Fraps vs GameOverlay

Fraps8.5Visit GGameOverlay7.7Visit

Higher score Fraps #4 in Game FPS Counters 8.5/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Fraps

vs

G GameOverlay #8 in Game FPS Counters 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit GameOverlay

• Fraps fits best

  Users wanting FPS counters plus game capture

• GameOverlay fits best

  Free Windows FPS and network monitoring

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Fraps 8.5/10 Visit ↗	GGameOverlay 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	7.7
Ranking	#4 in Game FPS Counters	#8 in Game FPS Counters
Best for	Users wanting FPS counters plus game capture	Free Windows FPS and network monitoring
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$37 one-time	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Fraps 0/5 · GameOverlay 0/5
In-game overlay	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Frame-time display	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
GPU metrics	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Logging or export	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
CLI or API access	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Primary platform	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	On-screen FPS counter with benchmarking for DirectX and OpenGL games Capture video up to 7680x4800 and configurable rates up to 100 fps Loop recording, game audio, and screenshots in four image formats	Tracks FPS, 1% lows, 0.1% lows, ping and packet loss Shows CPU and GPU usage and temperatures in-game Click-through overlay with detailed visual customization
Cons	Windows desktop only, with compatibility listed through Windows 7 No free plan; the registered version costs $37 one-time Version 3.5.99, released in February 2013, is listed as the latest release	Runs on Windows desktop only Focused on performance and hardware metrics rather than broader tools Customization requires choosing visibility, colors, layout and typography
Our verdict	Fraps is a Windows desktop application for recording gameplay from DirectX and OpenGL games, capturing screenshots, and measuring frame rates. Its on-screen counter and benchmarking tools suit players who want performance figures alongside… Read the review →	GameOverlay is a lightweight, open-source Windows desktop overlay for solo players and small teams that want performance data while playing. It displays FPS, 1% low FPS, 0.1% low FPS, ping, packet loss, CPU usage and temperature, plus GPU… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Fraps — where it wins

  • On-screen FPS counter with benchmarking for DirectX and OpenGL games
  • Capture video up to 7680x4800 and configurable rates up to 100 fps
  • Loop recording, game audio, and screenshots in four image formats

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows desktop only, with compatibility listed through Windows 7
  • No free plan; the registered version costs $37 one-time
  • Version 3.5.99, released in February 2013, is listed as the latest release

• GameOverlay — where it wins

  • Tracks FPS, 1% lows, 0.1% lows, ping and packet loss
  • Shows CPU and GPU usage and temperatures in-game
  • Click-through overlay with detailed visual customization

  Where it doesn't

  • Runs on Windows desktop only
  • Focused on performance and hardware metrics rather than broader tools
  • Customization requires choosing visibility, colors, layout and typography

• Fraps8.5/10 · Paid

  A focused Windows FPS counter and capture tool with a $37 one-time registered version.

  Visit FrapsFull verdict →
• GGameOverlay7.7/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source Windows overlay for detailed FPS, network and hardware stats.

  Visit GameOverlayFull verdict →