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In 2024, Unleashing Creative Potential with These 6 YouTube Graphic Sources
Unleashing Creative Potential with These 6 YouTube Graphic Sources
6 Completely Different Places to Get Icons and Logos for YouTube Videos
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Whether you need YouTube icons and logos to use as pop-up graphics in your videos, to serve as your channel icon, to use as watermarks, or to liven up your channel art or video thumbnails – don’t worry. There are lots of places to get them.
We’ve made a list of 6 sites where you can download icons and logos for free for YouTub videos, and explained how they work.
You might also want to check out these YouTube channels offering free profile picture templates .
1. Flaticon.com
Key Points:
- Great selection of icons/logos
- It’s easy to change the colors before you download
I’m putting Flaticon.com right at the top of this list because it has something that really sets it apart from the other sites on this list – it lets you edit pre-made icons before you download them.
You start out on Flaticon by searching for a theme like beauty, gaming, flowers, or emojis. I searched for ‘birds’ and found these cuties.
These aren’t all the birds on Flaticon, just a few. They had a huge selection in all the different searches I tried.
I clicked on the brown bird to open up the download screen, and then clicked into ‘Edit icon’. There may be a pop up that tells you editing tools are only available to registered users, but it’s wrong. Just close it and keep going, unless you want to register.
You can edit the colors in your icon just by clicking on the color you want to replace, and then clicking on the color in the color selector you want to replace it with. I made my birdie FLY.
I never apologize for puns.
Once you like the look of your icon, just click Download. You will be prompted to choose a format. PNG is the most popular because it is supported the most places (including on YouTube), and because it allows for a transparent background.
After clicking on a format you will also be prompted to choose a size for your image. It’s always best to go with the largest image you can – its way easier to shrink things and keep them looking good than it is to have to enlarge them.
Flaticon has a great selection, it’s free, and they make it really easy to edit your creations. I would strongly recommend this site to anyone in the market for an icon or logo.
Flaticon asks that you include an “Icon made by [author link] from <www.flaticon.com> ” somewhere (i.e. video description, channel ‘about’ section) when you use their icons for free.
2. Freepik.com
Key Points:
- Good selection of icons.
- No way to customise them on the site.
- Attribution requried.
On freepik, you start off by searching for a theme (like the genre of your YouTube title or the topic of a video, i.e. ‘makeup’ or ‘music’). I searched for ‘cat’.
A few of the sets available on freepik. The crown icon means you need to be a paying Premium member, but most things are free.
You can’t edit on freepik, and in order to download for free you need to include an attribution/credit to freepik where you use the images.
You do not choose what format to download your images in on freepik. When you hit ‘Free Download’ it will automatically download a zip file which will contain both a .jpg and a .eps. The EPS is editable in any ‘vector graphics editor’, like Adobe Illustrator, and YouTube supports .jpg files.
3. Seeklogo.net
Key Points:
- Logos from major brands
- Great for channels that do product reviews
Seeklogo.net has a slightly more corporate slant than some of the other sites on this list. It has logos for a lot of major companies and brands available for download.
In the ‘search’ on Seeklogo.net, you can type in the name of a brand or industry and see if the well-known logo you’re looking for is available. This may be especially useful for people with sports related channels since they have a lot of logos for major teams.
I searched for YouTube – you never know when you might need the YouTube logo.
Although the site does not advertise PNG in the list of formats on their front page, downloads do include PNG versions (which is useful if you need transparency and don’t have a program which can edit vector files, like .eps).
4. IconArchive.com
Key Points:
- Site has an office/business slant.
- Detailed search tool lets you sort by color, theme, etc.
IconArchive has a huge selection of icons with somewhat of an office/business slant. I searched for ‘flower’ and half the results were of file-folders with flowers on them.
Could be cool for a lifestyle video about school or work?
My favorite thing about IconArchive is its search features. It allows you to filter results by color, size (down to the specific resolution), category, background color, style, and a lot more.
Color is under ‘Display’, meaning that it won’t filter out results that have different colors it’ll just list the color you select first.
The ‘Category’ filter is useful because there are some genres you probably recognize there, like ‘Lifestyle’. However, you should be careful not to over-filter. This site is pretty literal in how it categorizes. For example – there are no ‘flower’ images under ‘Lifestyle’.
Downloads are available in different sizes and formats including PNG. PNG is always a good option because it is supported by YouTube and includes transparent backgrounds.
Note that all of your different download buttons will be located underneath your image. They favor those ads that look like ‘download’ or ‘start now’ buttons, and the ads sit right next to the images on the right, so it’s easy to get confused and click on the ad.
5. Logaster.com
Key Points:
- You’ll have to pay for larger images.
- Focused more on businesses.
- Incorporates your channel name.
Logaster is really a service for businesses – they make and sell business cards, letterheads, and other office-y things like that. However, they are still a good choice for YouTubers because they have a free logo creator. Sort of.
You actually have to pay $9.99 to get larger images and remove the watermark, but the process is free.
When you arrive on Logaster there’s a button right on their home page that says ‘Create a logo for free’. Click on it.
In Step 1 it’ll ask for your company name and an activity type. You just need to put in your channel name and choose something from the activity drop down that you focus on in your videos.
My heart burns with the secret desire to be YouTube’s Neil Degrasse Tyson (it doesn’t really, but he is super cool) so I tried ‘Katie Does Science’ and ‘Science, Studies, Education’. Here’s what it came up with:
There are 10 pages of suggestions!
You can see how, unless you have a short channel name, you’re probably not going to be able to use any of these as an icon, but a lot of them would look cool on a banner. There’s an ‘Edit Logo Concept’ button which allows you to make changes to the layout, but you can still only choose from preset layouts. For example, some logo concepts allow you to choose whether the icon is above your text or next to it.
After you click ‘save’ in the last step you’ll be prompted to provide an email address and password. Once you sign in, you’ll be able to download a small logo for free, or purchase the higher resolution image.
I personally wouldn’t recommend buying an image from here unless your channel is for your small business and you need things like branded business cards and letterhead. This site might be better for gathering inspiration than actually downloading a logo from.
6. Icons8.com
Key Points:
- You need to link back to them to use their icons.
- You can edit the colors on the site and even add details.
- There’s a size limit on the free service (100x100px)
At Icons8 they have free and paid services. If you download an icon for free it will be a PNG file (which should be fine, YouTube supports PNG and it’s good for transparency) that is no larger than 100x100px. This is not ideal since YouTube recommends 800x800px for profile pictures, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker either. Profile pictures render down to much smaller than that.
You will also need to link to Icons8 if you use their icons for free (i.e. in the ‘about’ section of your channel page).
To get started on Icons8, type something into the search bar on the home page that you think might work as an icon or as part of whatever graphics you have planned. I typed in ‘game’ for this one, since gaming is the biggest genre on YouTube. Here are a few of the results that came up:
Lower down in the results there were different kinds of sports balls, hand-held gaming systems, playing cards, joy sticks, baseball caps and more.
After you find an icon you like, click on it and it will appear on the right side of your screen where you’ll be able to make a few changes (an editing screen will pop up once you start clicking on things). You can edit your colors, overlay small decals, add text, and add a border, change your background and adjust your size. Here’s the editing screen:
You can give your icon a pretty different look from its default. Check this out:
You cannot download your icon from the editing screen. You need to click Save, and then download it from the main display screen here:
You can change the size with that drop down menu, but you’ll be limited in your options if you don’t want to pay.
I downloaded my image and tried to see how it would look as an icon/profile picture. As you can see, it was pretty blurry in the preview:
However, the preview is larger than the actual profile picture. Once I set it, it looked alright.
Looking for somewhere you can build your own icon/logo from scratch? Check out this list of logo makers .
After downloading the icons or logos, it is time to add them to your YouTube video. Here I recommend our Wondershare Filmora video editor . Below is a video tutorial about how to add a logo to video in Filmora . Remember to download the free trial version to test.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Whether you need YouTube icons and logos to use as pop-up graphics in your videos, to serve as your channel icon, to use as watermarks, or to liven up your channel art or video thumbnails – don’t worry. There are lots of places to get them.
We’ve made a list of 6 sites where you can download icons and logos for free for YouTub videos, and explained how they work.
You might also want to check out these YouTube channels offering free profile picture templates .
1. Flaticon.com
Key Points:
- Great selection of icons/logos
- It’s easy to change the colors before you download
I’m putting Flaticon.com right at the top of this list because it has something that really sets it apart from the other sites on this list – it lets you edit pre-made icons before you download them.
You start out on Flaticon by searching for a theme like beauty, gaming, flowers, or emojis. I searched for ‘birds’ and found these cuties.
These aren’t all the birds on Flaticon, just a few. They had a huge selection in all the different searches I tried.
I clicked on the brown bird to open up the download screen, and then clicked into ‘Edit icon’. There may be a pop up that tells you editing tools are only available to registered users, but it’s wrong. Just close it and keep going, unless you want to register.
You can edit the colors in your icon just by clicking on the color you want to replace, and then clicking on the color in the color selector you want to replace it with. I made my birdie FLY.
I never apologize for puns.
Once you like the look of your icon, just click Download. You will be prompted to choose a format. PNG is the most popular because it is supported the most places (including on YouTube), and because it allows for a transparent background.
After clicking on a format you will also be prompted to choose a size for your image. It’s always best to go with the largest image you can – its way easier to shrink things and keep them looking good than it is to have to enlarge them.
Flaticon has a great selection, it’s free, and they make it really easy to edit your creations. I would strongly recommend this site to anyone in the market for an icon or logo.
Flaticon asks that you include an “Icon made by [author link] from <www.flaticon.com> ” somewhere (i.e. video description, channel ‘about’ section) when you use their icons for free.
2. Freepik.com
Key Points:
- Good selection of icons.
- No way to customise them on the site.
- Attribution requried.
On freepik, you start off by searching for a theme (like the genre of your YouTube title or the topic of a video, i.e. ‘makeup’ or ‘music’). I searched for ‘cat’.
A few of the sets available on freepik. The crown icon means you need to be a paying Premium member, but most things are free.
You can’t edit on freepik, and in order to download for free you need to include an attribution/credit to freepik where you use the images.
You do not choose what format to download your images in on freepik. When you hit ‘Free Download’ it will automatically download a zip file which will contain both a .jpg and a .eps. The EPS is editable in any ‘vector graphics editor’, like Adobe Illustrator, and YouTube supports .jpg files.
3. Seeklogo.net
Key Points:
- Logos from major brands
- Great for channels that do product reviews
Seeklogo.net has a slightly more corporate slant than some of the other sites on this list. It has logos for a lot of major companies and brands available for download.
In the ‘search’ on Seeklogo.net, you can type in the name of a brand or industry and see if the well-known logo you’re looking for is available. This may be especially useful for people with sports related channels since they have a lot of logos for major teams.
I searched for YouTube – you never know when you might need the YouTube logo.
Although the site does not advertise PNG in the list of formats on their front page, downloads do include PNG versions (which is useful if you need transparency and don’t have a program which can edit vector files, like .eps).
4. IconArchive.com
Key Points:
- Site has an office/business slant.
- Detailed search tool lets you sort by color, theme, etc.
IconArchive has a huge selection of icons with somewhat of an office/business slant. I searched for ‘flower’ and half the results were of file-folders with flowers on them.
Could be cool for a lifestyle video about school or work?
My favorite thing about IconArchive is its search features. It allows you to filter results by color, size (down to the specific resolution), category, background color, style, and a lot more.
Color is under ‘Display’, meaning that it won’t filter out results that have different colors it’ll just list the color you select first.
The ‘Category’ filter is useful because there are some genres you probably recognize there, like ‘Lifestyle’. However, you should be careful not to over-filter. This site is pretty literal in how it categorizes. For example – there are no ‘flower’ images under ‘Lifestyle’.
Downloads are available in different sizes and formats including PNG. PNG is always a good option because it is supported by YouTube and includes transparent backgrounds.
Note that all of your different download buttons will be located underneath your image. They favor those ads that look like ‘download’ or ‘start now’ buttons, and the ads sit right next to the images on the right, so it’s easy to get confused and click on the ad.
5. Logaster.com
Key Points:
- You’ll have to pay for larger images.
- Focused more on businesses.
- Incorporates your channel name.
Logaster is really a service for businesses – they make and sell business cards, letterheads, and other office-y things like that. However, they are still a good choice for YouTubers because they have a free logo creator. Sort of.
You actually have to pay $9.99 to get larger images and remove the watermark, but the process is free.
When you arrive on Logaster there’s a button right on their home page that says ‘Create a logo for free’. Click on it.
In Step 1 it’ll ask for your company name and an activity type. You just need to put in your channel name and choose something from the activity drop down that you focus on in your videos.
My heart burns with the secret desire to be YouTube’s Neil Degrasse Tyson (it doesn’t really, but he is super cool) so I tried ‘Katie Does Science’ and ‘Science, Studies, Education’. Here’s what it came up with:
There are 10 pages of suggestions!
You can see how, unless you have a short channel name, you’re probably not going to be able to use any of these as an icon, but a lot of them would look cool on a banner. There’s an ‘Edit Logo Concept’ button which allows you to make changes to the layout, but you can still only choose from preset layouts. For example, some logo concepts allow you to choose whether the icon is above your text or next to it.
After you click ‘save’ in the last step you’ll be prompted to provide an email address and password. Once you sign in, you’ll be able to download a small logo for free, or purchase the higher resolution image.
I personally wouldn’t recommend buying an image from here unless your channel is for your small business and you need things like branded business cards and letterhead. This site might be better for gathering inspiration than actually downloading a logo from.
6. Icons8.com
Key Points:
- You need to link back to them to use their icons.
- You can edit the colors on the site and even add details.
- There’s a size limit on the free service (100x100px)
At Icons8 they have free and paid services. If you download an icon for free it will be a PNG file (which should be fine, YouTube supports PNG and it’s good for transparency) that is no larger than 100x100px. This is not ideal since YouTube recommends 800x800px for profile pictures, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker either. Profile pictures render down to much smaller than that.
You will also need to link to Icons8 if you use their icons for free (i.e. in the ‘about’ section of your channel page).
To get started on Icons8, type something into the search bar on the home page that you think might work as an icon or as part of whatever graphics you have planned. I typed in ‘game’ for this one, since gaming is the biggest genre on YouTube. Here are a few of the results that came up:
Lower down in the results there were different kinds of sports balls, hand-held gaming systems, playing cards, joy sticks, baseball caps and more.
After you find an icon you like, click on it and it will appear on the right side of your screen where you’ll be able to make a few changes (an editing screen will pop up once you start clicking on things). You can edit your colors, overlay small decals, add text, and add a border, change your background and adjust your size. Here’s the editing screen:
You can give your icon a pretty different look from its default. Check this out:
You cannot download your icon from the editing screen. You need to click Save, and then download it from the main display screen here:
You can change the size with that drop down menu, but you’ll be limited in your options if you don’t want to pay.
I downloaded my image and tried to see how it would look as an icon/profile picture. As you can see, it was pretty blurry in the preview:
However, the preview is larger than the actual profile picture. Once I set it, it looked alright.
Looking for somewhere you can build your own icon/logo from scratch? Check out this list of logo makers .
After downloading the icons or logos, it is time to add them to your YouTube video. Here I recommend our Wondershare Filmora video editor . Below is a video tutorial about how to add a logo to video in Filmora . Remember to download the free trial version to test.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Whether you need YouTube icons and logos to use as pop-up graphics in your videos, to serve as your channel icon, to use as watermarks, or to liven up your channel art or video thumbnails – don’t worry. There are lots of places to get them.
We’ve made a list of 6 sites where you can download icons and logos for free for YouTub videos, and explained how they work.
You might also want to check out these YouTube channels offering free profile picture templates .
1. Flaticon.com
Key Points:
- Great selection of icons/logos
- It’s easy to change the colors before you download
I’m putting Flaticon.com right at the top of this list because it has something that really sets it apart from the other sites on this list – it lets you edit pre-made icons before you download them.
You start out on Flaticon by searching for a theme like beauty, gaming, flowers, or emojis. I searched for ‘birds’ and found these cuties.
These aren’t all the birds on Flaticon, just a few. They had a huge selection in all the different searches I tried.
I clicked on the brown bird to open up the download screen, and then clicked into ‘Edit icon’. There may be a pop up that tells you editing tools are only available to registered users, but it’s wrong. Just close it and keep going, unless you want to register.
You can edit the colors in your icon just by clicking on the color you want to replace, and then clicking on the color in the color selector you want to replace it with. I made my birdie FLY.
I never apologize for puns.
Once you like the look of your icon, just click Download. You will be prompted to choose a format. PNG is the most popular because it is supported the most places (including on YouTube), and because it allows for a transparent background.
After clicking on a format you will also be prompted to choose a size for your image. It’s always best to go with the largest image you can – its way easier to shrink things and keep them looking good than it is to have to enlarge them.
Flaticon has a great selection, it’s free, and they make it really easy to edit your creations. I would strongly recommend this site to anyone in the market for an icon or logo.
Flaticon asks that you include an “Icon made by [author link] from <www.flaticon.com> ” somewhere (i.e. video description, channel ‘about’ section) when you use their icons for free.
2. Freepik.com
Key Points:
- Good selection of icons.
- No way to customise them on the site.
- Attribution requried.
On freepik, you start off by searching for a theme (like the genre of your YouTube title or the topic of a video, i.e. ‘makeup’ or ‘music’). I searched for ‘cat’.
A few of the sets available on freepik. The crown icon means you need to be a paying Premium member, but most things are free.
You can’t edit on freepik, and in order to download for free you need to include an attribution/credit to freepik where you use the images.
You do not choose what format to download your images in on freepik. When you hit ‘Free Download’ it will automatically download a zip file which will contain both a .jpg and a .eps. The EPS is editable in any ‘vector graphics editor’, like Adobe Illustrator, and YouTube supports .jpg files.
3. Seeklogo.net
Key Points:
- Logos from major brands
- Great for channels that do product reviews
Seeklogo.net has a slightly more corporate slant than some of the other sites on this list. It has logos for a lot of major companies and brands available for download.
In the ‘search’ on Seeklogo.net, you can type in the name of a brand or industry and see if the well-known logo you’re looking for is available. This may be especially useful for people with sports related channels since they have a lot of logos for major teams.
I searched for YouTube – you never know when you might need the YouTube logo.
Although the site does not advertise PNG in the list of formats on their front page, downloads do include PNG versions (which is useful if you need transparency and don’t have a program which can edit vector files, like .eps).
4. IconArchive.com
Key Points:
- Site has an office/business slant.
- Detailed search tool lets you sort by color, theme, etc.
IconArchive has a huge selection of icons with somewhat of an office/business slant. I searched for ‘flower’ and half the results were of file-folders with flowers on them.
Could be cool for a lifestyle video about school or work?
My favorite thing about IconArchive is its search features. It allows you to filter results by color, size (down to the specific resolution), category, background color, style, and a lot more.
Color is under ‘Display’, meaning that it won’t filter out results that have different colors it’ll just list the color you select first.
The ‘Category’ filter is useful because there are some genres you probably recognize there, like ‘Lifestyle’. However, you should be careful not to over-filter. This site is pretty literal in how it categorizes. For example – there are no ‘flower’ images under ‘Lifestyle’.
Downloads are available in different sizes and formats including PNG. PNG is always a good option because it is supported by YouTube and includes transparent backgrounds.
Note that all of your different download buttons will be located underneath your image. They favor those ads that look like ‘download’ or ‘start now’ buttons, and the ads sit right next to the images on the right, so it’s easy to get confused and click on the ad.
5. Logaster.com
Key Points:
- You’ll have to pay for larger images.
- Focused more on businesses.
- Incorporates your channel name.
Logaster is really a service for businesses – they make and sell business cards, letterheads, and other office-y things like that. However, they are still a good choice for YouTubers because they have a free logo creator. Sort of.
You actually have to pay $9.99 to get larger images and remove the watermark, but the process is free.
When you arrive on Logaster there’s a button right on their home page that says ‘Create a logo for free’. Click on it.
In Step 1 it’ll ask for your company name and an activity type. You just need to put in your channel name and choose something from the activity drop down that you focus on in your videos.
My heart burns with the secret desire to be YouTube’s Neil Degrasse Tyson (it doesn’t really, but he is super cool) so I tried ‘Katie Does Science’ and ‘Science, Studies, Education’. Here’s what it came up with:
There are 10 pages of suggestions!
You can see how, unless you have a short channel name, you’re probably not going to be able to use any of these as an icon, but a lot of them would look cool on a banner. There’s an ‘Edit Logo Concept’ button which allows you to make changes to the layout, but you can still only choose from preset layouts. For example, some logo concepts allow you to choose whether the icon is above your text or next to it.
After you click ‘save’ in the last step you’ll be prompted to provide an email address and password. Once you sign in, you’ll be able to download a small logo for free, or purchase the higher resolution image.
I personally wouldn’t recommend buying an image from here unless your channel is for your small business and you need things like branded business cards and letterhead. This site might be better for gathering inspiration than actually downloading a logo from.
6. Icons8.com
Key Points:
- You need to link back to them to use their icons.
- You can edit the colors on the site and even add details.
- There’s a size limit on the free service (100x100px)
At Icons8 they have free and paid services. If you download an icon for free it will be a PNG file (which should be fine, YouTube supports PNG and it’s good for transparency) that is no larger than 100x100px. This is not ideal since YouTube recommends 800x800px for profile pictures, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker either. Profile pictures render down to much smaller than that.
You will also need to link to Icons8 if you use their icons for free (i.e. in the ‘about’ section of your channel page).
To get started on Icons8, type something into the search bar on the home page that you think might work as an icon or as part of whatever graphics you have planned. I typed in ‘game’ for this one, since gaming is the biggest genre on YouTube. Here are a few of the results that came up:
Lower down in the results there were different kinds of sports balls, hand-held gaming systems, playing cards, joy sticks, baseball caps and more.
After you find an icon you like, click on it and it will appear on the right side of your screen where you’ll be able to make a few changes (an editing screen will pop up once you start clicking on things). You can edit your colors, overlay small decals, add text, and add a border, change your background and adjust your size. Here’s the editing screen:
You can give your icon a pretty different look from its default. Check this out:
You cannot download your icon from the editing screen. You need to click Save, and then download it from the main display screen here:
You can change the size with that drop down menu, but you’ll be limited in your options if you don’t want to pay.
I downloaded my image and tried to see how it would look as an icon/profile picture. As you can see, it was pretty blurry in the preview:
However, the preview is larger than the actual profile picture. Once I set it, it looked alright.
Looking for somewhere you can build your own icon/logo from scratch? Check out this list of logo makers .
After downloading the icons or logos, it is time to add them to your YouTube video. Here I recommend our Wondershare Filmora video editor . Below is a video tutorial about how to add a logo to video in Filmora . Remember to download the free trial version to test.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Whether you need YouTube icons and logos to use as pop-up graphics in your videos, to serve as your channel icon, to use as watermarks, or to liven up your channel art or video thumbnails – don’t worry. There are lots of places to get them.
We’ve made a list of 6 sites where you can download icons and logos for free for YouTub videos, and explained how they work.
You might also want to check out these YouTube channels offering free profile picture templates .
1. Flaticon.com
Key Points:
- Great selection of icons/logos
- It’s easy to change the colors before you download
I’m putting Flaticon.com right at the top of this list because it has something that really sets it apart from the other sites on this list – it lets you edit pre-made icons before you download them.
You start out on Flaticon by searching for a theme like beauty, gaming, flowers, or emojis. I searched for ‘birds’ and found these cuties.
These aren’t all the birds on Flaticon, just a few. They had a huge selection in all the different searches I tried.
I clicked on the brown bird to open up the download screen, and then clicked into ‘Edit icon’. There may be a pop up that tells you editing tools are only available to registered users, but it’s wrong. Just close it and keep going, unless you want to register.
You can edit the colors in your icon just by clicking on the color you want to replace, and then clicking on the color in the color selector you want to replace it with. I made my birdie FLY.
I never apologize for puns.
Once you like the look of your icon, just click Download. You will be prompted to choose a format. PNG is the most popular because it is supported the most places (including on YouTube), and because it allows for a transparent background.
After clicking on a format you will also be prompted to choose a size for your image. It’s always best to go with the largest image you can – its way easier to shrink things and keep them looking good than it is to have to enlarge them.
Flaticon has a great selection, it’s free, and they make it really easy to edit your creations. I would strongly recommend this site to anyone in the market for an icon or logo.
Flaticon asks that you include an “Icon made by [author link] from <www.flaticon.com> ” somewhere (i.e. video description, channel ‘about’ section) when you use their icons for free.
2. Freepik.com
Key Points:
- Good selection of icons.
- No way to customise them on the site.
- Attribution requried.
On freepik, you start off by searching for a theme (like the genre of your YouTube title or the topic of a video, i.e. ‘makeup’ or ‘music’). I searched for ‘cat’.
A few of the sets available on freepik. The crown icon means you need to be a paying Premium member, but most things are free.
You can’t edit on freepik, and in order to download for free you need to include an attribution/credit to freepik where you use the images.
You do not choose what format to download your images in on freepik. When you hit ‘Free Download’ it will automatically download a zip file which will contain both a .jpg and a .eps. The EPS is editable in any ‘vector graphics editor’, like Adobe Illustrator, and YouTube supports .jpg files.
3. Seeklogo.net
Key Points:
- Logos from major brands
- Great for channels that do product reviews
Seeklogo.net has a slightly more corporate slant than some of the other sites on this list. It has logos for a lot of major companies and brands available for download.
In the ‘search’ on Seeklogo.net, you can type in the name of a brand or industry and see if the well-known logo you’re looking for is available. This may be especially useful for people with sports related channels since they have a lot of logos for major teams.
I searched for YouTube – you never know when you might need the YouTube logo.
Although the site does not advertise PNG in the list of formats on their front page, downloads do include PNG versions (which is useful if you need transparency and don’t have a program which can edit vector files, like .eps).
4. IconArchive.com
Key Points:
- Site has an office/business slant.
- Detailed search tool lets you sort by color, theme, etc.
IconArchive has a huge selection of icons with somewhat of an office/business slant. I searched for ‘flower’ and half the results were of file-folders with flowers on them.
Could be cool for a lifestyle video about school or work?
My favorite thing about IconArchive is its search features. It allows you to filter results by color, size (down to the specific resolution), category, background color, style, and a lot more.
Color is under ‘Display’, meaning that it won’t filter out results that have different colors it’ll just list the color you select first.
The ‘Category’ filter is useful because there are some genres you probably recognize there, like ‘Lifestyle’. However, you should be careful not to over-filter. This site is pretty literal in how it categorizes. For example – there are no ‘flower’ images under ‘Lifestyle’.
Downloads are available in different sizes and formats including PNG. PNG is always a good option because it is supported by YouTube and includes transparent backgrounds.
Note that all of your different download buttons will be located underneath your image. They favor those ads that look like ‘download’ or ‘start now’ buttons, and the ads sit right next to the images on the right, so it’s easy to get confused and click on the ad.
5. Logaster.com
Key Points:
- You’ll have to pay for larger images.
- Focused more on businesses.
- Incorporates your channel name.
Logaster is really a service for businesses – they make and sell business cards, letterheads, and other office-y things like that. However, they are still a good choice for YouTubers because they have a free logo creator. Sort of.
You actually have to pay $9.99 to get larger images and remove the watermark, but the process is free.
When you arrive on Logaster there’s a button right on their home page that says ‘Create a logo for free’. Click on it.
In Step 1 it’ll ask for your company name and an activity type. You just need to put in your channel name and choose something from the activity drop down that you focus on in your videos.
My heart burns with the secret desire to be YouTube’s Neil Degrasse Tyson (it doesn’t really, but he is super cool) so I tried ‘Katie Does Science’ and ‘Science, Studies, Education’. Here’s what it came up with:
There are 10 pages of suggestions!
You can see how, unless you have a short channel name, you’re probably not going to be able to use any of these as an icon, but a lot of them would look cool on a banner. There’s an ‘Edit Logo Concept’ button which allows you to make changes to the layout, but you can still only choose from preset layouts. For example, some logo concepts allow you to choose whether the icon is above your text or next to it.
After you click ‘save’ in the last step you’ll be prompted to provide an email address and password. Once you sign in, you’ll be able to download a small logo for free, or purchase the higher resolution image.
I personally wouldn’t recommend buying an image from here unless your channel is for your small business and you need things like branded business cards and letterhead. This site might be better for gathering inspiration than actually downloading a logo from.
6. Icons8.com
Key Points:
- You need to link back to them to use their icons.
- You can edit the colors on the site and even add details.
- There’s a size limit on the free service (100x100px)
At Icons8 they have free and paid services. If you download an icon for free it will be a PNG file (which should be fine, YouTube supports PNG and it’s good for transparency) that is no larger than 100x100px. This is not ideal since YouTube recommends 800x800px for profile pictures, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker either. Profile pictures render down to much smaller than that.
You will also need to link to Icons8 if you use their icons for free (i.e. in the ‘about’ section of your channel page).
To get started on Icons8, type something into the search bar on the home page that you think might work as an icon or as part of whatever graphics you have planned. I typed in ‘game’ for this one, since gaming is the biggest genre on YouTube. Here are a few of the results that came up:
Lower down in the results there were different kinds of sports balls, hand-held gaming systems, playing cards, joy sticks, baseball caps and more.
After you find an icon you like, click on it and it will appear on the right side of your screen where you’ll be able to make a few changes (an editing screen will pop up once you start clicking on things). You can edit your colors, overlay small decals, add text, and add a border, change your background and adjust your size. Here’s the editing screen:
You can give your icon a pretty different look from its default. Check this out:
You cannot download your icon from the editing screen. You need to click Save, and then download it from the main display screen here:
You can change the size with that drop down menu, but you’ll be limited in your options if you don’t want to pay.
I downloaded my image and tried to see how it would look as an icon/profile picture. As you can see, it was pretty blurry in the preview:
However, the preview is larger than the actual profile picture. Once I set it, it looked alright.
Looking for somewhere you can build your own icon/logo from scratch? Check out this list of logo makers .
After downloading the icons or logos, it is time to add them to your YouTube video. Here I recommend our Wondershare Filmora video editor . Below is a video tutorial about how to add a logo to video in Filmora . Remember to download the free trial version to test.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Expert Choices: Best Video Cards for YouTube’s Clearest Output
The Top 10 Capture Cards for YouTube
Richard Bennett
Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions
If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
- Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
- Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
- HDML Cloner Box Pro
- Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
- HDML Cloner Box Evolve
- AVerMedia AVerCapture HD
Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .
1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
Price: $204
Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4
Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps
Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.
This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.
2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
Price: $160
Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4
Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps
Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.
The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.
3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
Price: $80
Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.
This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.
4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
Price: $135
Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.
This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.
5. Elgato Game Capture HD
Price: $159
Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac
Specs: 1080p at 60fps
Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.
Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.
6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
Price: $148
Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS
Specs: 1080p 60 fps
Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.
The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.
7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
Price: $135
Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.
Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max
Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.
With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.
8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
Price: $80
Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console
Specs: 480p
Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.
This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.
9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
Price: $121
Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility
Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output
Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).
The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!
10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
Price: $99
Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac
Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.
Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.
This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.
Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions
If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
- Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
- Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
- HDML Cloner Box Pro
- Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
- HDML Cloner Box Evolve
- AVerMedia AVerCapture HD
Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .
1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
Price: $204
Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4
Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps
Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.
This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.
2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
Price: $160
Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4
Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps
Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.
The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.
3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
Price: $80
Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.
This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.
4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
Price: $135
Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.
This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.
5. Elgato Game Capture HD
Price: $159
Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac
Specs: 1080p at 60fps
Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.
Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.
6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
Price: $148
Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS
Specs: 1080p 60 fps
Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.
The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.
7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
Price: $135
Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.
Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max
Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.
With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.
8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
Price: $80
Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console
Specs: 480p
Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.
This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.
9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
Price: $121
Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility
Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output
Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).
The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!
10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
Price: $99
Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac
Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.
Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.
This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.
Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions
If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
- Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
- Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
- HDML Cloner Box Pro
- Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
- HDML Cloner Box Evolve
- AVerMedia AVerCapture HD
Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .
1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
Price: $204
Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4
Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps
Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.
This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.
2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
Price: $160
Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4
Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps
Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.
The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.
3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
Price: $80
Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.
This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.
4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
Price: $135
Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.
This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.
5. Elgato Game Capture HD
Price: $159
Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac
Specs: 1080p at 60fps
Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.
Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.
6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
Price: $148
Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS
Specs: 1080p 60 fps
Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.
The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.
7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
Price: $135
Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.
Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max
Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.
With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.
8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
Price: $80
Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console
Specs: 480p
Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.
This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.
9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
Price: $121
Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility
Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output
Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).
The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!
10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
Price: $99
Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac
Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.
Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.
This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.
Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions
If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
- Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
- Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
- Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
- HDML Cloner Box Pro
- Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
- HDML Cloner Box Evolve
- AVerMedia AVerCapture HD
Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .
1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
Price: $204
Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4
Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps
Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.
This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.
2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
Price: $160
Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4
Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps
Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.
The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.
3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
Price: $80
Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.
This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.
4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
Price: $135
Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Specs: 1080p, 60 fps
Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.
This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.
5. Elgato Game Capture HD
Price: $159
Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac
Specs: 1080p at 60fps
Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.
Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.
6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
Price: $148
Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS
Specs: 1080p 60 fps
Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.
The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.
7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
Price: $135
Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.
Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max
Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.
With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.
8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
Price: $80
Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console
Specs: 480p
Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.
This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.
9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
Price: $121
Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility
Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output
Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).
The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!
10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
Price: $99
Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac
Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.
Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.
This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.
Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
- Title: In 2024, Unleashing Creative Potential with These 6 YouTube Graphic Sources
- Author: Joseph
- Created at : 2024-05-31 13:51:31
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:51:31
- Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/in-2024-unleashing-creative-potential-with-these-6-youtube-graphic-sources/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
