Alternatives to wl-screenrec
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots Wayland compositors that encodes video on the GPU. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
wl-screenrec
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots Wayland compositors that encodes video on the GPU.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as wl-screenrec.
wf-recorder
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, using ffmpeg for encoding.
wf-recorder is another command-line recorder for wlroots compositors that encodes through ffmpeg, so it does not require a GPU with hardware video encoding.
OBS Studio
The standard free tool for recording a screen and for live streaming, built around scenes and sources.
OBS Studio is an open-source graphical recorder and streaming tool for Windows, macOS and Linux, needing the PipeWire source on Wayland and having a real learning curve.
Kooha
A simple GTK screen recorder for Linux with a minimal interface, supporting Wayland and X11.
Kooha is an open-source GTK recorder with one-click recording that works on Wayland and X11, trading a scriptable command for a minimal graphical interface.
Blue Recorder
A simple desktop screen recorder built with GTK4 and FFmpeg, with Wayland support on GNOME and KDE.
Blue Recorder is a GTK4 and FFmpeg recorder with a graphical interface that supports Wayland on GNOME and KDE rather than wlroots compositors.
Spectacle
KDE's screenshot and screen recording application for Linux desktops.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and screen recording app, fitting best on a Plasma desktop rather than wlroots compositors like sway.
SimpleScreenRecorder
A Linux screen recorder for capturing programs and games, with live streaming and audio recording support.
SimpleScreenRecorder is a graphical Linux recorder with live streaming and custom codec options, though its listing does not mention Wayland support.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
wayshot
A native command-line screenshot tool for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, written in Rust.
grim
A command-line tool that grabs screenshots from a Wayland compositor.
slurp
A command-line tool that lets you select a screen region on Wayland and prints its geometry.
Screenkey
A Linux screencast tool that shows the keys you press on screen while recording.
Show Me The Key
Shows the keys you type on screen, a screenkey alternative that works under Wayland.
