NVIDIA ShadowPlay vs Action!

NVIDIA ShadowPlay8.9Visit Action!8.2Visit

Higher score NVIDIA ShadowPlay #4 in Game Recording Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit NVIDIA

vs

Action! #8 in Game Recording Software 8.2/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Action!

• NVIDIA ShadowPlay fits best

  Free high-resolution NVIDIA GPU capture

• Action! fits best

  Paid users needing recording and livestreaming

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Side by side

Feature	NVIDIA ShadowPlay 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Action! 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.2
Ranking	#4 in Game Recording Software	#8 in Game Recording Software
Best for	Free high-resolution NVIDIA GPU capture	Paid users needing recording and livestreaming
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows	Windows, Android
Support	Live chat, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	3 integrations	7 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NVIDIA ShadowPlay 2/4 · Action! 4/4
Instant replay	✓	✓
Watermark-free video	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
GPU encoding	✓	✓
Webcam overlay	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Capture resolution	8k	8k
Recording modes	Multi-mode	Multi-mode
Supported platforms	Windows	Windows
Our review
Pros	Free access to manual recording, Instant Replay, and Highlights Captures up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps Supports Twitch, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live integrations	Records up to 4K MP4 and supports 8K AVI configurations Time-Shift replay, webcam overlays, and separate audio tracks Streams to major platforms and supports USB/HDMI capture devices
Cons	Requires a Windows PC with an NVIDIA GPU AV1 recording is limited to supported RTX 40-series GPUs Capture capabilities vary by GPU model, codec, and settings	No free plan; access is limited to a 30-day trial before purchase Recording is centered on Windows desktop use Only Home use and Commercial use license plans are listed
Our verdict	NVIDIA ShadowPlay is gameplay capture software delivered through the NVIDIA App for PC gamers and creators using NVIDIA GPUs. It covers manual gameplay recording, DVR-style Instant Replay, Automatic Highlights capture, screenshots,… Read the review →	Action! is desktop and game recording software from Mirillis Ltd. for players, streamers, and creators who need more than basic gameplay capture. It records gameplay and desktop activity, supports webcam overlays with chroma key, captures… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• NVIDIA ShadowPlay — where it wins

  • Free access to manual recording, Instant Replay, and Highlights
  • Captures up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps
  • Supports Twitch, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a Windows PC with an NVIDIA GPU
  • AV1 recording is limited to supported RTX 40-series GPUs
  • Capture capabilities vary by GPU model, codec, and settings

• Action! — where it wins

  • Records up to 4K MP4 and supports 8K AVI configurations
  • Time-Shift replay, webcam overlays, and separate audio tracks
  • Streams to major platforms and supports USB/HDMI capture devices

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; access is limited to a 30-day trial before purchase
  • Recording is centered on Windows desktop use
  • Only Home use and Commercial use license plans are listed

• NVIDIA ShadowPlay8.9/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows recorder with high-resolution capture for NVIDIA GPU users.

  Visit NVIDIAFull verdict →
• Action!8.2/10 · 30-day trial

  A paid Windows recorder with replay, high-resolution capture, streaming, and hardware support.

  Visit Action!Full verdict →