D3DGear vs NVIDIA ShadowPlay
D3DGear
d3dgear.com
NVIDIA ShadowPlay
nvidia.comSide by side
| Figure | D3DGear | NVIDIA ShadowPlay |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $34.95/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game recording software | 6.9 (#27) | 8.2 (#11) |
| Capture resolution | 4k | 8k |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| GPU encoding | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | Santa Clara, California, United States |
| Instant replay | Yes | ShadowPlay Instant Replay can save the last 30 seconds of gameplay. |
| Recording modes | multi-mode | multi-mode |
| Supported platforms | Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, and 10 | Windows |
Plans
In their own words
NVIDIA ShadowPlay
NVIDIA ShadowPlay is a free Windows companion app for PC gamers and creators, combining driver updates, game and application optimization, and recording tools in an in-game overlay. Manual recording supports up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps; NVIDIA describes the performance impact as minimal. Automatic Highlights captures key moments, and overlay metrics include FPS, GPU and CPU utilization, FPS 1% Low, and system latency. GeForce RTX 40-series GPU owners can record with AV1 encoding. The app also includes a GPU control center for graphics settings and tuning, Freestyle filters for supported games, and ways to discover and launch selected NVIDIA apps. Requirements include Windows 10 or 11, a GeForce RTX 20, 30, 40, or 50 Series GPU, driver 551.52 or later, 2 GB of system memory, and 600 MB of disk space. Signing in is optional; NVIDIA says login enables users to redeem GPU bundles and rewards.