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LICEcap GIF Recorder for Windows PC Icon
GPL v3 v1.32 ✓ Checksum Published

Download LICEcap GIF Recorder for Windows PC v1.32 for Windows PC

LICEcap is a tiny, free, open source screen capture tool by Cockos (the makers of REAPER) that records a region of your screen directly to an animated GIF.

Technical Specifications & System Requirements

Developer Cockos Incorporated
Platform & OS Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
Package Size 0.2 MB
Architecture x64 (64-bit)
Package Format EXE Installer
Security Verification SHA-256 checksum published
SHA-256 Cryptographic Checksum Computed from the file we serve
b1e7eaf6b275bfb820bffa790082b36dd4eab1c06a54b3d508c7bad304b1d518
$ Get-FileHash .\licecap-gif-recorder-pc.exe -Algorithm SHA256

Software notes

The Bottom Line: LICEcap is software reduced to its essence. There is no timeline, no effects panel, no export wizard — you position a window, press record, and a GIF appears. That radical simplicity is why it endures: when someone asks “can you show me what happens,” LICEcap has already answered before heavier tools finish launching. Bug reports with a five-second GIF get fixed faster than bug reports with five paragraphs, and LICEcap is how those GIFs get made. It concedes everything beyond capture — no editing, no annotations, no video. Pair it with ScreenToGif when you need polish. But for the pure act of turning screen motion into a shareable GIF, nothing is faster or more honest. Some tools earn longevity through features; LICEcap earned it by refusing to need any. Its genius is the absence of decisions: no codec to choose, no container to configure, no timeline to learn. That constraint is liberating — you think about what to demonstrate, not how to record it. Cockos applies the same philosophy to REAPER: deep capability wrapped in radical efficiency. LICEcap will never get an editor or effects, and that is the point. In a world of software that wants to be everything, there is profound value in a tool that does exactly one thing instantly.

Features

  • Free and open source under the GPL from Cockos, the respected audio software company.
  • The most intuitive capture model ever: the window IS the recording frame — position it and hit record.
  • Produces GIFs in seconds with no editing suite, no learning curve, and no configuration rabbit holes.
  • Tiny footprint and instant startup; it is always ready before you finish deciding to record. At under a megabyte, it is smaller than most of the GIFs it creates.
  • Mouse-click indicators and title frames add just enough polish for bug reports and demos.

Considerations

  • It does one thing — capture a screen region to GIF — with no editing, no annotations, and no effects whatsoever.
  • Output is GIF (or LCF) only; for video you need a different tool.
  • Development is glacial; the interface and feature set have barely changed in years.

About & Overview: LICEcap GIF Recorder for Windows PC

LICEcap is a tiny, free, open-source screen capture tool by Cockos (the makers of REAPER) that records a region of your screen directly to an animated GIF. Released under the GPL, it works unlike any normal recorder: the capture window itself is the frame — position it over what you want to record, hit record, and everything inside becomes a GIF. There are no timelines, no editors, no export dialogs to configure; options cover frame rate, title frame, mouse-click display, and pause. Developers use it to show bugs in motion, forum helpers use it to demonstrate fixes, and anyone who needs a five-second visual answer reaches for it first. It has barely changed in years because it barely needs to.

How to Install & Verify LICEcap GIF Recorder for Windows PC

STEP 1
Download the installer

Download LICEcap from the official vendor link on this page.

STEP 2
Run the setup

Open the downloaded installer file and follow the on-screen installation steps.

STEP 3
Launch the app

Start LICEcap from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

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Frequently Asked Questions & Verification Guide

Is LICEcap free?

Yes. LICEcap is free and open source under the GNU General Public License, courtesy of Cockos.

How do I record with LICEcap?

Drag the LICEcap window over the area you want to capture — the window frame is the recording region — press Record, do the thing, press Stop, and save the GIF.

How do I keep the GIF file size small?

Keep the capture region small, lower the frame rate, and keep clips short. LICEcap also offers its own LCF format for higher quality at smaller sizes when GIF is not required.

LICEcap or ScreenToGif?

LICEcap is the fastest path from screen to GIF: position, record, done. ScreenToGif adds a full frame editor, annotations, webcam capture, and video export. For a quick unpolished GIF, LICEcap; for a tutorial-quality clip, ScreenToGif.