Eklipse
Find, edit, and publish VOD highlights.
Verified July 19, 2026 · Windows gamer guide
7 Best Clipping Software for Windows Gamers
Start with when the clip needs to exist. Local replay software saves it while you play. Event-aware tools can catch supported in-game actions. If you stream, cloud VOD analysis can search the broadcast afterward without running another recorder on your PC.
7 WINDOWS OPTIONS7 PRIMARY SOURCESWORKFLOW, NOT HYPE
Quick answerCLOUD STREAMS LOCAL REPLAYS CAPTURE CONTROL NO INSTALL
Start with the moment you need to save
Eklipse works from completed Twitch, Kick, or YouTube streams and includes vertical editing, captions, and publishing. Medal saves local replays as you play. Outplayed gives you more control over what gets recorded. Xbox Game Bar is already installed with Windows.
Choose local capture when...You need the last moments saved immediately, do not stream, or want the original file on your PC. Eklipse takes a different route: it searches the stream after the broadcast, so it does not add another recording process while you play.
Medal
Save supported events or use a hotkey.
Outplayed
Highlights, matches, sessions, or manual.
Xbox Game Bar
Built into Windows 10 and 11.
See the cloud workflow
01 02 03
Clip the stream without recording again on Windows
Local replay tools run while you play. Eklipse starts with the stream VOD after the broadcast.
Connect your stream
Link Twitch, Kick, or YouTube. Nothing extra records on the Windows PC.
Review the moments
Review clips found from gameplay events, reactions, and voice cues.
Finish the social post
Reframe, caption, edit, and publish without exporting through several apps.
At a glance
Which Windows clipping workflow fits you?
✓ = documented support. ✕ = not part of the core workflow. ◐ = limited by the game, hardware, or editor.
| Product | Instant replay | Automatic events | Full-VOD discovery | No local capture load | Vertical + captions | Direct publishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eklipse | ◐Voice Command | ✓Game + engagement | ✓ | ✓Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Medal | ✓ | ✓100+ games | ✕ | ✕ | ◐Editor-dependent | ◐Share + export |
| Outplayed | ✓ | ✓Supported games | ◐Session review | ✕ | ✕ | ◐Share + export |
| SteelSeries Moments | ✓ | ◐Selected games | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ◐Share + export |
| NVIDIA App | ✓ | ◐Supported games | ✕ | ✕GPU capture | ✕ | ✕ |
| Xbox Game Bar | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| OBS Replay Buffer | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Official documentation checked July 19, 2026 · local capture always uses some PC resources; we did not publish untested FPS-impact numbers
Detailed reviews
CLOUD STREAM WORKFLOW01 · EklipseHow Eklipse finds highlights →
02 · MedalSee Medal auto-clipping →
03 · OutplayedSee Outplayed capture modes →
04 · SteelSeries MomentsSee SteelSeries Moments →
05 · NVIDIA AppSee NVIDIA App →
06 · Xbox Game BarSee Microsoft's Game Bar guide →
07 · OBS Replay BufferSee the OBS guide →
Seven Windows clipping workflows, compared
Keep the recording load off the PC
Searches a finished gaming stream in the cloud, then lets you reframe, caption, edit, and publish the clips it finds.
Eklipse connects to Twitch, Kick, and YouTube. It combines game events with reactions and audio cues, while Voice Command can mark a moment during the stream. Studio handles vertical framing, captions, editing, and publishing.
Why choose itCloud stream-to-social workflow across 1,000+ games.
Know before choosingIt is not a continuous local replay recorder.
Save fast local replays
Captures local clips by hotkey, voice, or supported in-game events.
Medal documents automatic clipping for 100+ games alongside hotkey and voice capture. It also includes editing, export, sharing, and a gaming community, but it does not search a completed full stream for missed moments.
Why choose itBroad event coverage and quick local replays.
Know before choosingThe recorder runs while you play.
Control how much gets recorded
Sets different capture rules for different games.
Outplayed offers highlights, full match, full session, and manual capture. Supported events can trigger clips or bookmarks, and you can adjust the seconds saved before and after an event.
Why choose itMore capture-mode control than most local tools.
Know before choosingAutomatic events depend on maintained game support.
Get a free capture-and-edit workflow
Combines free hotkey capture with automatic events in selected games.
Moments combines replay capture with automatic game events, trimming, multi-track audio, montages, clip organization, and sharing. Manual capture works more broadly than its automatic detection.
Why choose itRecorder, editor, montage, and sharing are together.
Know before choosingAutomatic events vary by game.
Use the encoder already on your GeForce GPU
Uses compatible GeForce hardware for local recording and Instant Replay.
NVIDIA's overlay can save recent gameplay, record manually, and capture supported highlights. Current NVIDIA documentation lists up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps, with hardware and codec support determining the available modes.
Why choose itGPU-accelerated recording with strong quality options.
Know before choosingIt requires compatible NVIDIA hardware and leaves editing to another tool.
Clip without installing another app
Records on Windows 10 or 11 without installing another app.
Game Bar ships with Windows and records games or applications through the Win+G overlay. Recordings land as MP4 files in the Captures folder. Game Bar does not detect events or prepare clips for social platforms.
Why choose itAlready available on most Windows gaming PCs.
Know before choosingNo event detection, vertical editing, captions, or publishing workflow.
Build a replay setup you control
Gives technical users a configurable replay buffer without automatic event detection.
Replay Buffer continuously holds recent footage in memory and writes it to disk when you press a hotkey. OBS is free and configurable, but setup, moment selection, editing, captions, and publishing remain your responsibility.
Why choose itFree, flexible, and not tied to one GPU vendor.
Know before choosingYou must notice and save every moment yourself.
Make the call
Decide whether clips should be captured live or found later
Use Eklipse if...
- You already stream to Twitch, Kick, or YouTube.
- You want the completed VOD searched for highlights.
- You need vertical editing, captions, and publishing after detection.
- You do not want another recorder using Windows resources while you play.
Use local software if...
- You need the replay file immediately—choose Medal or NVIDIA App.
- You want capture rules per game—choose Outplayed.
- You want a free editing suite—try SteelSeries Moments.
- You want built-in simplicity or full control—use Game Bar or OBS.
How we chose
We compared workflows, not untested FPS claims
Capture timing and reliability25%
Automatic moment detection20%
Performance model15%
Game and input coverage15%
Editing and vertical output10%
Publishing workflow10%
Access and hardware limits5%
We reviewed official product and support pages on July 19, 2026. We matched each tool to one job: capturing clips while you play or finding them after a stream.
We did not benchmark all seven tools on the same PC. Any precise FPS-impact ranking would be misleading without identical hardware, games, resolution, codec, and recording settings.
Test before choosing
Use the same game and the same three moments
01 · Capture
Trigger three clips
Test a hotkey moment, an automatic event, and a longer session or VOD.
02 · Performance
Watch the PC
Compare frame pacing, CPU/GPU use, disk space, audio sync, and failures.
03 · Output
Finish one post
Count the work needed to crop, caption, export, and publish a vertical clip.
FAQ
Choosing clipping software for a Windows PC
What is the best clipping software for Windows?
Eklipse covers cloud VOD analysis through vertical editing and social publishing for active streamers. Medal focuses on immediate local replays, Outplayed on configurable capture, NVIDIA App on compatible GeForce hardware, and Xbox Game Bar on built-in recording.
What Windows clipping software affects FPS the least?
Because Eklipse processes the VOD in the cloud, it does not add another local capture process while you play. Local results vary with hardware, game, resolution, codec, frame rate, and settings. Test on your own PC rather than trusting a universal FPS percentage.
What is the best free clipping software for Windows?
Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows 10 and 11. OBS Studio is free and gives technical users more control. SteelSeries Moments combines free capture and editing, while Medal also offers free local clipping with optional paid features.
Should I use instant replay or automatic clipping?
Instant replay is reliable when you notice the moment and press the hotkey. Automatic clipping reduces that burden but depends on supported events or AI detection. Streamers can also search the finished VOD for moments they did not save with a hotkey.
Is Eklipse free?
You can create an Eklipse account for free, but its clipping product requires a paid plan. Check current pricing for limits. Eklipse also provides separate free tools in its tools directory.
Primary sources
Built for gaming streams
Turn the whole stream into your next posts
Create an Eklipse account, connect Twitch, Kick, or YouTube, and choose the streams you want turned into clips.
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