Overview

It is always fun to chat with your friends or family using a webcam, and WebcamMax makes it even more entertaining. It has a wide variety of effects that you can add to make your videos and photos amusing, or you can record them to view them at a later time. When you want to share your desktop with someone else, WebcamMax can help you do so with just a click of a button. It supports almost all instant messaging programs and services, therefore you won’t experience any compatibility issues at all.

Installation

It’s a standard installation procedure that won’t give you any trouble. At some point you’re asked what additional components you want to install along with the main application, which are video decoders and effect file type. The installation will carry on smoothly afterwards.

The software can run nicely under any Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 operating system.

Interface

It has a very modern interface, but you have to familiarize yourself with it first. It has hundreds of features and effects that will take some time to get used to. The webcam screen is shown on the left, and the effect categories are shown on the right. A log is kept at the bottom, which is basically there so that you know which effects you have added and remove them by clicking on the red X icon next to them. There is also a configuration menu from where you can adjust settings like the webcam’s source rate and size.

Pros

It has loads of accessories, animations, backgrounds, distorting effects, filters, face templates, frames and scenes to choose from and edit your video to make it a funny and creative display. In addition to recording videos and taking photos, you can live chat with your friends using an instant messenger with webcam support. WebcamMax includes support for a huge list of webcam programs such as Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, Paltalk, Camfrog, Youtube, Ustream, JustinTV and many more.

When you’re done taking snapshots, you can share them directly on Facebook or upload the videos on Youtube.

Cons

There is nothing to complain about. It has no bugs, and with over 2000 effects available you can be sure that you won’t get bored of it soon. You could say that it lags more and more for every effect added, thus you need a considerably strong computer if you want to enjoy it to the fullest.

Alternatives

is a suitable free virtual webcam effects software that includes a bunch of features, like WebcamMax. You can use it with multiple programs at once and pick graphics to add, choosing between thousands of them. Mac users can enjoy it as well, as there is a version for Mac OS X too. is an alternative choice for Windows users but is not as complete as ManyCam and WebcamMax. WebcamStudio is a great option for Linux, and so is CamTwist, for Mac.

Conclusion

WebcamMax has a huge built-in effects library that is bound to make your video chats significantly more enjoyable. It is ideal for anyone who uses his webcam often.