Best Clipping Software for Gaming

Gameplay clips need reliable capture and fast trimming. These tools cover recording, instant replay, and post-capture editing.

Quick Comparison

Breakdown by Use Case

Recording gameplay OBS Studio is the standard for free, open-source recording. It gives full control over bitrate, resolution, and scene composition. The trade-off is setup time — it does not trim clips, so you need a separate editor.

Xbox Game Bar (Windows) and NVIDIA ShadowPlay offer built-in recording with minimal configuration. Xbox Game Bar is adequate for casual use. ShadowPlay leverages NVIDIA GPUs for low-overhead capture and includes an instant-replay buffer. Neither has robust trimming.

Instant replay and sharing Medal.tv is built for gamers. It runs a background buffer, lets you save the last 15 seconds to 10 minutes with a hotkey, and uploads clips to its platform for easy sharing. The free tier is fully functional; premium adds longer buffers and higher quality.

Trimming captured footage Once a clip is recorded, you often need to cut the start/end or isolate a moment. Kapwing works in the browser and accepts uploaded files. The free version watermarks exports.

Direct URL workflow If your gameplay is already on YouTube or another platform, Slidekick lets you paste the URL, trim visually, and export as MP4 or GIF without downloading the full video first. You can also upload a local file or record your screen directly.

If you clip videos regularly, Slidekick lets you paste any URL, trim visually, and export as MP4 or GIF — with Google Slides integration.