Online users employ their webcams in various methods. But only some people want fancy effects on their video feed. Some people want something that works. Considering these things, we’ve compiled a list of the 8 best webcam software for Windows and Mac (laptops and PCs) in 2023. These programs stand out for various reasons, including their easy-to-use design, diversity of editing tools, and other important features.
1. YouCam 9 Deluxe: Feature-rich Webcam Software
Some of the best webcam software for Windows 11, Windows 10, and other versions of Windows is Youcam. There is a limited amount of stuff in the YouCam interface, making it a great choice for people just starting with webcams. But that doesn’t mean the software is simple; it has a huge selection of editing tools, filters, and effects, and their diversity is, to put it mildly, amazing. Some are face-warping lenses, scene filters, emojis, dynamic effects, and stickers.
Does that sound like a general thing? How about using face “Avatars,” AR stickers, and live animations to make your video feed look like a well-cut movie? YouCam has a lot of great features. It’s also possible to sync YouCam with services like Skype, and you can use your face to log in to Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and more.
On the technical side, YouCam can record videos in AVI and WMV (MP4) for computers with VGA cards), with resolutions running from 240p to Full HD. It also saves images in multiple forms (JPG, BMP, and PNG). Users can adjust the camera speed directly, and burst shots are also an option. The only bad thing? You can try it for free for 30 days, but then you’ll have to buy a paid version.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Animated effects | Free version is quite limited in features |
| Seamless integration with apps like Zoom, Teams, etc. | |
| AR filters | |
| Support for YouTube Live, Facebook Live, etc |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, 8/8.1, 7, Vista SP2
Download YouCam 9 Deluxe: Free 30-day Trial, paid version starting at $34.99
2. Camo: Overall Best Webcam Software
If you want to find the best webcam software for PC and Mac in 2023, I suggest you look into Camo. This great tool lets you make great webcam videos for all kinds of situations, like meetings, streaming, or just recording. Camo lets you change filters, brightness, colors, and contrast. You can connect your DSLR, webcam, smartphone, action cam, continuity camera, or anything else, and it will find it on its own.
The Camo app lets you zoom, crop, and focus your picture. It’s great that it comes with templates. You can add 18 different filters to the video feed, for instance, to give it a dramatic look or to change the colors. You can add cool styles to a text layer and make yourself stand out by using portrait mode, green screen, and other tools. Camo also has Auto Framing, which keeps you in the middle by tracking your face.
The best part is that the app is compatible with all the popular video chat apps, such as FaceTime, Zoom, Meet, Teams, Skype, Slack, Cisco Webex, and others. You can choose to have all the features for $39.99 a year for two computers. You can use it for free, though, and there won’t be any ads, spam, or watermarks. If you choose the free plan, you won’t be able to use Camo’s paid features.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Produce professional webcam video, supports text overlay | None as such |
| Supports webcams, smartphones, DSLRs, action cams, and more | |
| Compatible with all major apps | |
| Auto framing with face tracking | |
| Portrait mode and green screen support | |
| Adjust all parameters |
Supported Platforms: macOS and Windows
Download Camo: Free with basic features, Paid version starts at $39.99 per year for two computers
3. Logitech Capture: Best Webcam Software for Logitech Users
The best software for your Logitech webcam is called “Logitech Capture.” This app will work great for you if you have a compatible webcam. It is feature-rich and strong. Multi-scene recording is possible with the Logitech Capture app. This means you can record video from two webcams, a PC and a webcam.
Additionally, the webcam app supports vertical video recording and live text inserts, making it simple to use for 9:16 aspect ratio webcam records or streaming. Another thing that the app does is connect to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch (with OBS or XSplit).
You can add filters, borders, and more with the app’s studio-style tools. Chroma Key (green screen) can make webcam streaming and recording even better. This is it if you want the best webcam software for Windows 11/10 and macOS.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Live text overlays | Only works with a select few Logitech cameras |
| Customisable Field of View (FOV), aspect ratio, white balance and more | |
| Supports 9:16 video recording | |
| Multiple source recording |
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS 10.14 and later
Supported Cameras:
- C920 HD Pro
- C920s HD Pro
- 1080p Pro Stream
- C922 Pro Stream
- C922X Pro Stream
- Streamcam
- Streamcam Plus
- Brio 4K Pro
- Brio Stream
- C930e
Download Logitech Capture: Free
4. Debut Video Capture Software
Some people don’t like fancy filters and effects; sometimes, we want a free webcam app that doesn’t do nothing extra. Debut Video Capture is one of the best webcam apps for this purpose, whose main selling point is its clutter-free interface. In the name of video editing tools, you all get three video filters (B&W, Sepia, and Negative) and some basic factors that can be changed with a scale. You get a watermark tool for adding something special to your videos.
Users have a lot of power over the technical elements of Debut Video Capture. While videos can be recorded in various forms, including AVI, MKV, FLV, and WMV, photos on a PC can only be captured in JPG and PNG. The app’s frame rate is fixed at 30FPS at all resolutions, but users can record screen action in three aspect ratios (11:9, 16:3, and 4:3) and in resolutions ranging from 144p to HD.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Supports a wide range of formats | Video editing tools are lacking |
| Multiple resolutions are supported |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and macOS 10.5 or above, including macOS 12 Monterey.
Download Debut Video Capture Software (Free, paid plans start at $1.66 per month, billed quarterly)
5. ManyCam
ManyCam is better than just a webcam app; it’s full-on video editing software because it has so many presets, filters, and effects that users can use. You can add various video enhancement effects to record and stream artsy videos, such as transitions, face masks, emojis, and backgrounds. Other cool things that ManyCam has to offer are YouTube integration, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, and a green screen.
You can choose to record videos in various resolutions (240p, 480p, HD, FullHD, etc.), at frame rates ranging from 5 to 60 frames per second, and in various forms, including MP4, MKV, and FLV. This app lets you change the audio speed (from 96 to 192 kbps) and has a noise-reduction tool that works well. Because it has many editing tools and effects, ManyCam is a great choice for making lessons, recording what’s happening on your screen, or live streaming. You should check out this webcam software right away.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Support for 4K videos | Requires manual adjustments for features |
| No watermark in free version | Business plans are expensive |
| Comes with screen recording and casting features |
Supported platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, macOS 10.9 and higher, including macOS 12 Monterey.
Download ManyCam: Free, paid versions starting at $24
6. Ecamm Live: Best Webcam Software for Live Streaming
If you want to live stream your webcam on Twitch or somewhere else, Ecamm Live might be the right camera software for you. This webcam app for Mac is meant to be used for live streaming. In case you need it, it works with LinkedIn, Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Twitch, Twitter, Restream, and even Facebook Live.
Ecamm Live also works with many other things, like sharing your screen from an iPhone or Mac, using multiple cameras, and HDMI capture devices. A live camera changer makes it easy to change which camera you’re streaming from. Besides that, the software lets you use comment lines, layers, filters, scenes, and more.
That being said, Ecamm Live is a great place to start if you want to start live-streaming.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Support for Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and more | Quite expensive as compared to other options |
| Multiple camera and HDMI capture device support | |
| Custom RTMP server support |
Supported Platforms: macOS 10.12 and newer
Download Ecamm Live: Free trial, plans start at $16 per month
7. Webcam Toy
Need more help to download and set up third-party webcam software? Webcam Toy is the best webcam software for you in that case. Webcam Toy is the place to go if you want to quickly take a picture and add some fun distortion effects and filters without waiting for a webcam app to load.
This is how easy it is to use a Webcam Toy. Selecting the “Ready? Smile!” button and then clicking the “Use my Camera” button will take you to the website. Select from five presets (Mirror, Square, Countdown, Flash, and Fullscreen) and select from a wide range of effects using the side-scroll buttons. One can save the selected images offline (in JPG format) or post them directly from the website to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No installation required | Not as feature rich as native applications |
| Perfect for quick captures |
Supported Platform: Web
Visit Webcam Toy (Free)
8. Photo Booth Pro
Often, webcam tools need help with slow load times and camera lag. But Photo Booth Pro needs to have these problems. The software is quick and has a host of mirror products and filters that can be tried out before clicking a video or taking a picture. You can show off your creativity with Photo Booth’s effects, such as axial mirror effects, distortion lenses, blur effects, and creative filters. Also, a cool photo-strip tool lets you capture four images with various filters and arrange them in a strip. You can change the shape of the strip later.
Pictures are saved locally in JPG files and can be put on OneDrive. You can also post them directly to Facebook and Twitter from Photo Booth Pro. However, the size and frame rate are fixed at 640 x 360 and 30FPS, respectively, and videos are recorded in MP4 files in two aspect ratios, namely 16:9 and 4:3. Photo Booth Pro is without a doubt the best webcam software for Windows 10 and 11.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Bunch of cool effects | Only supports JPG and MP4 formats |
| Available for free | Resolution is quite low |
Supported Platform: Windows 11, Windows 10
Download Photo Booth Pro (Free)