Budget Windows recording software workspace used for testing GiliSoft
GiliSoft positions itself squarely on price — cheaper than Bandicam, cheaper than most named competitors in this comparison set — and for a genuinely budget-conscious buyer, that’s worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as a red flag. The real question is what gets cut to hit that price.
Verified pricing and specs: GiliSoft Screen Recorder is a one-time purchase at $39.95, and officially supports 4K recording — both figures confirmed directly against GiliSoft’s current pricing and product pages, not estimated.
The short version: GiliSoft Screen Recorder covers standard recording competently at a lower price than most competitors, but its hardware encoding support is less consistent than Bandicam’s, meaning gameplay performance can vary more depending on your specific GPU. For basic tutorial and demo recording, the price advantage is real and the limitations matter less.
What the lower price actually gets you
Standard region, window, and full-screen recording with microphone and system audio works reliably for everyday use — tutorials, demos, meeting captures. Export covers the common formats without unusual friction in the settings menu, unlike a couple of competitors reviewed elsewhere on this site.
What’s included at the lower price point:
- Standard screen, window, and region recording modes
- Microphone and system audio capture
- Basic scheduled recording
- One-time license, priced below most named competitors
The limitation worth knowing before you buy
Hardware encoding support is less consistently reliable across different GPU configurations than what Bandicam offers — in testing, performance on gameplay recording specifically varied more depending on the specific graphics card than it did with Bandicam’s more mature hardware-encoding implementation. For tutorial and demo recording, where frame-rate performance matters less, this is a non-issue. For serious gameplay capture, it’s worth weighing against Bandicam’s more consistent track record at a higher price.
GiliSoft vs. Bandicam, on the actual trade-off
Bandicam costs more and has more consistent hardware-encoding performance specifically for gaming. GiliSoft costs less and performs comparably for non-gaming recording, with more variable results specifically for gameplay capture depending on your hardware. If you’re not recording games, the price difference is close to a straightforward win for GiliSoft. If gaming performance is your priority, Bandicam’s track record is the safer bet even at the higher price.
Frequently asked questions
Is GiliSoft Screen Recorder good for gaming?
It works, but hardware-encoding performance is less consistent across different GPUs than Bandicam’s. For non-gaming recording, this limitation doesn’t apply.
How does GiliSoft compare to Bandicam on price?
GiliSoft is priced lower than Bandicam, reflecting its less mature hardware-encoding implementation specifically for gameplay capture.
Is GiliSoft Screen Recorder free?
There’s a trial version with restrictions; the full license is a one-time payment of $39.95.
Related reading: Bandicam review · OBS vs Bandicam: which one actually fits you · Recording gameplay without tanking your FPS