What is the best screen recorder for Arch Linux?

Choose by task and desktop. GNOME's recorder and KDE Spectacle handle simple clips. wf-recorder suits Sway and Hyprland. OBS is a free option for audio, cameras and streaming. Screenix adds editable automatic zooms for polished tutorials.

How do I record my screen with audio on Arch Linux?

Use OBS and select your devices in Settings → Audio, or enable microphone and system audio in Screenix's toolbar. On Sway or Hyprland, wf-recorder --audio -f recording.mp4 records with audio; use --audio=DEVICE to select a source. Check a short recording before recording the full tutorial.

How do I record my screen on KDE Plasma?

On a Wayland session, install Spectacle with sudo pacman -S spectacle, open its Recording tab and choose what to capture. Spectacle 6.7 has no audio capture; KDE has announced it for 6.8. Use OBS or Screenix if you need microphone and desktop audio on the current stable release, or if you use X11.

Why is the screen picker missing in OBS on Wayland?

Check that you added Screen Capture (PipeWire), then check your desktop's portal setup. KDE uses xdg-desktop-portal-kde, GNOME uses xdg-desktop-portal-gnome, Hyprland uses xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland and Sway can use xdg-desktop-portal-wlr. PipeWire and the correct portal backend must be running in your session.

Why does GNOME screen recording not work on Arch?

A minimal install may lack GNOME's optional recording dependencies. Install them with sudo pacman -S gst-plugin-pipewire gst-plugins-good, then try Print Screen and switch to video mode. Missing dependencies are one possible cause, not the only one.

Can I use these steps on Manjaro or EndeavourOS?

The desktop controls are the same when the software versions match, but package versions and availability can differ. Check your distribution's repositories and AUR guidance. On any of these distributions, choose the recorder for your desktop and whether you use Wayland or X11.

A practical Linux guide

How to Record Your Screen on Arch Linux

Start with your desktop: GNOME and KDE have simple recording tools, while Sway and Hyprland can use wf-recorder. Choose OBS for scenes and streaming, or Screenix for tutorials with editable zooms.

Why Screenix is the better value

One Linux app. $39/year or $59 once.

Record, polish, edit, transcribe, and share without stacking separate tools or giving up local ownership.

Native Linux

Direct X11 and portal-based capture on supported Wayland desktops

One complete workflow

Record, polish, edit, transcribe, and share

Your files, your choice

Keep recordings local, use hosted sharing, or bring your own storage

Simple pricing

$39/yr with hosted sharing or $59 lifetime with your own storage

Which recorder fits your Arch desktop?

On GNOME, press Print Screen and switch to video for a silent clip. On KDE Plasma Wayland, open Spectacle and choose Recording. On Sway or Hyprland, run wf-recorder -f recording.mp4. For free recording with microphone and desktop audio, use OBS Studio. For a tutorial with automatic zooms and editing, install Screenix from the AUR and choose Studio mode.

1. Screenix 2. OBS Studio 3. wf-recorder 4. GNOME Built-in Recorder 5. KDE Spectacle

5 Ways to Record Your Screen on Arch Linux

Choose by desktop and task, then follow the steps below. pacman commands assume an up-to-date Arch system.

For polished tutorials

Screenix

Record a tutorial, then edit the zooms generated from your clicks

Arch Linux (AUR), Wayland and X11$39/yr or $59 lifetime

Choose Screenix when you want to record and polish a tutorial in one app. Studio mode creates editable zooms from your clicks. GNOME and KDE have documented capture paths; on other Wayland compositors, try your portal setup during the trial before depending on it.

Step-by-step

1
Install Screenix from the AUR. If you already use yay, run:
yay -S screenix-bin
With paru, use paru -S screenix-bin. AUR helpers are optional; you can also review and build the screenix-bin PKGBUILD with makepkg.
2
Open Screenix, start the 7-day trial with your email, and choose Studio mode for an editable recording.No credit card is needed. Instant mode is a separate workflow for quick sharing.
3
Enable the microphone and system audio you need in the toolbar, then click Record and select your screen or window.Audio starts off. On Wayland, the desktop portal opens the capture picker; on X11, select your source in the toolbar before recording.
4
Stop recording to open the editor. Review the generated zooms, trim the clip, adjust the cursor and export your video.

Pros

Editable zooms generated from recorded clicks
Microphone, system audio and a built-in editor
AUR installation for Arch and compatible derivatives

Cons

Paid after a 7-day trial, $39/yr or $59 lifetime
Edited trial exports carry a small watermark
No live streaming mode

OBS Studio

Free recording with audio, cameras and multiple scenes

Arch Linux, Wayland and X11Free

OBS is a good fit when you need a free recorder with microphone and desktop audio, or want to combine a camera and screen in a scene. It is available in Arch's official repositories.

Step-by-step

1
Install OBS Studio, then open it and run the auto-configuration wizard for recording.
sudo pacman -S obs-studio
2
In Sources, click + and add Screen Capture (PipeWire) on Wayland, or Screen Capture (XSHM) on X11. Choose the screen to record.Wayland capture needs a working desktop portal: xdg-desktop-portal-gnome for GNOME, xdg-desktop-portal-kde for KDE, xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland for Hyprland, or xdg-desktop-portal-wlr for Sway.
3
In Settings → Audio, select your microphone and desktop audio devices. Speak and play a sound to check that the Audio Mixer meters move.
4
Check the recording path in Settings → Output, click Start Recording, then Stop Recording. Play back a short test to check the picture and sound.

Pros

Free and available through pacman
Microphone, desktop audio, camera sources and streaming
Works on Wayland with a suitable portal, and on X11

Cons

Requires scene and source setup
No built-in click-generated zoom timeline or video editor

wf-recorder

A terminal recorder for Sway and Hyprland

Sway, Hyprland and compatible Wayland compositorsFree

wf-recorder captures directly on compositors that support its screen-copy protocols. Use it on Sway or Hyprland, not GNOME or KDE Wayland. It does not need a desktop portal for capture.

Step-by-step

1
Install wf-recorder from Arch's official repositories.
sudo pacman -S wf-recorder
2
Start recording to an MP4 file in the current directory.
wf-recorder -f recording.mp4
For audio, use wf-recorder --audio -f recording.mp4. Use --audio=DEVICE to choose a specific audio source.
3
For a selected area instead, install slurp with sudo pacman -S slurp, then run:
wf-recorder -g "$(slurp)" -f recording.mp4
4
Press Ctrl+C in the terminal to stop, then open recording.mp4.
Ctrl+C

Pros

Direct Wayland capture without a portal
Region selection with slurp and optional audio capture
Easy to use in scripts and keyboard bindings

Cons

Does not support GNOME or KDE Wayland
No graphical interface or built-in video editor

GNOME Built-in Recorder

Use Print Screen for a quick, silent clip

Arch Linux with GNOMEFree, built in

ShortcutPrint Screen

GNOME's capture overlay can record your screen or a selected area. It is enough for a short bug report or visual walkthrough, but offers no microphone or system-audio controls.

Step-by-step

1
Press Print Screen, switch to video mode and choose Screen or Selection.If recording is unavailable on a minimal install, Arch lists gst-plugin-pipewire and gst-plugins-good as GNOME's optional recording dependencies. Install them with sudo pacman -S gst-plugin-pipewire gst-plugins-good.
2
Click the red button to start. Click the red indicator in the top bar when you are done.
3
Open the Screencasts folder inside your Videos folder to find the recording.

Pros

Built into GNOME, with a simple capture overlay
Screen or region recording with optional pointer visibility

Cons

No microphone or system-audio controls
No built-in video editing or automatic zooms

KDE Spectacle

Quick screen recording on Plasma Wayland

Arch Linux with KDE Plasma WaylandFree

Spectacle handles simple screen recordings on KDE Plasma Wayland. As of September 30, Arch's Extra repository ships Spectacle 6.7.5 without audio recording. KDE has announced microphone and system audio for 6.8, currently in beta.

Step-by-step

1
Use a Plasma Wayland session and install Spectacle if it is missing.
sudo pacman -S spectacle
2
Open Spectacle from the application launcher and switch to Recording. Choose a screen, window or rectangular region to record.
3
When finished, click Finish recording in Spectacle, then open the saved video from its notification.Spectacle's recording feature needs Wayland. On Plasma X11, use OBS with Screen Capture (XSHM) instead.

Pros

Simple recording within KDE's capture tool
Available in Arch's official repositories

Cons

Screen recording requires Plasma Wayland
Spectacle 6.7 records video without audio
No built-in video editor or automatic zooms

Compare screen recorders for KDE Plasma

Which Arch Linux Recording Method Should You Use?

Wayland support depends on the desktop listed above. Spectacle's audio comparison below applies to version 6.7.

Method	Best for	Effort
Screenix	Tutorials with editable zooms	Low
OBS Studio	Audio, scenes and streaming	Medium
wf-recorder	Sway and Hyprland	Low
GNOME Built-in	Silent clips on GNOME	Low
Spectacle 6.7	Silent clips on KDE Wayland	Low

SupportedNot supported

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Ready to record?

Record Your First Arch Linux Tutorial

Install from the AUR and keep recording, editing, and sharing in one app. The trial needs no credit card; instant shares have no watermark and edited exports have a small trial watermark.

7-day trial, no credit card. Instant shares have no watermark. Edited exports include a small trial watermark.