The best free screen recorder for mac apple silicon m5?

For basic screen recording task, the built-in screen recorder is fairly enough on a Mac.

ScreenVivid is a cross-platform screen recording application designed to help you capture your screen and enhance your recordings with intuitive editing features. It is built with Python and the PySide6 framework. This screen recorder on Mac stands out because it balances professional-grade capabilities with a user-friendly interface, all while being completely free with no hidden costs.

Choose ScreenVivid if:

- You need a screen recorder on Mac that also includes basic video enhancement tools.

- You want a cross-platform solution

- Audio capture is not essential for your use case

Consider other options if:

- You need to record system audio or microphone

- You want a very lightweight application

- You need webcam overlay or zoom features

Since you have a new M5 Mac, QuickRecorder is the best screen recorder on Mac to get both screen and system audio without headaches. QuickRecorder is written in SwiftUI and built on Apple's modern ScreenCaptureKit framework . This means it is deeply integrated with macOS to use GPU hardware acceleration directly. The result is astonishingly low CPU usage—one source measured CPU usage as low as 7.2% when recording 4K video.

1. Installation: You can install it via the command line using Homebrew: brew install --cask quickrecorder .

2. Permissions: On first launch, macOS may ask you to approve screen recording permissions. You can do this directly from the pop-up window or in System Settings > Privacy & Security .

3. Setup & Record: Open the app, and you'll see a clean window with all the options (screen, region, app, system audio). Just select what you want and click the red record button .

4. Finish: Use the stop icon in the menu bar. Your recording is automatically saved to your desktop.

As the best screen recorder on Mac. Unlike many commercial tools that are hundreds of megabytes in size, QuickRecorder's installation file is less than 5-10 MB . It is written in Swift UI and built on Apple's modern Screen Capture Kit framework, which allows it to use GPU hardware acceleration. This means it runs with extremely low CPU usage, ensuring that your Mac stays cool and responsive while you record.

Use Cap. The search results highlight it as the most user-friendly option because it adds a simple toggle to the menu bar to "Record System Audio". You don't need to configure complex audio devices. It's lightweight, open-source, and has no time limits on the free version. You simply install it, click the icon, toggle on "Record System Audio," and hit record.

For those who like technical details, Cap is built on a modern Rust + Tauri architecture, which makes it much more efficient than apps built on older frameworks like Electron.

• Lower memory usage (up to 40-60% less than some competitors)
• Faster startup time (the app launches in under a second)
• A small install size (around 15-20 MB)

This efficiency is why it performs so well as a screen recorder for Mac without draining your system resources.

If you need a screen recorder for Mac that is powerful enough for professional tutorials yet simple enough for casual use, Cap is an excellent choice. It solves the major pain points of macOS's built-in tools while being completely free and open-source, respecting your privacy.

The built-in screen recorder on mac (Cmd + Shift + 5 or QuickTime Player) is great for quick, simple tasks. However, it has several significant limitations that become frustrating if you need to create anything beyond a basic clip. Here are the main problems users encounter.

The "No System Audio" Problem (The Biggest Complaint)

This is the most frequently cited limitation. By default, macOS does not allow any built-in tool to record internal system audio—the sound coming directly from your computer, like app notifications, browser audio, or game sounds.

What it can do: It can only record audio from an external or built-in microphone.

Why it's a problem: If you want to record a software tutorial with its own audio or capture gameplay, you'll end up with a silent video.

How people "fix" it: The only workaround is to install third-party virtual audio drivers to route the internal sound, which adds complexity.

Aggressive Storage Usage & Long Recording Fails

The built-in recorder handles large files poorly, which is a critical issue for longer recordings.

Massive Temporary Files: During a recording, the system writes a temporary .mov file to your startup disk. One user reported a one-hour Zoom meeting created a 30 GB file in a hidden system folder.

No External Drive Bypass: While you can choose a final save location on an external drive, the temporary file is always created on your internal disk. If your internal disk is full, the recording will fail, even if your external drive has terabytes of free space.

Long Recording Failures: Many users report that recordings longer than about 5–9 minutes simply fail to save, often without a clear error message, resulting in lost work.

You'd better find another screen recorder app on macOS for advanced screen recording with audio.

Since you have a new M5 Mac, QuickRecorder is the best screen recorder on Mac to get both screen and system audio without headaches. QuickRecorder is written in SwiftUI and built on Apple's modern ScreenCaptureKit framework . This means it is deeply integrated with macOS to use GPU hardware acceleration directly. The result is astonishingly low CPU usage—one source measured CPU usage as low as 7.2% when recording 4K video.

How to use it if as best screen recorder on Mac:

1. Download QuickRecorder.

2. Open the app (move it to your Applications folder).

3. Check the Audio Option: In the recording window, look for the option that says "Record System Audio" or "Internal Audio." Turn this ON.

4. Adjust Volume: If you also want to speak (microphone), turn that on separately. The app lets you control the volume of System vs Mic independently.

5. Record: Hit record and play your video.

When using Snapzy as your screen recorder for Mac, you get features that are usually locked behind a paywall in other apps. It is not just a basic recorder; it is a complete tool for capturing and editing.

Here are the key recording features:

• Multiple Recording Modes: You can record your entire screen, a selected area, or a specific application window .
• System & Microphone Audio: It allows you to include system audio (the sound coming from your Mac) and microphone audio (your voice) in your recordings . This solves the common macOS problem where you can only record microphone audio by default.
• Scrolling Capture: It supports capturing long web pages or documents that require scrolling, which is very useful for tutorials.

After you finish your screen recorder for Mac session, Snapzy allows you to:

• Trim the video: Cut the beginning or end to remove mistakes.
• Adjust quality and dimensions: Optimize the video file size and resolution.
• Edit audio: Adjust the sound levels or edit the audio track.
• Export to multiple formats: Save your final video as a MOV, MP4, or even a GIF.

Kap is a lightweight, open-source tool that works well as best screen recorder for mac, suitable for quick screen captures and GIF creation.

Instructions: Download and install the software from the official website. Open the application, select the recording area, choose the output format, and then click the record button. If you want to record system audio, simply use the BlackHole virtual audio driver.

Its advantages include a clean, minimal interface, support for multiple export formats, no watermarks, and being completely free and open-source.

Its drawbacks include the lack of native system audio recording capabilities (requiring the setup of additional software), limited advanced features compared to other screen recording software, and occasional stability issues during extended recording sessions.

This makes It is choice as best screen recorder for mac for users who prioritize simplicity and quick exports over complex customization. It is ideal for creating short clips, tutorials, and GIFs without the learning curve of more advanced tools.

OBS Studio is a reliable open-source utility, well-suited as a free screen recorder for mac for capturing on-screen content together with system audio.

It can record your display, internal system sound, and microphone input simultaneously, which works well for making tutorials, gameplay footage, and general screen captures.

Download and install the Apple Silicon version of the software from the official website. After launching the application, add a display capture source to select the screen area you want to record.

Then add an Audio Output Capture source to pick up system sound. You can also add an Audio Input Capture source if you want to include microphone audio. Once configured, start the recording function.

When finished, stop the recording, then go to File → Show Recordings to locate your saved video files.

As a practical free screen recorder for mac, it runs smoothly on M5-series Mac devices, supports high-resolution recording, and provides adjustable configuration options for everyday and professional use cases.

It’s free, with no watermarks and no time limits on recordings. Setup takes just a few simple steps, and its wide range of features makes it a reliable choice for everyday screen recording needs.

If you find other software too complicated, this suite is undoubtedly an excellent best screen recorder for mac on the Mac platform; it’s easy to set up and very user-friendly.

What You Need:

• QuickTime Player 
• BlackHole 

How to Use the best screen recorder for mac

Step 1: Install the software

Step 2: Open Audio MIDI Setup, click + → Create Multi-Output Device

Check the boxes for the software and MacBook speakers

Step 3: In Audio MIDI Settings, right-click on Software → Use this device for sound output

Step 4: Open QuickTime → File → New Screen Recording, then click the arrow next to the Record button

Under Microphone, select Software, then click Record

Step 5: Reset the microphone settings to their original state.

You can record system audio without downloading any additional software, making it ideal for creating simple tutorials or game clips. However, be sure to switch the audio output back to its original settings after recording to avoid audio issues.

Cons

• It lacks advanced recording features, such as frame rate control, custom bitrate settings, or scheduled recording.
• After recording is complete, you must manually restore the system audio settings; otherwise, you won’t be able to hear any sound from your Mac.