Action! vs Rainway
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Action! by Mirillis is a Windows screen and gameplay recording tool built for capturing DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan games in high definition, alongside desktop activity, application windows, and web video. It supports live streaming directly to Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook, and can export finished recordings straight to YouTube or Facebook without a separate upload step. Recordings use hardware acceleration via NVIDIA NVENC, AMD APP, or Intel Quick Sync Video, along with Mirillis's own FICV codec, to keep capture performance smooth even during demanding gameplay. Additional features include a Greenscreen mode for removing webcam backgrounds, 120fps slow-motion capture, Time-Shift recording, and a companion Android remote-control app. It is sold as a single lifetime license rather than a subscription.
Rainway lets you turn your gaming PC into a cloud gaming server, broadcasting games over the internet to browsers, phones, and tablets. The service runs entirely in the cloud, requiring no client download and works on any modern web browser. With low latency and high-quality video, Rainway enables you to play your existing game library from anywhere, without needing a powerful device. It also supports controller input and offers a simple friend‑invite system for multiplayer sessions.
- One-time lifetime license with free updates rather than a recurring subscription
- Strong hardware-acceleration support keeps recording overhead low during gameplay
- Built-in live streaming to major platforms without needing separate broadcasting software
- Greenscreen and Time-Shift modes are useful extras not found in every competing recorder
- Zero installation required on client devices
- Works on any modern browser
- Supports a wide range of controllers
- Free tier available for unlimited streaming
- Windows-only, with no native Mac or Linux version
- Interface and workflow feel dated compared to newer competitors like OBS Studio or NVIDIA ShadowPlay
- OBS Studio offers comparable streaming/recording features for free, making Action!'s paid model a harder sell for budget-conscious users
- Requires a Windows PC as host
- Performance depends heavily on internet bandwidth
- Limited customization for video settings
