Nora Brown Design

Two Screencasting Apps Reviewed

I’ve recently been testing two very similar screencasting applications:

• Camtasia for Mac, $99
• Screenflow, $99

Let me say first that I had planned to test some cheaper options, like “Screenflick,” and that I have up to now been using “SnapzProX.” But, after downloading the trial version of Camtasia, I was so impressed I don’t think I could settle for anything less.

Camtasia for Mac: Awesome

I was very impressed with this program from the get go. When I first opened it, I had the option to view a screencast overview of its functionality, which I did. It was helpful and to-the-point. Though the program is pretty intuitive (something iMovie was not, for me) I also found the program help and the online tutorials very useful.

The good

• Intuitive interface
• Goes beyond just recording to allow you to edit, combine, add audio, and publish
• Easy importing of media—movies, pictures, audio
• Awesome export features. You can publish your movie straight to Flash, with optional supporting html page
• Smooth transition effects

The bad

• No easy way to highlight mouse clicks or mouse movements

Screenflow: Almost just as awesome

This is another quality program. The interface is very similar to Camtasia’s, though I found myself referring to help file a tiny bit more. The edge Screenflow has is for its Screencast Actions.

The good

• Intuitive interface
• Goes beyond just recording to allow you to edit, combine, add audio, and publish
• Easy importing of media—movies, pictures, audio

The bad

• Transitions not quite as smooth as Camtasia
• Lack of Flash export option

Conclusion

Right now, I have to give the edge to Camtasia, because the convenience of being able to publish a flash movie directly outweighs the mouse highlight and other screencasting niceties that Screenflow offers. Hopefully each company will check out their competitor, and add features to its product accordingly.