Updated April 26, 2026.
Clipy and Awesome Screenshot end up in the same Chrome Web Store searches all the time — but they're solving different problems. Awesome Screenshot started as a screenshot tool and bolted on screen recording later. Clipy started as a screen recorder and never asked you to install anything.
If you mostly need static captures, Awesome Screenshot is fine. If you need video — explainer clips, bug reports, async standups, demos — the free-tier reality is very different. Here's the breakdown.
The 30-second answer
- Pick Awesome Screenshot if 95% of what you produce is annotated screenshots, and recording is occasional.
- Pick Clipy if recording is the actual job — you want unlimited length, no watermark, instant share link, and no Chrome extension to install.
What you give up on each free plan
Awesome Screenshot Free
- Screen recording is heavily paywalled — meaningful recording features sit behind paid plans.
- Watermark on free-tier video output.
- Time caps on recording length.
- Cloud storage limits.
Clipy Free
- Unlimited recordings.
- Unlimited recording length.
- No watermark.
- No install — clipy.online works in any modern browser. There's also a desktop app if you want system-audio capture.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Awesome Screenshot Free | Clipy Free |
|---|---|---|
| Recording length | Capped | Unlimited |
| Watermark | Yes | No |
| Install | Chrome extension | None — browser-based |
| Sharing | Cloud link (their domain) | clipy.online link |
| Viewer needs account | Sometimes | Never |
| Trim / edit | Paid | Free trim |
| Webcam overlay | Yes | Yes |
| Annotations on screenshots | Excellent | Out of scope |
Where Awesome Screenshot still wins
- Static capture annotations. Their pen, blur, arrow, and highlight tools for screenshots are mature.
- PDF + scrolling capture. If you need full-page captures of long docs, the screenshot side of Awesome Screenshot is the better tool.
Clipy isn't trying to compete with screenshot tools. Use the right tool for the job — but if recording is the job, the free-tier limits decide it.
Where Clipy wins
- Truly unlimited free recording. No 5-minute cap, no monthly cap, no watermark.
- No install. Open clipy.online in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, or Safari (recent versions) and record.
- Instant share link. Stop recording, the link is ready before you click anything.
- No sign-up to watch. Anyone with the link can play. Important for sending recordings to customers, candidates, or anyone outside your team.
A common scenario: weekly status updates
You record a 6-minute weekly update for your team. With Awesome Screenshot Free, you'd hit either a length cap or a watermark, depending on which limits are in place this quarter on their free tier. With Clipy, the recording is one continuous file, no watermark, and the link drops in Slack with a preview.
A common scenario: bug reports
30-second bug reports work on either tool's free plan. The difference is the share step. Clipy's link unfurls in Slack and Linear without anyone needing to download a file, install an extension, or sign up. Here's the full bug-report workflow we use internally.
Bottom line
Awesome Screenshot is a great screenshot tool that recorded video as an afterthought. Clipy is a screen recorder with no install, no watermark, and no caps. If you take more videos than screenshots, the choice is easy.
Try Clipy free. One-click screen recording in your browser, instant share link, no watermark, no time limit, no sign-up to watch. Start recording at clipy.online — or download the desktop app for system-audio capture.