9 Best Camtasia Alternatives To Use In 2022 (Free & Paid)

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So, you’re after a Camtasia alternative, right?

I can guarantee you love the look of Camtasia, but you are put off by the relatively hefty price tag of around $249.

Yep, I had that feeling too when I was just starting out with screen recorders (however, I bit the bullet and invested in Camtasia – it was a very good decision!).

But, don’t worry. I’ve just updated this sweet list of the best Camtasia alternatives, some even have free options, for 2022.

I hope you find it useful. Be sure to let me know in the comments below what Camtasia alternative you have.

What to look for in a Camtasia alternative?

To me, the best Camtasia alternatives should have the following five features:

Competitive pricing
Flexible screen recording
Strong editing capabilities
Annotations and/or cursor effects
Pan and zoom

Note, not all of the software listed below contain all of the above. But, they will contain the majority of these features.

Competitive pricing

In my eyes, an alternative software should be cheaper than its comparator; this especially holds true in this case.

Ideally, you should be looking at combined screen recorders and video editors that are priced under $250.

Luckily, the majority of them are!

Flexible screen recording

One of the biggest perks of Camtasia is its powerful screen recording features.

Any alternative should also support custom screen recording sizes. This is when you can record a selected area instead of the whole screen.

Strong editing capabilities

Since Camtasia is also a video editor, any alternative should come with suitable editing tools.

These editing capabilities should include video trimming, for removing unwanted sections, and some audio track features at a minimum.

Annotations and/or cursor effects

I personally love Camtasia’s annotations and cursor effects. They really do improve the quality of screencasts to make them easier to follow.

The very best Camtasia alternatives should have some sort of annotation and/or cursor effect features.

Pan and zoom

To take screencasts to another level, the software should have some sort of pan and zoom capability – just like Camtasia.

Again, the benefit of controlling the camera movement is to make it easy for the viewer to follow along.

Best Camtasia alternatives

So, let’s get to it.

Below you will find a list of the best Camtasia alternatives available, in my opinion anyway, and some relevant detail for each one.

1. Filmora X (#1 recommended)

Filmora X is the latest video editor and screen recorder by Wondershare.

If you want a program that is very similar to Camtasia, but comes with more snazzy visual effects and transitions, then you may want to consider Filmora.

Filmora can edit and export in up to 4K resolution and has up to 100 media layers! This may seem overkill, but if you want to add a lot of effects, then it certainly comes in handy.

As expected with a strong video editor, there is also pan and zoom effect within Filmora.

With over 1,000 stylish free effects to pick from, you can certainly make your videos stand out from the rest.

Compared with Camtasia, Filmora is only $79.99 for a one-time fee or $49.99 for an annual subscription; that’s a potential saving of $200!

Interested? Then take advantage of their free unlimited trial to see what Filmora can do for you.

Filmora X

✔️ Free trial
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations/cursor effects
✔️ Pan and zoom
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

$79.99

one-time fee

Try Filmora For Free

2. ScreenFlow

ScreenFlow is a respected Mac only screen recorder and video editor.

This one’s for all you Mac fans out there. Sorry Windows guys, you’ll have to skip over this one.

ScreenFlow has a powerful set of screen recording features, including custom size screen recording and the ability to record multiple monitors at once. If you also want to record your iPhone or iPad screen, you can with ScreenFlow, simply connect the device to your computer and the software will capture it.

There’s easy video editing to be found too. You can add zoom and pan effects, trim clips, adjust audio and more. There’s also a variety of annotations, including freehand.

Another notable feature of ScreenFlow is that there are cursor effects, such as radars for clicks. You can change the size, color and duration of the effect and even apply a blur.

Coming in at $149, ScreenFlow certainly isn’t the cheapest Camtasia alternative on this list. However, it’s certainly ranked near the top in terms of features and capabilities.

Similar to Camtasia, ScreenFlow’s price does not include future software upgrades. This is just something the keep in mind if you’re thinking of purchasing.

If you’re interested, then you can grab a fully functional free trial. The only limitation is that exported videos will be watermarked, so you can certainly see everything ScreenFlow has to offer by just playing around with the trial.

ScreenFlow

✔️ Free trial
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations/cursor effects
✔️ Pan and zoom
✔️ Mac system only

$149+

one-time fee

Try ScreenFlow For Free

3. DemoCreator (formerly Filmora Scrn)

DemoCreator is a reincarnation of Wondershare’s recent Filmora Scrn.

If you want the main features of Camtasia, but only have a small budget, then I urge you to seriously consider DemoCreator.

With DemoCreator, you can set a custom screen recording field and simultaneously record your screen and camera with audio.

Recordings can be even captured in 120 frames per second (FPS), so your recordings are super smooth (note, Mac users are limited to 60 FPS).

In the editing side, it’s possible to change the appearance of the cursor (size, shape and color) and add annotations.

After the upgrade from Filmora Scrn, Wondershare have added many sought after features, including the muchly anticipated pan and zoom ability.

The great news for you guys is that there is a free DemoCreator trial available. So, there is no excuse to try it yourself.

If you’re already sold on DemoCreator, then you can grab it for $39.99 for a 1-year licence or just $59.99 for a lifetime licence.

DemoCreator

✔️ Free trial
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations/cursor effects
✔️ Pan and zoom
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

$39.99

one-time fee

Try DemoCreator For Free

4. Movavi Video Suite

Movavi’s Video Suite is an all-in-one screen recorder video editor and converter that even looks similar to Camtasia.

On first glance, you may mistake Movavi’s Video Editor for Camtasia; their interfaces are so alike!

Sure enough, everything you need in a screen recorder can be found. You can capture your desired area and record audio and video. Applying cursor highlights and on-click sound effects is also super easy.

In terms of video editing, the Movavi Video Suite has a large selection of creative assets including titles, filters, effects and transitions. You can also add in callouts (annotations).

The good news is that there is a free 7-day trial available so that you can really give the Video Suite a good test drive. Notable limitations of the trial include screen recording restrictions (5 minutes maximum) and watermarks on exported videos.

Movavi Video Suite

✔️ 7-day free trial
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations/cursor effects
✔️ Pan and zoom
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

$79.95

per year

Try Movavi Video Suite For Free

5. HitPaw Screen Recorder

HitPaw Screen Recorder is an affordable screen recorder with a basic video editor.

If you’re after a simple recorder to capture your screen without the overcomplicated snazzy effects, then have a look at HitPaw.

With the HitPaw Screen Recorder you can record your screen (either full or a custom size), a webcam, or both (picture in picture).

You can choose to show or hide the mouse on the recording. Additionally, just like with DemoCreator, you can apply a colored halo effect around the cursor to make it stand out and show keystrokes on screen.

There are limited video editing capabilities to be found with the HitPaw Screen Recorder, with media trimming the main feature.

You can try HitPaw Screen Recorder for free, with a watermark applied to footage exported with the trial version. If you want to remove the restrictions, then you can purchase a licence for a one-time fee of $49.99, or select a monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($29.99) plan for more flexibility.

HitPaw Screen Recorder

✔️ Free trial
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Cursor effects
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

$49.99

one-time fee

Try HitPaw For Free

6. Create

Create by Vidello is an excellent option for those that want to pay a one-time fee.

Many of you have probably not heard of Create before, but it is certainly worth checking out if you are after a cheaper Camtasia alternative.

Coming in at half the price of a standard Camtasia licence, Create’s pricing is one-off. So, no recurring fees – yay!

With Create you can record a custom area of your screen, zoom in to the recordings, add shapes and even funky animated emojis.

If you don’t have access to a microphone or you are super shy to record your own voice, there is also a text-to-speech voiceover narration feature. Simply add in your text, select a voice style and Create will generate a voiceover for you.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a free trial, but you do get a 30-day, money-back guarantee should you change your mind about it within the first month.

Create

✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations
✔️ Zoom feature
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

$127

one-time fee

Get Create

7. ActivePresenter

ActivePresenter is one of the most expensive Camtasia alternatives, but has a lot going for it.

With a strong focus on elearning and interactive videos, there are a lot of features under ActivePresenter’s hood.

As expected, screen recording can be full screen or a custom size. Camera and audio can also be captured simultaneously.

Cursor effects, annotations and zoom and pan are also available in ActivePresenter. You can even add a spotlight onto areas of the screen, just like in Camtasia.

There are a lot of tutorials on their website to get you up to speed with most of the features.

In terms of cost, there are a few licences that you can get for ActivePresenter: Free, Standard and Pro.

Thier Free licence is only for personal and non-commercial use. So, if you’re going to be making videos for commercial work, then you need one of their premium plans.

The downside is the price of these unrestricted licences. At $199 for their Standard or $399 for their Pro licence, it certainly doesn’t come cheap.

Download their Free version to see what ActivePresenter has going for it.

ActivePresenter

✔️ Free version
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Annotations/cursor effects
✔️ Pan and zoom
✔️ Windows and Mac systems

Free

Get ActivePresenter For Free

8. Free Cam

Free Cam is one of the best, completely free Camtasia alternatives.

Got no money? Well, don’t worry! Free Cam may be the answer you’re looking for. Note, Free Cam is only available on Windows machines – sorry to burst your bubble Mac users.

Free Cam, as the name suggests has a completely free version, which does contain the majority of Camtasia alternative features. For enhanced functionality, then you may want to consider upgrading to their Pro account ($227 per year).

Unlike most free screen recorders and video editors, Free Cam does not place any video length restrictions or applies watermarks to your videos.

However, it is only possible to simultaneously record your screen and audio. Capturing your camera alongside these is enabled in their Pro account.

Basic video editing features are also found in the free version. You can easily trim unnecessary sections of video, remove background noise from audio and apply fade-in and -out audio effects.

There is also some cursor effects that can be found as standard. This includes highlighting the cursor and applying sound click effects. Annotations can only be found only in their Pro version.

Certainly give Free Cam a download if you’re interested. After all, it’s free!

Free Cam

✔️ Completely free option
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Cursor effects
✔️ Annotations (Pro version)
✔️ Windows systems

Free

Get Free Cam For Free

9. Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic has a range of inexpensive pricing plans available to suit everyone, including a free plan!

The great thing about Screencast-O-Matic is that there are 3 price plans: Free, Deluxe ($4.00 per month) and Premier ($5.75 per month).

The basic Free plan, as you would expect, has a limited offering of recording and editing capabilities. Custom size screen recording is as standard to capture only regions of interest.

However, you can only trim videos with their Free plan. Videos are also limited to 15 minutes and have a watermark applied during export.

For additional editing features and to remove those pesky restrictions, then you need to have one of their reasonably priced memberships (Deluxe or Premier).

With the paid plans you get access to various Camtasia-like features, such as customizing the cursor (change color of cursor halo), annotations and zoom in/out.

If you want to record with a green screen background, there is also a green screen filter option to jazz up your surroundings.

Screencast-O-Matic

✔️ Free version
✔️ Custom size screen recording
✔️ Cursor effects (paid version)
✔️ Annotations (paid version)
✔️ Zoom in/out (paid version)
✔️ Windows, Mac, Android and Chromebook systems

Free

Get Screencast-O-Matic For Free

FAQs

1. What is the best Camtasia alternative?

For me, the answer to this is Filmora X.

You get a completely solid screen recorder coupled with a far superior video editor compared with Camtasia.

The biggest factor in my decision is the price. At just $79.99 for a life-time licence, that’s a saving of over $170 compared with Camtasia’s comparator plan!

And since most people looking at Camtasia alternatives are concerned about costs, Filmora X is competitively priced and comes with the majority of features you want.

2. What is the best free Camtasia alternative?

The answer to this depends on your situation.

If you’re planning on using the software for personal and non-commercial use only, then I would say ActivePresenter for sure.

Otherwise, I suggest checking out Free Cam (Windows only).

Wrapping up

I hope this list of best Camtasia alternatives is useful for you. On reflection, there are some serious contenders here for the title of best screen recorder and video editor.

Have I missed anything? If you have any further suggestions, then please let me know in the comments below.