Updated April 26, 2026.
Windows users have two built-in options for screen recording: the Xbox Game Bar (Win+G) and the Snipping Tool with video mode. Both work. Both have specific reasons not to use them outside their narrow design intent. Clipy is the free third option that gives Windows users the same "record → share-link" flow Loom users have always had.
The 30-second answer
- Game Bar: built for capturing gameplay. Locks to a single foreground window. Won't capture File Explorer or the desktop.
- Snipping Tool video: works for short captures of a screen region. No webcam, no audio capture by default in older builds, and you still have to share the resulting MP4 yourself.
- Clipy: free, browser-based, captures any window or tab, with webcam and microphone, gives you a clipy.online share link the moment you stop.
What Game Bar can't do
- Record File Explorer or the Windows desktop. The OS blocks it.
- Record across multiple windows. Game Bar locks to one foreground app.
- Easy webcam-on-screen overlay during the recording.
- Generate a share link. You get an MP4 in your Captures folder.
Game Bar is brilliant if you're recording a game or a single-window app session. It's frustrating if you're recording a multi-step workflow that touches Explorer.
What Snipping Tool video can't do
- Record long sessions reliably (it's not built for it).
- Capture a webcam overlay.
- Hand you a share link.
- Trim or edit beyond basic crop.
Snipping Tool's video mode is fine for a 20-second clip you'll attach to an email. For anything else, you'll graduate to a real recorder fast.
The Clipy workflow on Windows
- Open clipy.online in Edge, Chrome, Brave, or Arc — or install the desktop app.
- Click record. Pick entire screen, a window, or a browser tab.
- Stop. Link is on your clipboard.
- Paste in Teams, Slack, email, Linear — anywhere.
That's the entire flow. Same on every modern Windows machine, no per-app settings, no Captures folder to manage.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Game Bar | Snipping Tool | Clipy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captures Explorer/desktop | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-window recording | No | Yes (region) | Yes (full screen) |
| Webcam overlay | No | No | Yes |
| Mic + system audio | Yes (mic + game) | Limited | Yes |
| Output | Local MP4 | Local MP4 | Hosted link + downloadable file |
| Share link | You upload yourself | You upload yourself | Instant |
| Watermark | None | None | None |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
When to keep using the built-in tools
- Game Bar for actual gameplay clips that you'll edit in DaVinci or upload to YouTube.
- Snipping Tool for one-off 10-second clips you'll attach as a file to a single email.
When to switch to Clipy
- You record more than once a week.
- You share with people via Slack/Teams/email and want a clickable link instead of a 40 MB attachment.
- You record across multiple windows or apps.
- You want a webcam overlay without a workaround.
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.