An OBS alternative for when you can’t, or don’t want to, install anything

OBS Studio is free, open-source desktop software for recording and live streaming, with scenes, sources, an audio mixer and plugins, and no watermarks or limits. Shycut does much less on the recording side. What it offers instead is nothing to install, so it works on a Chromebook or a work computer you can’t add software to, and the editing jobs that come after recording: cutting pauses, captions and blurring faces.

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Shycut · OBS Studio

Topic	Shycut	OBS Studio
Install	Nothing to install: open the page in current Chrome or Edge.	Installer for Windows 10 and 11 or macOS 13 and newer; Flatpak or PPA on Linux.
Chromebooks and phones	Screen recording in current Chrome on a computer, which is what a Chromebook runs. On a phone, camera recording and editing.	No ChromeOS or phone version on its download page.
Where the recording is saved	On your device, written every second; offered back if the browser crashes.	On your computer, in the recording path you set. There are no OBS servers.
Price	Free. There is no paid plan.	Free and open source (GPLv2), and can be used commercially with no restrictions.
Watermark and limits	No watermark; no time limit from us, only your device’s free space.	No watermarks or other limitations.
Live streaming	No. It records only.	Yes, to the streaming services it lists or to a custom server.
Scenes and sources	One screen and one camera. The camera stays a layer you can move, reshape or hide after recording.	Unlimited scenes built from window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams and capture cards, with transitions and Studio Mode.
Sound	Microphone plus a tab’s or the system’s sound; loudness balanced to −14 LUFS and noise reduced on export.	Up to two desktop and three microphone or auxiliary devices; per-source noise gate, noise suppression and gain; VST plugins.
Plugins and scripts	None.	Native plugins, and scripts in Lua or Python.
After recording	Pauses and “um”s cut gently, captions written on your device, faces on screen blurred, auto zoom where you type, then an MP4.	Its pages describe capturing, mixing, recording and streaming; editing the finished file is not among the features they list.
Getting started	Choose screen, camera or both and press record; a 3-2-1 countdown starts.	The Auto Configuration Wizard sets the basic settings; you add sources to your scenes.

Checked on 26 October 2026 · Product names belong to their owners. Their details come from their own public pages on the date above and can change; check their site before you decide.

When OBS Studio is the better choice

If you stream live, switch between scenes during a show, mix several cameras, capture cards and audio devices, or rely on plugins and scripts, OBS Studio is built for that and Shycut is not. It is free, open source and has no watermarks or limits, so on a computer where you can install it, it is a strong choice.

OBS also suits long, complex recordings on a capable computer, with per-source audio filters, several audio tracks and a choice of encoder and quality presets.

When Shycut is the better choice

If you are on a Chromebook, a borrowed laptop or a work computer where you can’t install software, Shycut records your screen and camera in the browser, with nothing to set up first. The recording is written to your device as you go, so a crash doesn’t lose it.

It also does the work that comes after recording: pauses and “um”s are cut, captions are written on your device, faces in a video call are blurred with one tap and the view zooms in where you type. You can even record in OBS and bring the file to Shycut for those jobs.

Questions

Can Shycut stream live like OBS?

No. Shycut only records and edits. For live streaming, use OBS Studio or another streaming tool.

Can I edit an OBS recording in Shycut?

Yes. Open the file in Shycut to cut pauses, add captions, blur faces and resize it for Reels, TikTok or Shorts, all on your own device.

Do I need a powerful computer?

Shycut records the screen at up to 1440p and 30 frames per second, a level chosen so that most computers can encode it live alongside a camera. Editing long videos is fastest on a computer.

Does Shycut work on a Chromebook?

It should: Shycut uses only what current Chrome gives every website (screen capture and video encoding), and Chromebooks run current Chrome, though we haven’t tested every model, so a short first recording is the quickest check. Screen recording needs a computer; phone browsers don’t let websites capture the screen, but on a phone you can still record your camera and edit videos you filmed.

Your video stays with you.

Open Shycut, drop the video in and export. Free, with no account, and your video never leaves your device.

Open Shycut