If you make tutorial videos, two free names keep coming up: OBS Studio and ShareX. Both record your screen without watermarks and without costing a penny, but they are built for very different jobs. OBS is a full production studio; ShareX is a lightning-fast capture utility. Choosing the wrong one for tutorials means either fighting complexity you do not need, or hitting limits just as your videos get serious.
This comparison looks at recording quality, tutorial-specific features, editing workflow, ease of use and performance, so you can pick the right tool first time.
Quick Answer
OBS Studio is better for tutorials in most cases: it records high-quality video with your webcam, microphone and multiple scenes, and it is built for long, polished recordings. ShareX is better for short, quick tutorial clips — fast GIF-style walkthroughs, bug demonstrations and one-take explanations where speed matters more than production value. Many creators end up using both: ShareX for quick answers, OBS Studio for their main tutorial channel.
The Core Difference in One Minute
OBS Studio thinks like a TV studio. You build “scenes” from sources — your screen, a window, your webcam in a corner, an image, text — and switch between them while recording. It records proper video files with separate control over resolution, frame rate, encoder and audio tracks.
ShareX thinks like a screenshot tool that also does video. You press a hotkey, drag a rectangle, and it records that region using FFmpeg, saving an MP4 or a GIF. There are no scenes, no webcam overlay and no live switching — but a clip can be recording within three seconds of you deciding to make one. Download each from its official home: the OBS Studio website and the ShareX website.
Recording Quality
For finished tutorial videos, OBS wins clearly. It records at up to 4K, 60 fps, with high-bitrate quality presets and hardware encoders (NVENC, QuickSync, AMF) that keep quality high without stressing your CPU. Audio is equally strong: multiple sources, noise suppression filters and per-source volume control mean your voice stays clear over system sounds.
ShareX records perfectly decent 1080p video through FFmpeg, and for short screen walkthroughs it looks clean. But you get far less control over encoding quality, no real audio mixing, and no webcam picture-in-picture — a deal-breaker for tutorials where viewers expect to see the presenter. Its GIF recording is a unique plus for documentation and quick embedded demos, something OBS cannot do at all.
Tutorial Workflow Compared
- Setup time: ShareX wins. Install, press Shift + Print Screen, drag, record. OBS needs a one-time setup of scenes and audio, about 10–15 minutes.
- Webcam overlay: OBS yes, with borders and positioning. ShareX no.
- Pausing: OBS has a proper pause button for clean takes. ShareX recordings are simpler stop/start affairs.
- Highlighting the cursor and clicks: Neither does this brilliantly out of the box; OBS can add effects via plugins, while ShareX keeps it basic. Many tutorial makers add a separate cursor highlighter tool either way.
- Long recordings: OBS is designed for hours-long stable recording (record in MKV for crash safety). ShareX is happiest with clips of a few minutes.
- After recording: ShareX shines — its after-capture tasks can copy, annotate and upload automatically. OBS simply saves a clean file ready for your editor.
Editing and Finishing Your Tutorial
Neither tool is a video editor. OBS gives you production control while recording — scenes, transitions, live source switching — so less needs fixing later. ShareX has a genuinely useful built-in image editor for screenshots, but video clips go out as-is. In practice, OBS users pair it with a free editor like CapCut or DaVinci Resolve for titles and cuts, while ShareX users mostly publish clips unedited. For a broader look at the options, see our roundup of the best free screen recorders with no watermark.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
ShareX is easier on day one but its settings menus are famously deep and can confuse beginners in a different way — hundreds of options spread across task settings. OBS looks more intimidating, yet its main workflow (add a scene, add sources, press record) clicks quickly, and it has an auto-configuration wizard that picks sensible settings for your PC. For a channel you plan to grow, the OBS learning investment pays off within your first few videos.
Performance on Modest PCs
ShareX is featherweight and runs happily on almost anything. OBS uses more resources, but with a hardware encoder and 1080p30 output it runs well on most laptops from the last several years. On a genuinely old PC, ShareX is the safer choice for smooth recordings.
Common Mistakes and Pro Tips
- Mistake: recording tutorials in ShareX, then wanting a webcam. If there is any chance your tutorials will grow into a channel, start with OBS and save yourself the migration.
- Mistake: recording OBS in MP4 directly. If OBS or Windows crashes, an MP4 can be lost entirely. Record in MKV, then remux to MP4 from inside OBS in seconds.
- Tip: in OBS, add the noise suppression filter (RNNoise) to your microphone source — it removes fan and keyboard noise and instantly makes tutorials sound professional.
- Tip: in ShareX, set your recording hotkey and output folder first, and enable the “show cursor” option so viewers can follow your mouse.
- Tip: whichever you choose, record a 30-second test and watch it back before filming a full tutorial.
A Realistic Setup for a New Tutorial Channel
Suppose you are starting from zero with a modest laptop and no budget. Here is the setup that combines both tools sensibly. Install OBS Studio and spend your first session on three things only: one scene with your screen, one with the screen plus your webcam in the corner, and microphone noise suppression switched on. Record at 1080p30 with the hardware encoder if your laptop offers one. That is your main production rig, and it will carry a channel for years. Then install ShareX as well and configure a single hotkey for region video capture. Use it for everything that is not a “proper” video: answering a viewer’s question with a 40-second clip, demonstrating a bug to a developer, or dropping a quick GIF into documentation. The two tools stop competing once you assign them different jobs — OBS for the tutorials your channel is judged by, ShareX for the hundred small recordings that make you fast and helpful everywhere else.
Conclusion
Choose OBS Studio for serious tutorials: better quality, webcam support, scene layouts and audio control make it the right long-term tool. Choose ShareX when your “tutorials” are quick clips, GIFs and fast explanations where speed beats polish. Both are free and watermark-free, so the real question is not price — it is how produced you want your videos to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ShareX record webcam with the screen?
No. ShareX records the screen or a region only; it cannot add a webcam overlay. If you need your face in the corner of tutorials, use OBS Studio instead.
Which is better for recording PowerPoint-style tutorials?
OBS Studio. You can build a scene with your slides full-screen and your webcam small in the corner, add a title image for the intro, and switch scenes live while recording.
Does OBS or ShareX use less CPU?
ShareX uses less overall because it does less. OBS Studio is efficient when set to a hardware encoder (NVENC, QuickSync or AMF), but its scenes, filters and previews still need more resources than ShareX’s simple recording.
Can ShareX record in 1080p and 60 fps?
Yes, through its FFmpeg recorder you can set resolution and frame rate, including 1080p60. Quality controls are more basic than OBS, but for short clips the output looks perfectly clean.
Do either of them add a watermark?
No. Both OBS Studio and ShareX are completely free and record clean video with no watermark, no time limit and no locked resolution.
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