

• The free Starter plan allows up to 25 videos per person with a 5‑minute limit per screen recording. (Loom)
• Paid plans charge per user and remove those caps, adding higher resolutions (up to 4K on upper tiers) and AI‑powered summaries and transcripts. (Loom)

Loom works well when your goal is “send a quick explainer link to the team,” not “produce a polished, hour‑long training or multi‑guest interview.”

For most people who care about both production value and flexibility in editing, StreamYard lands in the middle: easier than OBS to set up, more multi‑participant and layout‑driven than Loom, and friendlier to post‑production.

How does pricing work, and why does per‑workspace matter for teams?

Pricing models matter as soon as you add collaborators.

Loom’s paid plans are priced per user per month, starting from around $15 per user on Business, so costs scale linearly with team size. (Loom) That’s reasonable for small groups but can add up quickly across a larger organization.

At StreamYard, pricing is per workspace rather than per individual seat, which tends to be significantly cheaper once you have multiple people recording under the same brand or company. New users in the U.S. can start on a free plan, try a 7‑day free trial, or pick from paid options that begin at $20/month and $39/month (billed annually for the first year for new users). Unlike per‑user tools, you can have your hosts, producers, and occasional guest presenters share the same workspace without multiplying your subscription line‑items.

For most teams, that means you can centralize branding, overlays, and show formats in one place and let multiple people record or go live, without worrying that every new collaborator needs their own paid license.

Where does the actual “video editing” happen in this workflow?

Screen recording is just step one. Editing is where you turn raw capture into something people will actually finish watching.

With StreamYard‑first workflows, the pattern usually looks like this:

1. Plan the session: outline your key points, drop presenter notes into your browser so only you see them.
2. Record in StreamYard: share your screen, bring in guests, and switch layouts live so the recording already follows your narrative.
3. Export your files: download the full mix plus individual local tracks for each participant.
4. Edit in your favorite tool: use Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, Descript, or any other editor to trim, add text, music, and B‑roll.
5. Repurpose: cut vertical clips from the same session for Shorts, Reels, or TikTok; use portrait exports where needed.

You’re not locked into any one editor. StreamYard focuses on capturing structured, multi‑track material that’s easy to work with later, rather than trying to replace full non‑linear editing software.

If you need heavy, frame‑by‑frame editing directly inside a recording app, traditional suites like Camtasia or CyberLink’s Screen Recorder bundles can pair with or supplement a StreamYard workflow. (Camtasia)

Which tool is better for multi‑person remote interviews and demos?

Imagine you’re recording a 45‑minute SaaS product walkthrough with two guests—one customer, one teammate—plus slides and a live dashboard.

• In OBS, you’d juggle multiple sources and probably route your call through another app, then carefully map each window and audio feed.
• In Loom, you’d likely default to a single presenter recording, because it’s not built as a live multi‑guest studio.
• In StreamYard, you open a browser tab, invite guests with a link, and control layouts (full‑screen screen share, side‑by‑side, picture‑in‑picture) as you go.

During that same session, you can:

• Let multiple people share their screens at different moments.
• Keep your script and notes in front of you without recording them.
• Capture clean, per‑participant local tracks for post‑production. (StreamYard)

For this kind of collaborative recording, StreamYard usually gets you from idea to finished source files with far less friction.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default recording studio for tutorials, webinars, multi‑guest interviews, and branded demos you plan to edit and repurpose.
• Pair StreamYard with a dedicated editor (Premiere, Final Cut, Resolve, CapCut, etc.) instead of chasing an all‑in‑one that compromises on either capture or editing depth.
• Add OBS if you want fine‑tuned desktop capture for gameplay or hardware‑specific setups and you’re comfortable managing encoding settings.
• Use Loom selectively for quick, internal async messages where a simple link matters more than studio‑style production.