The Smooth Recorder blog
Record better demos on your Mac
Step-by-step guides, honest comparisons and real workflows for screen recording, screenshots and GIFs on macOS. Written by the people who make Smooth Recorder, fair to every tool we mention.
FeaturedComparisons
9 Best Screen Recorders for Mac in 2026 (Compared)
The 9 best screen recorders for Mac in 2026, grouped by job: product demos, all-in-one capture, async video, editing and free. Prices, pros, cons and picks.
10 min read
Alternatives
7 Best Loom Alternatives for Mac in 2026 (Free and Paid)
Loom alternatives for Mac compared: share-link tools like Cap, Zight and Tella, local-first recorders like Smooth Recorder, prices, and when to stay on Loom.
8 min read
Alternatives
7 Best Screen Studio Alternatives for Mac (2026): Features & Pricing
Seven Screen Studio alternatives for Mac compared on features, platform and price, with 1- and 3-year cost math and a clear pick for every kind of user.
9 min read
Guides
How to Copy Text From Screen on Mac (Live Text, OCR and Apps)
Copy text from images, videos and any part of your Mac's screen with Live Text, a free Shortcuts OCR shortcut, or one-key apps. Steps, languages and privacy.
6 min read
Guides
How to Make a Product Demo Video: A Step-by-Step Playbook
A practical playbook for product demo videos: pick one job, write the script, set up your Mac, record, polish and export. With a sample script and a checklist.
9 min read
Use cases
How to Record a Bug Report Video Developers Can Act On
Record a bug report video developers can act on: what to show and in what order, clicks and keystrokes, environment details, redaction, and a template.
9 min read
Guides
How to Record a GIF on Mac (4 Ways, Free and Paid)
macOS can't record a GIF on its own. Here's how to record your screen and make a small, sharp GIF with Gifski, Shortcuts, ffmpeg or a dedicated GIF recorder.
8 min read
Guides
How to Screen Record on Mac With Audio (Mic and Internal Sound)
Record your Mac's screen with your voice and its own sound: built-in steps for macOS 15, 26 and 27, the BlackHole workaround, apps, and fixes for silent videos.
7 min read
Guides
How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot on Mac (Full Page, 7 Ways)
macOS has no scrolling screenshot, but you can still capture a full page: free steps for Firefox, Chrome and Safari, plus apps that scroll any window for you.
6 min read
Guides
How to Zoom In on a Screen Recording (Manual and Auto-Zoom)
Zoom in on a screen recording by hand in iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Camtasia or ScreenFlow, or automatically with an auto-zoom recorder. Plus rules for good zooms.
9 min read
Comparisons
Screen Studio vs CleanShot X: Which Mac Recorder Is Right for You?
Screen Studio vs CleanShot X compared: recording polish, screenshots, scrolling capture, OCR, sharing, Electron vs native, and the cost over 1 and 3 years.
8 min read
Browse by topic
Guides
All 6 →Step-by-step how-tos for recording, capturing and sharing your screen on a Mac.
Comparisons
All 2 →Head-to-head comparisons and best-of lists, with real prices and honest trade-offs.
Alternatives
All 2 →What to use instead of the popular screen recorders, and who each one suits.
Use cases
All 1 →Real workflows: product demos, tutorials, bug reports and onboarding videos.
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.