Bandicam review

Bandicam is a long-running Windows recorder with a separate Game Recording mode: launch a game, wait for Bandicam to detect it, and press F12 to start or stop. It handles DirectX, OpenGL and Vulkan titles and records at up to 4K UHD and 480 FPS, compressing as it goes to save space. Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC encoding on NVIDIA, Intel and AMD hardware keeps the load on the CPU down. Audio is a strength: it can record game sound, music, your voice and Discord at the same time and save tracks as separate WAV files. A webcam overlay with chroma key covers facecam needs, and finished files can go straight to YouTube. The free version is useful for a trial, but you need a license to remove the watermark and recording limit. The personal license is $33.26 per year, and a perpetual license costs $53.90 at the time we checked.

Who it is for

Players who want a simple paid recorder with high frame rate capture and separate audio tracks.

Price

Free version with limits; personal license $2.77 per month billed as $33.26 per year, or $53.90 perpetual.

1-PC / 1-Year access for individuals $2.77 / mo $33.26 per year (10% OFF)
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Game Recording mode for DirectX, OpenGL and Vulkan games
• Recording up to 4K UHD and 480 FPS
• Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC on NVIDIA, Intel and AMD
• Records game sound, voice and Discord at once, with tracks saved as separate WAV files
• Webcam overlay with chroma key

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Paid licenses remove the watermark and recording time limit
• Strength: Perpetual license option
• Strength: Windows 10 and 11 compatible
• Weakness: Windows only for the game recorder
• Weakness: The free version adds limits until you register
• Weakness: Personal license is for non-commercial use only

Key facts

• Max recording: 4K UHD, 480 FPS
• Personal annual license: $33.26 per year (1 PC)
• Perpetual license: $53.90 (1 PC)
• Business annual license: $49.46 per year (1 PC)

Where it ranks

Bandicam is No. 7 in our Best Game Recording Software verdict.