Loom is the best screencastify alternative for most teams that want quick link sharing, because Business costs $18 per user per month and removes the 25 video and 5 minute limits on the Starter plan. Screencastify still suits Chromebook classrooms best, because it runs in Chrome, links with Google Classroom, Canvas and Schoology, and its free plan covers 10 videos of up to 30 minutes each. ScreenPal is the lowest cost subscription option here at $4 per month billed annually, while OBS Studio costs $0 and suits people who want local recording with no monthly charge.
Pick by recording length, editing depth, and where the video will live. A browser recorder suits short classroom clips, a desktop editor suits long courses, and a sales tool suits one to one outreach.
On this page
Screencastify alternatives: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screencastify | Chromebook classrooms and Google Workspace lessons | quote only | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Loom | Quick team video messages with link sharing | $18 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | ScreenPal | Low cost recording and editing for teachers and creators | $4 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | Camtasia | Polished training courses with full desktop editing | $198 per user per year | No | Visit |
| 5 | Tella | AI edited product demos and tutorials | $13 per user/month | Free trial (7 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Descript | Text based video and audio editing | quote only | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Vidyard | Sales video messages with viewer tracking | quote only | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | OBS Studio | Free local recording and live streaming | $0 | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best screencastify alternatives, in detail
Screencastify
Best for: Chromebook classrooms and Google Workspace lessons
Screencastify records a browser tab, the full screen, or a webcam from Chrome on ChromeOS, Windows and Mac. That browser base is the main reason it fits Chromebook classrooms, where a desktop install is often not an option. The free plan allows up to 10 videos, recording of up to 30 minutes per video, and quality up to 1080p, with a Castify watermark.
- Starter allows unlimited videos and recording of up to 60 minutes per video, and it removes the Castify watermark on new videos.
- Pro allows recording of up to 180 minutes per video, quality up to 4K, AI enhancements, captions and transcripts, and translations.
- One limit: the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12 listed plan features and limits but did not show a dollar price, so this article lists quote
Pros
- Runs in Chrome with no desktop install
- links with Google Classroom, Canvas and Schoology
- free plan covers 10 videos of up to 30 minutes each
Cons
- Free videos carry a Castify watermark
- MP4 exports on the free plan are limited to 5 videos
- dollar prices were not shown on the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12
Loom
Best for: Quick team video messages with link sharing
Loom is built for short async video messages that replace a meeting or a long written update. You record screen and camera, share a link, and viewers can leave comments and emoji reactions. The Starter plan costs $0 and covers up to 25 videos per person, 5 minute screen recordings, unlimited meeting length, transcriptions in more than 50 languages, and up to 50 members.
- Business costs $18 per user per month on the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12.
- It adds unlimited videos, unlimited recording time, playback up to 4K, trim and stitch editing, removal of Loom branding from the video page, password
- Business + AI costs $24 per user per month and adds auto summaries, auto chapters, filler word removal, and auto meeting notes.
- Loom suits speed and link sharing more than deep course editing.
Pros
- Starter plan is free with 25 videos per person
- Business removes video and time limits
- Business adds 4K playback, trim and stitch editing, and video upload and download
Cons
- Starter recordings are limited to 5 minutes per video and quality up to 720p
- Business + AI costs $24 per user per month
- Enterprise pricing is by discussion with sales
ScreenPal
Best for: Low cost recording and editing for teachers and creators
ScreenPal, formerly Screencast-O-Matic, is a cross platform recorder with a desktop app, a web recorder, hosting, and a timeline editor. The free plan allows unlimited recordings of up to 15 minutes, basic editing, and hosting of 10 videos, with playback capped at 720p. Solo Deluxe costs $4 per month billed annually and adds unlimited recording, unlimited hosting, the full editor, and storyboards.
- Solo Max costs $10 per month and adds the full ScreenPal AI set, including auto captions, text to speech narration, AI video generation, and unlimited
- Team Business costs $8 per creator per month, with a 3 user minimum, and adds team management and SAML single sign on.
- ScreenPal suits low cost desktop editing.
Pros
- Free plan allows unlimited recordings of up to 15 minutes
- Solo Deluxe costs $4 per month billed annually
- Solo Max adds AI tools and unlimited quizzes
Cons
- Free plan hosts only 10 videos and playback is capped at 720p
- AI features need Solo Max at $10 per month
- Team Business needs at least 3 users
Camtasia
Best for: Polished training courses with full desktop editing
Camtasia is a desktop screen recorder and video editor from TechSmith for Windows and Mac, and it suits course creators who want control over every cut, caption, and quiz. The Teams and Business store page opened on 2026-11-12 lists $198 per user per year, billed yearly, for a team licence. That licence includes MacOS 13 and later and Windows 10 and 11 support, live chat support, a 14 day money back guarantee, up to 25 videos on Screencast, starter assets, and Camtasia Online access in 1080p.
- The trade off is weight and cost.
- Camtasia is a desktop install with a full editor, so it takes more setup and more learning time than a browser recorder, and it is not the right pick
- Camtasia suits structured courses; Loom or ScreenPal suit fast capture.
Pros
- Full multitrack desktop editor with quizzes and SCORM export on higher plans
- Teams price of $198 per user per year is shown on the official store page
- includes Screencast hosting for up to 25 videos
Cons
- No free plan is listed on the Teams store page opened on 2026-11-12
- higher plans are needed for AI script generation and voiceover
- Teams licences are tied to one machine at a time
Tella
Best for: AI edited product demos and tutorials
Tella is a screen recorder and editor for Mac, Windows, and Chrome that adds AI editing during recording, including filler word removal, silence removal, auto zoom, and layout changes. Pro costs $13 per user per month billed annually, or $26 per user per month on monthly billing, with $156 per year on annual billing. Pro includes unlimited videos, 4,500 AI credits per user each month, transcription in 106 languages, export in 4K, and team collaboration.
- Premium costs $19 per user per month billed annually, or $39 per user per month on monthly billing, with $228 per year on annual billing.
- Premium adds 9,000 AI credits per user each month, a custom domain, domain restriction, removal of Tella branding from video pages, 4K playback, and 6
- One limit: there is no permanent free plan, so after the 7 day trial you cannot record, edit, or export until you subscribe.
Pros
- Pro allows unlimited videos and clips of up to 6 hours
- transcription in 106 languages
- Pro includes 4,500 AI credits per user each month
Cons
- No permanent free plan, only a 7 day free trial
- Premium is needed for a custom domain and 60 FPS export at any length
- AI credits reset monthly and do not roll over
Descript
Best for: Text based video and audio editing
Descript is an editor first and a recorder second. You record screen and camera, then cut words in the transcript and Descript cuts the matching video and audio. The Free plan costs $0 and includes 60 media minutes per month, 100 one time AI credits, and 720p export.
- Hobbyist includes 10 media hours per month, 400 AI credits per month, and watermark free 1080p export.
- Creator includes 30 media hours per month, 800 AI credits per month, and watermark free 4K export, plus full access to Underlord and more than 20 AI t
- Business includes 40 media hours per month, 1,500 AI credits per month, team wide Brand Studio access, translation and dubbing in more than 30 languag
- One limit: the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12 listed those limits but did not show a dollar price, so this article lists quote only.
Pros
- Edit video by editing the transcript
- Free plan includes 60 media minutes per month
- Creator plan includes 30 media hours per month and 4K export
Cons
- Dollar prices were not shown on the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12
- media hours are a monthly meter that limits heavy use
- 4K export needs Creator or Business
Vidyard
Best for: Sales video messages with viewer tracking
Vidyard is built for sales teams that send a personal video to a prospect and want to know who watched it and for how long. The free plan allows 5 recorded videos per month, up to 30 minutes each, plus 15 AI videos, sharing by link or email, view notifications, and basic analytics. Video hosting is not included on the free plan, so Vidyard is not a general video library on that tier.
- Starter adds unlimited recordings and video hosting, plus real time viewer insights and sharing page customisation.
- Teams adds CRM and marketing automation integrations, custom calls to action and branding, folder management, hubs, and team analytics.
- Enterprise adds unlimited integrations, single sign on, custom permissions, and security options.
- One limit: the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12 listed those features but did not show a dollar price, so this article lists quote only.
Pros
- Free plan allows 5 recorded videos per month of up to 30 minutes each
- viewer notifications show when a prospect watches
- higher plans add unlimited recordings and video hosting
Cons
- Video hosting is not included on the free plan
- CRM integrations need a higher plan
- dollar prices were not shown on the official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12
OBS Studio
Best for: Free local recording and live streaming
OBS Studio is free and open source software from the OBS Project, and it is the only option in this list with a $0 starting price and no subscription tier. You download it from the official OBS Project site, add sources such as a display, a window, a webcam, and a microphone, arrange them in scenes, and record locally or stream to a service you choose. The trade off is that OBS Studio does not host your videos or give you a share link.
- You store files on your own disk, upload them where you want them, and arrange your own captions and editing in another app if you need them.
- There is no account, no cloud library, and no built in viewer analytics.
- OBS Studio suits zero cost local recording; the other tools suit hosted sharing.
Pros
- Free and open source with no subscription charge
- records screen, webcam and audio on Windows, macOS and Linux
- scenes and sources suit live streaming and multi source recording
Cons
- No hosted video library or share link is included
- no built in AI captions or transcript editing
- setup and scene configuration take more time than a browser recorder
How we chose
We chose tools that record a screen, a webcam, or both, and that are still available as a real product on 2026-11-12. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages and official help pages opened on 2026-11-12, including Screencastify, Loom, Tella, Descript, Vidyard, Camtasia, and OBS Studio. When an official page did not show a dollar price, we wrote quote only. ScreenPal pricing comes from its official comparison page, which lists Solo Deluxe at $4 per month billed annually. We did not test any tool hands-on.
Which option fits your budget and use case
| Use case | Best pick | Starting price | Key limit to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromebook classroom lessons | Screencastify | quote only | Free plan allows 10 videos of up to 30 minutes each |
| Quick team video messages | Loom | $18 per user/month | Starter allows 25 videos and 5 minute recordings |
| Lowest cost subscription with editing | ScreenPal | $4 per month (billed annually) | Free plan hosts 10 videos and caps playback at 720p |
| Polished courses with quizzes | Camtasia | $198 per user per year (billed yearly) | Teams licences are tied to one machine at a time |
| AI edited product demos | Tella | $13 per user/month (billed annually) | No permanent free plan, only a 7 day trial |
| Text based editing | Descript | quote only | Free plan allows 60 media minutes per month |
| Sales outreach with tracking | Vidyard | quote only | Free plan allows 5 videos per month, hosting not included |
| Free local recording | OBS Studio | $0 | No hosted library or share link is included |
Frequently asked questions
Which Screencastify alternative is best for teachers?
Screencastify itself is still a strong pick for Chromebook classrooms, because it runs in Chrome and links with Google Classroom, Canvas and Schoology. ScreenPal costs $4 per month billed annually, with a free plan for recordings of up to 15 minutes. Loom suits short feedback videos, with a free Starter plan for 25 videos per person.
What is the cheapest Screencastify alternative?
OBS Studio is cheapest at $0, because it is free and open source with no subscription charge, but it has no hosted library or share link. ScreenPal is the lowest cost subscription option here at $4 per month billed annually. Loom Starter and Screencastify Free both cost $0, but both have strict video count and length limits.
Which alternative is best for long training videos?
Camtasia suits long polished courses, because it is a full desktop editor with multitrack editing, quizzes, and Screencast hosting for up to 25 videos on the Teams plan. Tella Pro allows clips of up to 6 hours and includes unlimited videos. Loom Business has no recording time limit, but it has less editing depth than Camtasia.
Does Screencastify have a free plan?
Yes. Screencastify Free allows up to 10 videos, recording of up to 30 minutes per video, quality up to 1080p, and sharing by link, with a Castify watermark on the video. Free users also get 5 bonus videos per invite, up to 4 invites, for 20 bonus videos. MP4 exports on the free plan are limited to 5 videos.
Can I record for free without a subscription?
Yes, with limits. OBS Studio costs $0 with no video count cap, but you store files locally. Loom Starter allows 25 videos of up to 5 minutes each. ScreenPal Free allows recordings of up to 15 minutes and hosts 10 videos. Vidyard Free allows 5 videos per month of up to 30 minutes each.
Sources
- https://www.screencastify.com/
- https://www.screencastify.com/pricing
- https://www.loom.com/
- https://www.loom.com/pricing
- https://screenpal.com/
- https://cms-prod.screenpal.com/blog/screenpal-vs-loom-a-powerful-affordable-loom-alternative
- https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/
- https://www.techsmith.com/store/camtasia/teams
- https://www.tella.com/
- https://www.tella.com/pricing
- https://www.descript.com/
- https://www.descript.com/pricing
- https://www.vidyard.com/
- https://www.vidyard.com/pricing/
- https://obsproject.com/
- https://obsproject.com/download
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.