Medal

Overview

Medal is a gameplay recorder and clip-sharing app for Windows, iOS and Android. It suits players who want capture tools and shareable clips in one place, especially those who value adjustable recording lengths and separate audio controls. Its free tier makes it accessible across PC and mobile; Premium is the way to get original-quality uploads and a cloud-backed library.

Key features

Recording can cover a 15-second highlight, a minute, 10 minutes or an entire session. It supports up to 4K and 144fps, with 60fps enabled by default. That range gives players room to prioritize either high frame rates or resolution, though original-quality uploads—including 4K—are a Premium feature.

Multi-mode capture, instant replay, GPU encoding and support for NVIDIA, AMD and Intel acceleration give Medal flexibility across compatible PCs; CPU recording is also supported. H.264, H.265, HEVC and AV1 are available. Medal states that recording uses 100–400MB of RAM, a useful point for players balancing capture against a game’s resource demands.

Game, microphone and Discord audio can be adjusted or muted independently, and recordings can include a webcam overlay. Clips get shareable links, while supported video is watermark-free. Premium adds unlimited cloud storage, full-library backup with interrupted backups able to resume, unlimited clip upload length and unlimited auto-generated subtitles in the editor. Its ad-free experience excludes certain programmatic and platform placements.

Pricing

The Free plan is available on PC and mobile with optional paid features. It is the sensible starting point for players who want to record and share without a subscription, but it does not include Premium’s original-quality uploads, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited upload length, subtitles or removable Premium watermarks.

Medal Premium Monthly costs $9.99 a month, billed monthly. It includes removable watermarks, auto-generated subtitles, full original-quality uploads, unlimited cloud storage, unlimited clip upload length and an ad-free experience. Choose it if those extras matter but you do not want an annual commitment.

Medal Premium Annual costs $7.99 a month with an annual subscription. It offers the same Premium feature set at a lower monthly rate, in exchange for subscribing annually. The pricing note describes paid access as starting at $7.99/user/mo (annual); the plans give no seat allowance to distinguish, so teams should not assume a multi-user bundle.

Platforms

Medal supports Windows 10 or later on desktop, plus iOS and Android on mobile. The stated capture specifications for resolution, frame rate, codecs and hardware acceleration are PC-oriented; mobile availability makes Medal useful across devices, but it is not a Linux or macOS option.

Who it's for

Medal is a strong fit for players who want one workflow for gameplay capture and clip sharing, need variable clip lengths, or want to balance game, microphone and Discord sound separately. Premium is more compelling for frequent uploaders who want original-quality files and cloud backup. Players who only need a free PC recorder, or require Linux or macOS support, should consider other options.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free on PC and mobile, with instant clip links, flexible capture lengths and independently adjustable game, microphone and Discord audio.
• Pros: Supports up to 4K and 144fps, several codecs, webcam overlays and GPU acceleration from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
• Cons: Original-quality uploads, unlimited cloud storage and unlimited upload length are Premium features, so the free tier is less suitable for maintaining a full-resolution cloud library.
• Cons: The annual plan’s lower monthly rate requires an annual subscription, while monthly Premium costs $9.99 a month.
• Cons: Desktop support is limited to Windows; players on Linux or macOS need another recorder.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Game recording software. Choose OBS Studio instead if you want a free recorder for Linux, macOS or Windows with no watermarks or usage limits and commercial use permitted. SteelSeries Moments is another free Windows option.

Outplayed suits Windows players looking at a freemium alternative with three months of Outplayed.tv hosting on its Core plan and unlimited hosting, ad removal and layout customization on Premium. Segra is a free, open-source choice for Linux and Windows that includes replay buffer, clip editing and automatic game highlights. NVIDIA ShadowPlay is a free Windows option for users with a supported GPU and GeForce 551.52 driver or later.

Bandicam offers freemium recording across Windows, macOS, Linux and web, with annual and perpetual one-PC personal plans. Streamlabs Highlighter is a free macOS and Windows option built into Streamlabs Desktop, with automated gameplay highlight detection and clip editing and export. FBX is a freemium Windows alternative; its free plan watermarks videos, while its Pro options remove the watermark.

Verdict

Choose Medal if you want flexible gameplay capture and quick clip sharing across Windows and mobile, with audio controls that let you shape a clip without treating every source as one mix. Its free access is a practical starting point; Premium earns its price for players who need original-quality uploads and a cloud-backed library. Look elsewhere if you need macOS or Linux support, or simply want a free PC recorder without Medal’s paid library features.