Screencasting Tools

Market overview of recommendable tools for creating software demos (so-called screencasts). Software demos are not only used for marketing purposes on web sites, but also as standalone tutorials or embedded within online help files and other sorts of software documentation.

Tip: Also see the checklist in Choosing a Screencasting Tool.

 

Captivate

If there’s anything like a Swiss Army knife among the authoring systems for software demos, then it’s Captivate. The program offers a scope of functions that’s by far the largest, especially with regard to quiz functions and branching scenarios. Despite this, the usage remains surprisingly simple.

Advantages: unsurpassed scope of functions, yet rather simple to use; flexible customization of the output; smooth translatability (XML export and re-import); attractive results

Disadvantages: high price; only few output formats supported; unclear documentation; slow update cycle (Vista-compatibility, for example, took nearly one year)

Price: approx. €800; also available as part of the eLearning Suite and Technical Communication Suite

Demo Builder

Lying hidden behind an uncluttered user interface are more features than you’d guess at first sight. Despite the affordable price, there are hardly any requirements that it doesn’t meet. When a movie is being recorded, the desktop can be temporarily cleared of all icons and running programs. You can record the movie against a virgin background, and after the recording is done, your desktop will appear again in all its original chaos.

Advantages: straightforward, simple and efficient to use; easy to update existing demos; text can be exported for external translation

Disadvantages: the player can be customized only to a limited extent

Price: approx. $199 (Standard), $249 (Professional)

Mimic

Unlike the other products listed here, Mimic focuses very specifically on the needs of technical documentation. You’ll frequently feel this, especially when it comes to updating your demos. Here, only Captivate comes close. Unique features are the possibility of using variables while working with texts, as well as composing projects from several individual movies. Individual scenes can also be used several times over, even in different projects.

Advantages: efficient workflow; results can be easily updated

Disadvantages: use requires some familiarization

Price: approx. $299

ViewletBuilder

ViewletBuilder was one of the first screencasting tools on the market. Keeping in line with its long history, the software is very mature, solid and professional today. it’s one of the few programs that are available for Linux and Mac as well, but here the program sometimes lags a bit behind the Windows version.

Advantages: detailed configuration possible for reproduction quality and file size; comprehensive event control; text can be exported to XML for translation and then re-imported again

Disadvantages: poor documentation; few possibilities for animation; skins can’t be customized by user but only by the producer for an  extra fee

Price: approx. $299 (Professional), $599 (Enterprise)

Camtasia Studio

One of the most popular screencasting tools. Its approach is purely full motion based, which makes it difficult to make changes to the recorded movies. Animation and interaction possibilities are rather sparse. Available for Windows and Mac.

Advantages: large number of supported output formats; various useful add-ons

Disadvantages: hardly any functions for interactivity; navigation elements are placed in a separate Flash file, which makes embedding into online help difficult; created screencasts are difficult to update and to translate

Price: approx. $300

TurboDemo

One of the few tools that provide an export option to Java. The Enterprise Version allows the recording (not editing) of demos on MAC OS and Linux. Lacks some important features.

Advantages: capture zone can be changed even during an ongoing recording; good export to Microsoft Word; large number of supported formats; simple use

Disadvantages: high price; no timeline; no scene navigation; add-on software (to be licensed separately) is needed for customizing player skins

Price: approx. €200 up to €500, depending on version

BBFlashBack

Along with Camtasia, the only program that follows an exclusive full motion based approach. Therefore, it’s hardly possible to exchange individual frames later on. However, unlike with Camtasia, it’s possible to make changes to the mouse movements subsequently and correct them if necessary.

Advantages: low price; easy to use; preview with fast forward and slow motion; speed of a particular range on the timeline can be adjusted with ease; autoscroll function can limit the movie to any given window size, the software then automatically ensures that regions where the interaction is happening are displayed in the center

Disadvantages: no scene navigation; hardly any possibilities of animation; subsequent changes to the demos are difficult to make

Price: approx. €65 (Standard) and €147 (Professional); there’s also a free “Express” version available that lacks editing and annotation features

ComponentOne DemoWorks

One of the few tools that can produce movies in Java format for a Web-browser alternative to Flash. Also exports to Flash, WMF, AVI and animated GIF.

Price: professional version approx. $200; free “Community Edition” available to create demos with a maximum length of 30 seconds

Scate Ignite

Rich set of features. Good navigational aids.

Price: approx. $50 (Standard) and $300 (Professional)

ActivePresenter

Presentation tool that creates AJAX or Adobe Flash interactive simulations. SCORM compatible.

Price: approx. $175 (Standard Edition) and $225 (Professional Edition); there’s also a free version available that exports image files and video files, but not any interactive content (Ajax/Flash) and other formats.

Wildform Flair

General Flash-based presentation software. PowerPoint slides, videos and animations can also be integrated.

Price: approx. $299

ProfCast

Records live presentations (PowerPoint or other) and transforms them into a screencast. Available for both Windows and Mac.

Price: approx. $60

AllCapture

Price: approx. €169 / €249 (Enterprise version)

Wondershare DemoCreator

Price: approx. $200

Flash Demo Builder

Price: approx. $80

FlashDemoStudio

Price: approx. $119

Game Cam

Screen cam designed to work especially with video games that use DirectX and OpenGL.

Price: approx. $30

ScreenFlow

One of the market leaders for the Mac.

Price: approx. $99

iShowU

Another well-known audio and video recorder for the Mac.

Price: approx. $60 (Pro)

ScreenRecord Studio

All-in-one screen capture production suite.

Price: approx. $40

Screenium

Records desktop and video and allows to add audio and text captions.

Price: approx. €29

Screenflick

Basic screen recording software.

Price: approx. $25

BTV Pro

Video display, capture, editing and animation software.

Price: approx. £20

Snapz Pro X

Allows you to record anything on your screen and save it as QuickTime movie or screenshot.

Price: approx. $69

Screen Mimic

Screen recorder that can save to Adobe Flash (SWF), Flash Video (FLV), and Quicktime (MOV) files.

Price: approx. $65

Wink

Produces screencasts exclusively in Flash format. Editor lacks a timeline, therefore the flexibility is limited.

Price: free (Freeware)

CamStudio

Records screen activities to AVI and Flash. Hardly any options to edit the movies. No interaction and animation possible.

Price: free (Open Source)

Webinaria

Creates Flash recordings of the desktop and allows to add voice commentary, webcam videos and text.

Price: free (Open Source)

Jing

Available for both Windows and Mac.

Price: free (freeware)

Copernicus

Basic screencasting tool for the Mac. Doesn’t include any support for audio.

Price: free

Debut Video Capture

Records from webcam, screen or video input device (eg. VHS recorder) and allows to add text captions.

Price: free basic version; Plus version approx. $60

Screencast-O-Matic

Works from browser without installation. Note: Free version adds a watermark to the created screencasts.

Price: free

xvidcap

Basic screencasting application for Linux.

Price: free (Open Source)

Krut

Basic recording software written in Java. Saves to the quicktime mov format.

Price: free (Open Source)

recordMyDesktop

Basic screencasting tool on Linux.

Price: free (Open Source)

vnc2flv

Cross-platform screen recording tool for UNIX, Windows and Mac. Captures a VNC desktop session (either your own screen or a remote computer) and saves as a Flash Video (FLV) file.

Price: free (Open Source)

Do you miss anything that we ought to mention? Did you find any information that’s incorrect or obsolete? Please help us to keep this page up to date and let us know. Thank you.

This page was last updated 12/2011.

Keywords relating to this page: tools - software - programs - utilities - software demo - software demos - screencast - screencasts - screencasting tools - screencasting software - screencasting utilities - software demo tools - video screen capture tools - screen recorders - screen recording software - video screen recorders - video capture tools - video capture software - text-to-speech - TTS - creation - creating - recommendation - recommend - recommendable - good - survey - overview - market overview - review - comparison - study - commercial - open source.

 

Imprint | Copyright | Terms of Use | Linking to Us | Acknowledgements

Subscribe to newsfeed Newsfeed

Bookmark and Share
Any questions?

We can give you expert advice and individual training on creating and optimizing technical documentation, especially software documentation.

For information, see: Services

No time?

We can create user manuals, online help files, screencasts and all other forms of software user assistance for you.

Top-quality, on time, at reasonable costs.

For information, see: Services