Choose a ScreenPal replacement by what your viewers need to do after watching. Quick updates suit a simple recorder with instant links. Training suits a tool that turns recordings into step-by-step guides. Product tours suit interactive demos, and polished videos suit an editor. Then compare how recordings are shared and what you learn about who watched.
Think about the last walkthrough you recorded. Was it a quick update for a colleague, a how-to for a new starter, a product tour for a prospect or a polished video for your website? Those are four different jobs, and most tools aren't great at more than one or two of them. ScreenPal covers capturing, creating and sharing videos and images. The seven options below, in no particular order, split that work up in different ways.
Quick messages, polished edits and clickable demos
Quick recorded messages
Loom is the name most teams know for recording a short message and sharing a link straight away. CleanShot is Mac-only and comes at it from the screenshot side, with annotation and scrolling capture alongside recording.
Polished videos
Tella records screen, camera and audio together and adds AI editing before you share. Descript lets you edit a recording by editing its transcript, which suits people who'd rather work with words than a timeline.
Guides and clickable demos
Guidde turns a process you click through into a step-by-step video and document, which suits training. Supademo builds interactive demos people click through themselves. Arcade has moved towards AI video for marketing teams, from launch videos to social clips.
Recording is easy; sharing is where tools differ
The thing to test in any replacement is how recordings are made and shared, and what editing and viewer insight is included. Almost every tool here can capture a screen. The gaps open up afterwards. Can you trim a mistake without exporting to another app? Does the link open quickly on a phone? Can you see who watched, and how far they got?
Viewer insight matters more than it sounds. If you send walkthroughs to customers or prospects, knowing that someone stopped watching halfway tells you where the explanation lost them. If you record for colleagues, it matters less, and speed of recording wins. Decide which matters more to you before you compare editing features, because a tool with brilliant editing and slow sharing won't get used for quick updates.
The recorders, alphabetically
Listed A to Z and in no particular order. Each line describes what the vendor says about its own product.
Arcade
Best for: Marketing teams turning an idea into a launch video, tutorial or social clip, with the vendor saying you can start free.
CleanShot
Best for: Mac users wanting screenshots and screen recordings with built-in annotation, scrolling capture and cloud uploads, as the vendor lists.
Descript
Best for: Creators who record, transcribe and edit video or audio by editing text, with a free plan named on the vendor's site.
Guidde
Best for: Trainers and operations teams capturing a process once and getting a step-by-step video and document, aimed by the vendor at team training.
Loom
Best for: People sending quick recorded messages from Mac or PC, which the vendor presents as a free screen recorder with editing and video storage.
Supademo
Best for: Sales, onboarding and training teams building clickable, AI-assisted product demos rather than plain recordings, per the vendor.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Tella
Best for: Presenters recording screen, camera, microphone and system audio together, then tidying it with AI editing before sharing or exporting, per the vendor.
Recorders by format
| Tool | Format | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | AI video for marketers | Launch videos, tutorials and social clips from an idea |
| CleanShot | Mac capture app | Screenshots, scrolling capture and annotation on Mac |
| Descript | Text-based video editor | Editing recordings by editing the transcript |
| Guidde | Step-by-step guides | Turning a process into a how-to video and document |
| Loom | Screen recorder | Quick video messages on Mac and PC |
| Supademo | Interactive demos | Clickable product walkthroughs instead of video |
| Tella | Recorder with AI editing | Polished recordings with screen, camera and audio |
Advice on choosing a recorder
Record the same thing in each tool you shortlist, ideally a real walkthrough you'd send this week. Time how long it takes from pressing record to sending a link, then watch the result on your phone. Ask a colleague to watch it too, and see whether they can find it again a few days later. That small test tells you more than any feature list. If it's hard to find, it won't get watched, however good the recording is. And if you're recording for customers, it's worth checking how the player looks with your branding, because they'll judge your business by it.
If your recordings teach people how to use something, consider whether a step-by-step guide or a clickable demo would serve them better than a video. For help comparing recorders built for teaching, see my guide on how to choose screen recording software for tutorials, and if you'd rather start without a subscription, here's how to record your screen with free, open source software.
Moving old recordings across
- List the recordings people still watch, such as onboarding videos and help guides, and leave the rest behind.
- Download those files in the best quality available before your account ends.
- Upload them to the new tool or your video host, and update every link in help pages and emails.
- Check embedded videos on your website still play after the switch.
- Re-record anything out of date instead of moving it.
Do you make screen recording software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Related: teaching (this site).
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in a ScreenPal alternative?
Start with how you share recordings and who watches them. Then check editing, where files are stored and whether you can see who watched. Match the tool to the job you record most.
Can I download my ScreenPal videos before switching?
Most recording tools let you download your videos. Save the ones you still use in the best quality available before your account changes, then update any links that point to them.
What's the difference between a screen recording and an interactive demo?
A screen recording is a video people watch. An interactive demo is a series of screens people click through themselves, which works well for product tours and training.
Do I need a video editor as well as a screen recorder?
Not always. Many recorders include trimming and simple edits. If you make polished videos for your website or social channels, an editor built into the recorder saves a lot of time.
Is screen recording good for training staff?
Yes. Short recordings and step-by-step guides make processes easy to repeat. Keep each one focused on a single task so people can find the bit they need.
Can I record calls or other people on screen?
Rules on recording people vary by country and situation. Tell people when you're recording, and check your regulator's guidance or a legal adviser if you're unsure.
