A Camtasia alternative for Mac
Smooth Recorder records screen demos with automatic zooms and a smooth cursor, and it also takes screenshots, scrolling captures and text. Here is how it compares with Camtasia, feature by feature, using what each product says about itself.
At a glance
Smooth Recorder
- Price
- $9 once during early access, $19 after launch. No subscription.
- Platform
- A native macOS app built in SwiftUI and AppKit, for macOS 15 and later.
Camtasia
- Price
- Billed yearly: from $39 a year (exports are watermarked) or $179.88 a year for watermark-free exports.
- Platform
- A desktop suite for macOS and Windows: Camtasia, Snagit and Audiate.
From techsmith.com, September 2026.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Smooth Recorder | Camtasia |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-zoom on your clicks | ||
| Smooth cursor | ||
| Captions made on your Mac | ||
| Cut by editing the transcript | Via Audiate | |
| Screenshots with an editor | Via Snagit | |
| Scrolling capture | Via Snagit | |
| Copy text from the screen | Via Snagit | |
| GIF export | ||
| Native Mac app | ||
| Pay once, no subscription | Old version |
Where they differ
Pay once, no subscription
Smooth Recorder: One payment. No subscription and no account. Camtasia: partly (old version).
What both do
- Auto-zoom on your clicks.
- Smooth cursor.
- Captions made on your Mac.
- Cut by editing the transcript. Camtasia: via audiate.
- Screenshots with an editor. Camtasia: via snagit.
- Scrolling capture. Camtasia: via snagit.
- Copy text from the screen. Camtasia: via snagit.
- GIF export.
- Native Mac app.
Compare with other apps
- Screen Studio alternative
- CleanShot X alternative
- Cap alternative
- Screen Charm alternative
- FocuSee alternative
- Tella alternative
- Loom alternative
Camtasia details are from its own website, September 2026; check there for the latest. Smooth Recorder details are from the app itself. Names are trademarks of their owners; we're not affiliated.
Early access · $9
One key for every kind of capture.
Press ⌥1, pick an area, press Return, and it's on your clipboard. Open it in the editor to give it your look. Screenshots, recordings, GIFs and more.