Camtasia vs. Screenflow for Video Course Creators

You Can’t Really Go Wrong With Either Choice, but One App Might Fit Better Depending On Your Needs

When it comes to producing videos for online course, two of the most popular options for screen recording and video editing are Camtasia and ScreenFlow. 

Each has its strengths compared to the other.

In fact, while we’ve made a clear recommendations in our Camtasia vs Snagit comparison in the past, we can’t do this as easily when comparing Camtasia and ScreenFlow. Your choice of application will depend on your specific needs and work styles.

But let’s equip you with all the key information you need to make the right choice for you. 

There’s not a ton of factors to consider, beyond the basics. The goal of this post is to help you make a decision in less time than it might take reading others on the same topic.

First Things First: If You’re a Windows User, Camtasia Wins (By Default)

Let’s get this out of the way for any Windows users out there. If you’re looking at ScreenFlow and wishing you could give it a try…keep on wishing. 

Or buy a Mac. 

Because that’s the only way you’re going to be able to use ScreenFlow without employing significant workarounds that are probably not worth your time. 

The application has been Mac-only for many years, and so far it doesn’t seem like a Windows version is coming anytime soon.

If you’re set on sticking with Windows and still want to see what else is out there, check out these Camtasia alternatives.

When it Comes to Screen Recording – It’s Complicated

Your course content may dictate your choice of software right off the bat, when it comes to screen recording. Otherwise, again, you can’t really go wrong with either app.

For creators with more complex needs, such as: 1) Recording multiple screens, or 2) Recording desktop and mobile screens – ScreenFlow might be the better choice. It does a good job of both.

Camtasia can record more than one screen, but the process is not as seamless as with ScreenFlow. It can also easily import screen recordings produced by your phone’s operating system, or via other tools built by its same manufacturer.

But ScreenFlow does these two things a little better, according to many users.

After that, however, Camtasia is arguably the winner over ScreenFlow. Simply put, users seem to prefer its user interface over ScreenFlow’s for screen recording, which appears and feels outdated to many users compared to Camtasia’s.

There’s No Clear Winner When it Comes to Editing, Either

On the editing front, it again comes down more to preference than any great differentiators between the two programs. 

The workflows for each application aren’t that different.

Where ScreenFlow appears more versatile off the bat with its editing interface, Camtasia performs essentially all the same functions (just as well). For beginners, Camtasia might have a slight edge over ScreenFlow, which can sometimes feel more like a stripped down version of more expensive editing applications than the more intermediate, user-friendly option it’s more aligned with by category.

Some other points to compare:

Pay attention to that last feature if you’re a video course creator who could benefit from building some interactivity with your audience into your final videos. It can be a powerful tactic, and it isn’t available from ScreenFlow. There’s also the extra cost of the effect assets to consider with ScreenFlow, but we’ll get into that in a moment.

If you don’t need interactive elements, or other bells and whistles? There’s cost to consider.

ScreenFlow is More Affordable (Kinda)

The base cost for Camtasia is $299.99. In comparison, ScreenFlow costs $169.

However, to unlock some of the more advanced visual effects in ScreenFlow, you’ll need to pay another $60 for the first year, and $72 per year after that for access to the application’s Stock Media Library.

After three years, you’d end up paying more for ScreenFlow than Camtasia, if you go this route. 

The media library offers quite a lot of assets, but it’s not a given that video course creators would find frequent use for many of them, beyond the suite of slightly more advanced visual effects that are already included in Camtasia. 

ScreenFlow plus a Media Library subscription could be worth a closer look if you do feel like you’d use other effects in your videos. The inclusion of audio clips in the library could be helpful as well.

Conclusion: Choose Camtasia In Most Cases, Unless Price or Simplicity is More Important to You

The best way to decide between Camtasia and ScreenFlow, for your specific needs, may be to download a free trial of each application. 

Record roughly the same test footage, see how it feels to do that and then to edit your clips into something resembling what you have planned for your course videos, and then make your decision.

For beginners, the price point of ScreenFlow (without the media library) could make it a good choice. However, as we noted, beginning users seem to prefer Camtasia’s learning curve over ScreenFlow’s.

On our side, we tend to believe Camtasia is a good choice for most video course creators, due largely to the better experience with screen recording and the more complete baseline set of effects. For anyone looking to layer in a bit more complexity, ScreenFlow and its media library could be a better alternative.

Does it completely matter which of the two programs you use? This pair is very similar, and have each been around for awhile, so probably not.

Don’t overcomplicate the choice. Do your best to pick one app, and focus more energy instead on your online course outline, your lessons, your videos, and your overall content and making it the best it can be. The tools are usually secondary.