Bandicam is a screen and game recording tool built natively for Windows. Unlike most apps on this site, Bandicam for PC does not need an emulator: it installs directly on Windows 10 and 11 and records your screen, gameplay, or connected devices at high quality with low system impact.
What is Bandicam?
Bandicam is a screen recorder and video capture application developed by Bandisoft. It is designed for Windows and is known for recording games at high frame rates with minimal performance impact. It supports screen recording, game recording with DirectX/OpenGL/Vulkan hooks, and device recording for external sources like webcams or capture cards. Bandicam is free with a watermark on recordings and a 10-minute per-session cap. A one-time paid license removes both.
Can you use Bandicam on PC?
Yes. Bandicam is a native Windows application. You download and install it directly on your Windows 10 or 11 machine, no emulator required. There is no Mac or Android version; Bandicam is Windows-only by design.
How to download and use Bandicam on Windows 10/11
Option 1: Download the free version
- Go to bandicam.com and click Download to get the free installer.
- Run the installer and follow the setup wizard. Bandicam installs in under a minute.
- Open Bandicam and choose your recording mode: Screen Recording, Game Recording, or Device Recording.
- Set your output folder, format (MP4 or AVI), and quality settings.
- Press F12 (the default hotkey) to start and stop recording. The file saves automatically to your chosen folder.
Option 2: Purchase the full license
- Buy a Bandicam license from bandicam.com. It is a one-time payment with no recurring subscription.
- Enter your license key in Bandicam’s registration dialog to remove the watermark and the 10-minute recording limit.
Key features
- Game recording mode: Hooks into DirectX 9-12, OpenGL, and Vulkan to record games directly, using hardware-accelerated encoding (NVENC, AMD VCE, Intel QSV) to reduce CPU load during gameplay.
- Screen recording mode: Records any portion of your screen, a full desktop, or a specific window by name.
- Device recording mode: Captures from external sources including webcams, HDMI capture cards, and game consoles connected via capture hardware.
- Real-time drawing: Draw on screen during a recording session, useful for tutorial and presentation videos.
- FPS counter: Displays a live frame rate counter on screen during game recording.
- Webcam overlay: Adds a picture-in-picture webcam feed over your gameplay or screen recording.
- Scheduled recording: Set start and stop times so Bandicam records automatically without you triggering it.
System requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 (32/64-bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| RAM | 1 GB | 4 GB or more |
| Storage | 100 MB install + recording space | SSD with 50+ GB free |
| GPU | DirectX 9.0c compatible | NVIDIA or AMD with hardware encoder |
| CPU | Intel/AMD dual-core | Intel i5 / Ryzen 5 or better |
Common issues and fixes
Bandicam recording shows a black screen
This happens most often when recording a game that uses hardware-protected output, or when recording a browser playing DRM video. For games, switch Bandicam from screen recording mode to game recording mode, which hooks into the DirectX or OpenGL output directly and bypasses the protection.
Recording file size is too large
Switch from AVI to MP4 in output settings and enable hardware encoding (NVENC for NVIDIA GPUs, VCE for AMD). This reduces file size significantly without noticeable quality loss at typical recording bitrates.
FPS drops significantly during recording
Enable hardware-accelerated encoding in Bandicam’s video settings. If you do not have a dedicated GPU, lower the recording quality or target frame rate. Software encoding uses the CPU and will always compete with your game for resources.
Alternatives to Bandicam for PC
If you want a free recorder without any watermark or time limit, OBS Studio is the most widely used option. It handles screen recording and live streaming, supports NVENC and AMD VCE, and has no restrictions on recording length. The interface is more complex than Bandicam, but there are plenty of setup guides available.
If you have an NVIDIA GPU, GeForce Experience includes ShadowPlay (now called NVIDIA App overlay recording), which records at very low performance impact and no watermark. It is free and already available if you have the NVIDIA driver installed. Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows 10 and 11 and works without any install: press Win+G to open it and record clips up to several minutes long, though it is limited to games and apps, not general screen recording.
For content creators who also need video editing after recording, our CapCut for PC guide covers a free editor that pairs well with any screen recorder output.
FAQ
Is Bandicam free?
Yes. Bandicam is free to download and use. The free version adds a watermark to recordings and limits each session to 10 minutes. The paid license removes both restrictions.
How much does Bandicam cost?
The personal license is around $39.95 as a one-time payment. Check bandicam.com for current pricing, as it occasionally changes.
Does Bandicam work on Windows 11?
Yes. Bandicam is compatible with Windows 11 and requires no special configuration to run.
Can Bandicam record 4K video?
Yes. Bandicam supports 4K recording when hardware encoding is enabled. Make sure you have sufficient SSD space, since 4K recordings at high bitrates fill up storage quickly.
Does Bandicam affect game performance?
With hardware encoding enabled, the performance impact is minimal for most games. On older hardware relying on software (CPU) encoding, you may see 5 to 10 percent FPS drops during recording.
Can I record audio with Bandicam?
Yes. Bandicam records system audio and microphone audio simultaneously. You can mix both inputs or configure them separately, which makes post-production editing easier if you want to adjust voice and game audio independently.
Once you have recordings ready to edit, our CapCut for PC guide covers a free Windows-native editor that handles cuts, captions, and exports for social media. If you also run mobile apps alongside Bandicam for content creation, our best Android emulators for PC guide is worth a read.
