Why people look for Screencastify alternatives
- You want zooms and automatic cuts.
- You want printable step-by-step guides for students.
- You want captions generated on the device.
The alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Price model |
|---|---|---|
| Zoomr | Product demos, tutorials, walkthroughs and bug reports recorded in Chrome | Free with unlimited exports (watermark). Pro is $19.99 one-time. |
| ScreenPal | Education and simple tutorials | Free plan; paid tiers. |
| Screenity | Free open-source Chrome recorder | Free. |
| Loom | Async video messages to teammates and customers | Free plan with limits; paid plans per user. |
1. Zoomr
Best for: Product demos, tutorials, walkthroughs and bug reports recorded in Chrome.
Chrome extension that records a tab with live zoom, then polishes it automatically: Smart Edit adds zooms and cuts dead time, privacy blur hides passwords and emails before they're captured, and the same recording becomes a step-by-step guide. Voice-over, camera bubble (Pro), on-device captions (Pro), vertical and square export.
- Price: Free with unlimited exports (watermark). Pro is $19.99 one-time.
- Keep in mind: Records browser tabs only, not desktop apps; recordings up to 10 minutes each.
2. ScreenPal
Best for: Education and simple tutorials.
Recorder and editor (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) used widely in education.
- Price: Free plan; paid tiers.
- Keep in mind: Desktop launcher needed for some features.
3. Screenity
Best for: Free open-source Chrome recorder.
Open-source Chrome extension with annotations, camera and basic editing.
- Price: Free.
- Keep in mind: No automatic zooms or guides.
4. Loom
Best for: Async video messages to teammates and customers.
Desktop app and Chrome extension for quick screen-and-camera messages, shared as links with comments, reactions and viewer insights.
- Price: Free plan with limits; paid plans per user.
- Keep in mind: Cloud-first: videos live on Loom's servers. No live zoom.
How to choose
- You record web apps and want a finished video fast: Zoomr.
- You need written guides more than videos: Zoomr's Guide tab, Scribe or Tango.
- You need to record desktop apps: a desktop tool like Camtasia, OBS or your built-in recorder.
- You want async messaging with comments and analytics: Loom or Vidyard.