The 10 best Steps Recorder alternatives in 2026

In February 2024, Microsoft announced that the built-in Windows tool, Steps Recorder, which is also known as Problem Steps Recorder (PSR), would be phased out. Today, if you attempt to use the tool, you’ll see this message confirming the deprecation:

Since its inception in Windows 7, this tool has been a highly favored freemium solution built right into the operating system. This forces teams who rely on this solution to seek out Steps Recorder alternatives. In our guide, we’ll provide you with 10 Windows Steps Recorder alternatives so you can make the transition to a replacement.

What Windows Steps Recorder is

Steps Recorder is Microsoft’s tool for capturing step-by-step workflows for troubleshooting and documentation. Rather than recording video, Steps Recorder logs each click and keyboard input. The tool then pairs those actions with both screenshots and short descriptions.

As you proceed through a process, the software tracks all interactions in the exact sequence in which you made them. During this recording, the software allows you to:

• Pause the recording
• Resume the recording
• Add comments for context

Once you’re done, Steps Recorder saves everything into a compressed MHTML file, which is commonly used by Microsoft and, by extension, older web environments like Internet Explorer. Once compressed into this kind of file, opening up the file will show the document in a browser-like view, with each step shown alongside a corresponding screenshot.

One of the reasons for the Steps Recorder’s popularity is its simplicity. It’s very easy to use, making it a go-to option for companies that need to quickly document issues, share bugs with an IT team, or walk through a complex process. It does all of this without requiring specialized software like an enterprise-grade digital adoption platform (DAP). Unfortunately, Microsoft’s recent announcement that Steps Recorder will be discontinued after the next Windows Update has teams that once relied on this tool scrambling for an alternative.

Why teams need a replacement

Outside of the deprecated status of the solution, Steps Recorder also has several other limitations that push teams to seek a replacement.

• Unpredictable failures: Regular Steps Recorder users report unexplained errors when using the software. For example, the software will sometimes stop without notifying the user that it’s no longer recording. These kinds of silent failures disrupt workflows, as the user has to start recording from scratch. Missed clicks and failures when rendering using virtual machines (VMs) are also known issues.
• Crashes: Periodically, on some machines, the psr.exe program will randomly crash or freeze. This happens for a variety of reasons, including:
  
  • Outdated tech: This is an older technology that hasn’t really been updated in years, which means modern applications and system setups cause failures. 
  • Resource problems: Too many steps may cause crashes when system resources are strained. This doesn’t always fully crash the program; sometimes, it just causes save failures.
• Steps Recorder occasionally misses entire steps: By default, Steps Recorder only records the last 25 screens. If you perform more steps than this, the tool sometimes stops recording actions altogether. Even when recording fewer steps, it can simply fail to capture if the user moves too fast.
• Editing features are limited: As with most freemium desktop applications, Steps Recorder’s features aren’t as robust as paid, niche tools. For example, once a recording is complete, there’s very little that you can alter. There’s no way to annotate screenshots, remove individual steps, or clean up mistakes within workflows. Effectively, to make any alterations, you’ll have to start from scratch. It makes it very difficult to craft polished documentation, especially when compared to paid options with full editing access, customization, and branding.
• Output formats are restrictive: Steps Recorder is a solution designed with Internet Explorer-enabled PCs in mind. Microsoft ceased support for Internet Explorer in 2022. The MHTML format that Steps Recorder uses isn’t widely used outside of Microsoft environments, and while the browser-like view works for basic sharing, it limits how the content can be distributed or reused.

The main Steps Recorder alternatives

Steps Recorder was built for a very limited workflow capture and was designed for systems that are now obsolete. Since its introduction in 2009, a sizeable crop of alternatives has appeared, and most record more than just steps. Today’s Steps Recorder competitors and replacements:

• Automate documentation
• Support multiple export formats
• Make it easy to share materials
• Simplify the reuse of the step-by-step workflows you create

The tools in this guide cover a wide array of use cases, from simple step-by-step capture to video walkthroughs and structured teammate training. The right choice depends on your organizational needs and how you plan to use the output.

Scribe

Scribe is the closest direct replacement for Steps Recorder. Scribe automatically captures browser and desktop workflows and turns them into step-by-step guides with annotated screenshots. By default, Scribe is more reliable than Step Recorder, and it outputs in a wider variety of file formats than just MHTML. In fact, Scribe generates formatted documentation that can be shared instantly through an embed for collaborative workspaces like Notion or exported to PDF, HTML, and Markdown. Scribe also has a built-in workspace where teams can build out their documentation libraries.

Because Scribe automates the documentation process, there’s no need to manually take screenshots or write instructions, which makes it significantly faster to create polished guides than with Steps Recorder. You can use Scribe’s AI to generate:

• Step-by-step tutorials 
• SOPs (including at scale)
• Onboarding 

Scribe is best suited for teams that want a faster, more flexible way to document workflows without the manual effort required by traditional tools. The platform offers a free plan and affordable pricing tiers.

MagicHow

MagicHow is a Steps Recorder competitor for teams needing to capture both browser and desktop workflows while producing clean, step-by-step documentation. The tool automatically records actions and converts them into guides with screenshots, making it feel like a very natural progression from Steps Recorder.

MagicHow is also far more flexible than Steps Recorder and isn’t limited to just MHTML files. Export formats include PDF, HTML, and Markdown.

MagicHow also enables teams to collaborate via direct link or embeds into platforms like Zendesk and Webflow. There are limitations, with the chief one being that features like advanced sharing controls and data redaction are restricted on lower-tier plans. In the end, MagicHow is best suited for teams that want a cross-platform capture tool with flexible export options but don’t need deeper collaboration features.

Folge

Folge isn’t a browser-first solution, unlike Steps Recorder, MagicHow, and Scribe. Instead, it’s a desktop-based tool that captures workflows and changes them into guides. You can then customize titles, descriptions, and annotations. Since it runs locally, this is a suitable tool only for those who need offline documentation.

Some of the supported formats include PDF, HTML, and DOC, which will give teams more control over how documentation is formatted and shared. However, some might find Folge's desktop-only functionality limiting, as it lacks cloud-based collaboration or real-time sharing. 

This is the solution best suited for Windows and Mac users who need detailed, customizable documentation and prefer the software in a local, non-browser environment.

Tango

Tango is a Chrome browser extension that captures on-screen actions and turns them into step-by-step guides with annotated screenshots. Since it’s Chrome-based, it’s quick to set up and easy to use for documenting web-based workflows.

Tango automatically generates clean, shareable walkthroughs and supports basic branding, which makes it a step up from Steps Recorder’s plain MHTML output.

The main limitation is that it’s browser-only, with fewer features available on the free plan. Tango, which also has some strong alternatives, is best suited for teams that need fast, lightweight documentation for browser-based workflows and quick sharing.

FlowShare

FlowShare runs in the background of work, automatically capturing workflows and turning them into step-by-step guides. The tool produces polished, branded documentation that includes screenshots and descriptions, offering a more professional output than Step Recorder’s basic MHTML files. Unfortunately, this is a Windows-only solution, which makes it a no-go for macOS users. 

FlowShare also isn’t a browser tool. So, its most common use case is for teams needing professionally formatted, consistent captures without an internet connection.

Dubble

Dubble is a workflow capture tool that records processes and turns them into step-by-step guides that can be shared as a URL, PDF, or HTML. Like other modern alternatives, it automates screenshot capture and documentation, making it a clear upgrade from Steps Recorder’s manual, MHTML-based output.

One of its standout features is the ability to update guides after publishing, allowing teams to keep documentation current without starting from scratch.

The main limitation is that some integrations and advanced features are restricted to paid plans. Dubble is best suited for teams that need documentation to stay up to date as workflows change.

Guidde

Guidde is an AI-powered tool that turns screen recordings into step-by-step video walkthroughs with narrated voiceovers, titles, and descriptions, making it well-suited to the async training use case, in which audiovisual instructions help others learn to perform processes or navigate tools.

Guidde offers a significantly different product than Steps Recorder offers, since the output is video-based. Both tools appear on the same list because they serve similar purposes: capturing processes.

That video-first outlook can also work to the detriment of Guidde users since there’s less flexibility for creating text-based documentation. This is also a desktop-only solution.

Guidde is best suited for teams that want to replace basic step capture with video tutorials and guided walkthroughs.

Trainual

Trainual is for building structured documentation, policies, and training programs rather than capturing workflows directly. Unlike Steps Recorder, it doesn’t automatically record actions. Instead, it focuses on organizing knowledge into repeatable processes for users to follow, complete with assignments and quizzes that track progress. Trainual is a stronger option for teams that need a centralized system for onboarding and ongoing training, rather than simple step-by-step capture.

The main limitation is that it lacks automated workflow recording, so documentation must be created manually or imported from other tools.

Trainual is best suited for teams that need a full knowledge management system rather than a lightweight capture tool.

UserGuiding

UserGuiding is a no-code tool for building in-app walkthroughs, tooltips, and onboarding checklists. Unlike Steps Recorder and many of the alternatives covered so far, UserGuiding doesn’t capture workflows or automatically generate documentation. Instead, it focuses on guiding users directly inside a product.

This makes it a good Steps Recorder alternative for teams who have used Steps Recorder to explain how software works, but now want to deliver that guidance in real time rather than through static step-by-step guides.

UserGuiding’s primary limitation is that it’s not technically a documentation tool, but a demo and tutorial creator. It’s best for teams that need to create in-app product tours and onboarding experiences rather than internal documentation.

UiPath

UiPath is an enterprise automation platform that includes a Task Capture tool for recording workflows and mapping processes. Instead of generating step-by-step documentation, it focuses on converting captured workflows into process diagrams for automation and optimization.

This makes UiPath a very different type of alternative to Steps Recorder, as it’s designed for large-scale process improvement rather than basic troubleshooting or documentation.

The main limitation is that it doesn’t produce user-facing guides or tutorials, which means it won’t replace traditional documentation tools.

UiPath is best suited for large organizations that want to move beyond documenting workflows and into automating them.

Find the right Steps Recorder replacement

As a solution that’s reaching the end of its life, Steps Recorder has provided many teams with useful user documentation and step-by-step guides. That being said, it is being deprecated after 17 years. 

But there are many strong replacements. Scribe can help your team automatically capture processes, turning them into visually-driven guides in seconds. Far more than a simple capture tool, Scribe’s analytics also enable you to see where your current workflows break down so that you can devise process improvements.

FAQs

Is Steps Recorder being discontinued?

Yes. Microsoft has confirmed that Steps Recorder is being phased out and will be removed in a future Windows update. If your team relies on it for troubleshooting or process documentation, start evaluating alternatives now before it’s discontinued fully. 

What is the best free Steps Recorder alternative?

If you’re looking for a free replacement for Steps Recorder, there are several solid options that go beyond what the original tool could do. Scribe’s free plan lets you create unlimited browser-based guides with annotated screenshots and easy private sharing. 

Does Steps Recorder work on Mac?

No. Steps Recorder is Windows-only. If you need a program that works on Mac, Scribe supports both browser and desktop capture. Folge also works for Mac. Both tools generate clean, formatted step-by-step guides instead of the outdated MHTML zip files that Steps Recorder produces, which makes sharing and editing much easier.