Camtasia vs. ScreenFlow

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Camtasia
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Camtasia is a video editor and screen recorder. Camtasia offers a range of plans designed to meet varying video creation needs, and enables users to produce professional-looking videos. Its features include Camtasia Rev, script generation, text-to-speech, translations, and avatar videos, to streamline the video creation process. The editions available are Free, Essentials, Create, or the Pro plan.
$198
per year per seat
ScreenFlow
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Telestream in Nevada City offers ScreenFlow, a video editing and screen recording application for Mac boasting a range of editing tools, graphics and effects, and easy video sharing.N/A
Pricing
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Editions & Modules
Camtasia Business
$198
per year per seat
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*Discounts available for purchases supporting a large volume of users.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Considered Both Products
Camtasia
Chose Camtasia
Personally find that Camtasia has better video editing tools than those available in the above competition. That being said the other software I have used has been mainly focused on other areas; their video editing tool is more of an afterthought and isn't as easy to use as …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia is much more robust than iMovie. You can customize Camtasia and easily adjust video and audio settings. With iMovie, you can always "tell"- it is only customizable to a certain degree. Camtasia is like the "advanced" version of iMovie, giving you more flexibility and a …
Chose Camtasia
Ease of use, the daily notifications that I receive. Ability to track support skills and subject matter experts. Teams are able to provide feedback on needs and what works, what doesn't. I use other Techsmith products as well as tools like Scribe. Camtasia offered a variety of …
Chose Camtasia
My goal was to quickly create a professional-looking course and video in no time with Camtasia. 'Time is money,' as the old saying goes. Because of my lack of time and patience, I didn't bother with other applications. Camtasia is everything I need and more. I just wished I can …
Chose Camtasia
As with most software products, you'll always find pros and cons when making comparisons. Camtasia is always my go-to application when someone asks me to whip up a video on a very tight deadline. You can very quickly turn an idea into a finished video and be happy with the …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia is much more expensive than Filmora, but it is much more robust. Filmora is great if you're on a budget, but Camtasia can add an extra level of professionalism that is difficult to achieve in Filmora without a lot of extra work. Either is great, but Filmora is only a …
Chose Camtasia
I honestly have not worked with any others in at least three to four years. There is virtually no learning curve with Camtasia--super simple and does everything I need. I cannot say how others stack up currently, as there has been no reason to explore other options since using …
Chose Camtasia
We use Snagit for screen capture and needed a video capture so we went to the same company.
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia is not on the same level as Premiere Pro, but it isn’t designed to fill that niche either. Premiere Pro is much more capable, but it is also much more expensive and much more broadly focused as a linear editor. It is much more approachable, it is much more affordable, …
Chose Camtasia
Captivate is high-end to the extent that it is beyond the use of a "typical" user. It has a steep and lengthly learning curve. Camtasia's learning curve can be mastered potentially within an hour to be productive, and it weds with SnagIt to become versatile in presenting …
Chose Camtasia
The two first, well too complicated. I couldn't move fast enough to be able to edit what I needed. I tried and every single time, I came back to Camtasia. The rendering process seems to be faster (I worked prior with a third party company and the rendering process took a lot of …
Chose Camtasia
I've tried several freeware recorders, too. If all you want to do is literally record your screen, and nothing else, you don't need Camtasia. There are literally dozens of apps that will do that. If you want an app that will record your screen while capturing mouse clicks, …
Chose Camtasia
Our advanced editors use programs like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, but we only have about 5-6 employees that have that skill level. That isn't enough to support our video output. Camtasia allows everyone that is not at that level to create quality videos with a much …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia lets you purchase the software and download it to your computer. You don't need to have an internet connection to work on your projects with Camtasia. You don't have to pay a monthly subscription for Camtasia like you do the others. Camtasia is the software to use if …
Chose Camtasia
I have used others, but I consider that the closest to Camtasia are: Movavi, Filmora, Openshot, IMovie and perhaps DaVinciResolve (although this is something more for the professional sector). Among the others I've used: LumaFusion (Ipad), Kinemaster (Android), Vllo (Android) …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia has more features and more customization options than the other products we've used. It allows us to record presentations while keeping a video of the presenter in the corner. It has green-screen features, which a lot of other software does not have. Some programs have …
Chose Camtasia
  • They are similar products. For someone devoted to video-editing, Captivate might be a better choice - it has a bit more functionality but is harder to learn and use.
  • The last time I used Captivate, it couldn't handle a multi-screen setup, which was a deal-breaker for us, and …
Chose Camtasia
Adobe offers you a lot more tools and control over what you are doing when editing a video, but there tends to be a lot of features you never use and get overly complicated. Camtasia offers the basic tools that you need to get almost any job done if perfection is not required.
Chose Camtasia
Having used both solutions, I would recommend them for different uses. iMovie is a great platform for family videos but does not go beyond clipping videos together. Camtasia allows you to do some nicer editing of videos. This is why it is a much better platform for small …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia has great and features such as zoom, pan, screen capture, and table of contents - all of which are useful when creating our training videos.
Chose Camtasia
For training and multi-departmental purposes I believe Camtasia wins due to:
1. A more intuitive, less technical user interface than Premiere.
2. Windows and Mac versions, unlike Final Cut.
3. Annotation features (arrows, boxes, etc) not found in Corel Video Studio Pro.
ScreenFlow
Chose ScreenFlow
Open Broadcast Studio - limited editing capacity
Final Cut Pro - advanced but difficult to learn
Chose ScreenFlow
I haven't used Camtasia much, but it's the alternative for teachers using PC systems. It seems very popular among the instructors. We have received video exports from Camtasia to edit in Adobe Premiere. Another way we have done screen recordings is a combination of QuickTime …
Chose ScreenFlow
We looked at things like Loom and all those other screen recorders, but Screenflow is just so much more powerful. It can do everything we want it to and more, even things like Chroma Key (green screen), text on video, transitions, all that. It's a pretty great software for …
Chose ScreenFlow
screenflow is much easier, and less expensive as well. Anyone can make a screen record using quicktime, but the tools that are included help you polish off your content end to end.
Chose ScreenFlow
Camtasia is a strong competitor to screenflow. Camtasia has a bit more functionality. screenflow is less expensive and does exactly what I need it to do. screenflow doesn't have any bells and whistles, Camtasia does. I prefer screenflow because it is very straightforward to use …
Chose ScreenFlow
Screenflow offers a clean interface and intuitive tools like I have not seen across other video editing products, often times because of the many complexities that are delivered with video editing software. I have used many many video editing tools in my past and this one …
Chose ScreenFlow
  1. Beginning with Adobe Premiere Pro - which I still use, it is a computer-power consuming product and has many more options for video production that are needed for training videos. There have been a few times where I have used Premiere Pro and taken the video and added it to …
Chose ScreenFlow
While loom is the fastest, it lacks editing power. Loom is best suited for quick communication. Camtasia is the only direct competitor I'm aware of, but it's much more expensive and not as easy to use. The only benefit of Camtasia is that it has superior text on screen …
Chose ScreenFlow
I haven't personally used Camtasia but was informed by multiple people who have that it is much harder to use than Screenflow is which is one of the main reasons we moved away from using it.
Chose ScreenFlow
While Final Cut Pro X is definitely more full-featured, the learning curve is also considerably steeper. Also, as far as I can tell, Final Cut does not have the built-in capability to record my computer screen. If you are a hardcore video editor, Final Cut is the way to go. …
Chose ScreenFlow
Adobe Premiere Pro is the golden child of video editing software, and sadly screenflow cannot truly compare. However, screenflows ability to capture video/ audio from internet sources is the best reason to purchase.
Chose ScreenFlow
ScreenFlow is quick and easy. The interface doesn't seem complicated like other tools I've used in the past and it works offline which is a benefit if you need to work offline using screen recorded footage.
Best Alternatives
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Small Businesses
Sendspark
Sendspark
Score 10.0 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Snagit
Snagit
Score 9.3 out of 10
iMovie
iMovie
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Snagit
Snagit
Score 9.3 out of 10
Vyond
Vyond
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.6
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
CamtasiaScreenFlow
Likelihood to Recommend
Well-suited scenarios Camtasia is an excellent video creation tool if you are new to making/editing videos. Its definitely the easiest application to use and doesn't overcomplicate things. Once you are used to the way things work within Camtasia, coupled with applying some important, basic principles of making videos, you can produce some nice-looking videos. I've had lots of compliments on some of the product promo videos I've created using Camtasia. If you want to create something quick, simple, and eye-catching, you can certainly do that in Camtasia without a ridiculously steep learning curve. Not so well suited scenarios Camtasia wouldn't be my choice of product if I wanted to make a full-length feature film, but that isn't really its intended target audience. There are more powerful applications out there, such as Adobe Premier Pro, or Final Cut Pro (if you're an Apple user) for that type of thing.
Read full review
ScreenFlow is well suited to the creation of short video projects. When the project becomes longer than 10 or 15 minutes, the application seems to bog down independently of the configuration of the hardware on which is running. if you want to create animations, this is not the application to use
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Pros
  • Very intuitive controls. You don't need to be a pro at video editing
  • Seamless control of assets (separates video from still images)
  • Great library of annotations and gestures
  • Easy to integrate audio/video edits
  • Custom formats that suit my needs (web, mobile, tablets)
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  • Screenflow easily records your desktop video and/or audio, with functionality that works even across multi-monitor setups.
  • The program has really incredible features for basic cutting and editing of the capture within screenflow once it is done.
  • The program has an impressive amount of options for expecting different formats of video and audio. I'm most impressed by the lossless audio and uncompressed video formats that give the best possible quality for importing into video projects.
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Cons
  • Camtasia takes a lot of training to learn how to integrate and edit video
  • Video editing is not as advanced as most major video editing software products
  • Camtasia does not provide as many pre-made sound themes as they should. The selection is not very diverse.
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  • You have to use specific keys to stop recording and if you forget them you have to close out the application to stop recording.
  • It's a fairly basic software, it would be nice to see them add new functionality, but they haven't done much to improve it over the years.
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Likelihood to Renew
Each release of Camtasia has added just enough functionality to justify the upgrade to the new version. I like that Camtasia is not a subscription-based product as we have more flexibility and control over our spend on the product. We can also purchase support packages that include the next version when released.
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Definitely need it for future recordings
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Usability
I haven't used another video recording and editing tools that is as comprehensive and straight-forward as Camtasia. Typically, if you want a user-friendly video editing tools for novice users, you have to compromise on features. Camtasia solves this problem by offering extensive editing features in a simplistic, user-friendly environment. Highly recommend
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It's simple to set up and use. The editing features are laid out in an easy to understand way making it the perfect go-to tool for a novice video editor and an advanced one. I will use ScreenFlow at times over other bigger tools like Adobe Premiere because it's quicker to make changes to videos.
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Support Rating
With the latest version (Camtasia 2020), I actually had problems with an Imac with HighSierra, but from the first moment they answered and guided me to solve the problem, even before making the purchase (with some doubts I had). And they have support in English and Spanish, I really liked that.
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It works well and fits into my workflow. The tools are much easier and straightforward to work with. Other video editing tools like Adobe Premier or Final Cut Pro are simply too complicated for this type of task.
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Alternatives Considered
My goal was to quickly create a professional-looking course and video in no time with Camtasia. 'Time is money,' as the old saying goes. Because of my lack of time and patience, I didn't bother with other applications. Camtasia is everything I need and more. I just wished I can afford the upgrade.
Read full review
  1. Beginning with Adobe Premiere Pro - which I still use, it is a computer-power consuming product and has many more options for video production that are needed for training videos. There have been a few times where I have used Premiere Pro and taken the video and added it to what I do in Screenflow. Additionally, Premiere is a subscription-based purchase / rent - which I am not fond of whatsoever. Screenflow is my first choice.
  2. Adobe Captivate is again, too much offered - hence the higher pricing and then the complexities that are not necessary. I can accomplish all that I need with screenflow and at a more reasonable price ... AND it doesn't crash -- in four years it never has.
  3. I keep Snagit on my computer but find it is better for still image / screenshots vs video screen capturing. Screenflow is much smoother, quicker, and complient.
  4. Camtasia has not produced a "Good" Mac version - Screenflow is much better in producing what I want, speed, and compatibility. Not to mention, major price differences.
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Return on Investment
  • We used to source instructional videos. Now we do them in house, saving us time and money. Not only that, they are of higher production value.
  • We have used Camtasia to produce promotional videos in house. These used to be outsourced.
  • We don't have to wait for an outside firm to find capacity to help us with simple video projects, but can now do them on our timeline.
  • Camtasia has surprising power for the price. Again, don't expect Primiere Pro, but understand you may find you can do a lot with this program. We keep finding more and more use-cases for it.
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  • As an education, the best way to answer this is that my students improve after viewing my videos. Their success IS my business.
  • It is, as stated before, a time saver. My ROI is more time than I had prior to using it.
  • I save funds by not having to purchase applications that are priced extremely higher.
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ScreenShots

Camtasia Screenshots

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