Finding lightweight and affordable software for recording your screen can be a tedious job, there is a lot of good software out there but they are either expensive or not good enough, we all hate watermarks and short videos, some of us like to record his screen only and the others like to record both their face and screen at the same time.
The options are endless, so today I’m going to compare two lightweight tools which are not expensive and can get the job done easily, and have a low learning curve.
I’m going to compare Loom Vs Screencastify.
Before that, you may want to check out the comparison I made between Screencastify vs Screen o matic.
Screencastify
Screencastify is a Google Chrome extension that you can use easily to record your browser tabs or desktop, they have approximately 10 Million weekly users from 189 countries.
You don’t have to install any additional software to make it work so you can get started right away.
They are being used by major brands like Twitter, Spotify, Yelp… etc.
The paid version is $49 per year.
Pricing
Advantages
- Free.
- Works offline.
- Lightweight.
- You can share it easily with your friends.
- You can save it to your local disk.
- Highlight specific areas using your mouse.
- Drawing tools while recording.
- You can’t export the video in an MP4 format.
- Offline recording.
Disadvantages
- The free version is limited to 10 minutes only.
- The free version lets you record up to 50 videos per month.
- The free version puts a watermark on the recorded video.
- No refunds, so you should be careful and make sure to try the lite version first.
Loom
Loom is also a Google Chrome extension, there’s no need to download any software on your computer and that means it works on all operating systems, according to their website, More than 4 million people across 90,000 companies choose Loom including Slack, Atlassian, and LinkedIn.
Pricing
I’ve recorded a quick video to see if it’s worth it or not and here’s what I found.
Advantages
- It’s Free.
- Lightweight.
- You can trim videos.
- You can add comments & reactions.
- Loom is available on iOS devices.
- No video limit for the basic plan (hurray)
Disadvantages
- You can’t draw while recording unlike Screencastify.
- The basic plan lets you host up to 25 videos but it’s okay since you download all the videos and re-upload them to YouTube or any website of your choice.
- Editing is limited in the free version.
- You can try the pro plan which lets you add call to actions and custom thumbnails
- Loom isn’t available on Android but they’re planning on releasing one this year 2020.
- You can only record in 720p resolution if you’re on the basic plan, the Pro plan lets you record in HD.
They also have a FAQ page if you have any questions in mind, make sure you check out here https://support.loom.com/hc/en-us/sections/360000599038-General-FAQ
Final Thought
Both tools are great, choose wisely, you won’t regret anything since both tools are free, Both tools provide tutorials to teach you how to use them.
How to record a high-quality video
The recording software is not everything, it’s just a part of the production process, you need to make sure you have a high-quality camera and mic to eliminate any noise or distraction to provide the best user experience ever, don’t spend too much on fancy tools or equipment if you don’t have to.
Loom also now has a 5 minute limit on free videos. They got ya hooked and then pulled out the rug, haha. I would buy the service but $8.00 a month is more than I want to spend. That alone isn’t all that much but when combined with all of the other monthly services it starts to add up. So many services are monthly these days.
You can always try screencast-o-matic, check it out here: https://geeksstate.com/screencastify-screencast-o-matic/