As a video creator and marketer with over 10 years of experience, I often get asked – what is the best screen recorder software for making tutorial videos, product demos, video lessons, and more?
My answer is always Screencast-O-Matic. I’ve been using Screencast-O-Matic for the better part of a decade to create all kinds of explanatory and promotional videos.
But Screencast-O-Matic comes in two versions – a free version and a paid version called Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe. So what is the difference and is it worth upgrading to the paid version?
In this post, I’ll compare the key differences between the free and paid versions to help you decide which is better for your video recording needs.
My Background Using Screencast-O-Matic
As a context, I’ve been creating online video content since 2008. I started out making tutorial videos teaching people how to use various software products.
Over the years, I expanded into explainer videos, employee training videos, promotional videos, over-the-shoulder sales videos, and more. I now have over 5,000 videos published across my YouTube channel and company website.
Throughout my video career, I’ve experimented with just about every popular screen recording tool on the market – Camtasia, ActivePresenter, Bandicam, OBS Studio, Loom, and more.
But I always come back to Screencast-O-Matic as my #1 choice. I find it strikes the perfect balance between functionality, flexibility, affordability, and ease of use.
Now let’s look at how the free and paid versions of Screencast-O-Matic compare.
Recording Time Limit
The biggest limitation of the free version of Screencast-O-Matic is the maximum recording time. You are restricted to 5-minute recordings.
For quick how-to videos or short social media promos, 5 minutes may be plenty. But for longer tutorials or sales videos, you’ll hit the limit pretty fast.
Upgrading to Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe lifts that restriction completely. Now you can record videos of any length without interruption.
Over the years, I’ve created 2+ hour training videos using Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe without issue. This flexibility alone makes the paid version worthwhile if you want to produce videos longer than 5 minutes.
Video Hosting and Storage
With the free version of Screencast-O-Matic, your video exports are hosted on Screencast-O-Matic’s servers with their branding baked into the video.
This makes it easy to share videos via links but it lacks the professional polish most video creators demand. Plus your available storage is limited to 50 videos.
The Deluxe version includes 10GB of cloud storage for your videos. You can upload and host videos without any Screencast-O-Matic branding or logos inserted.
You also get much more control over privacy settings, the ability to password-protect videos, and integration with platforms like YouTube and Google Drive.
For serious video producers, direct video hosting and management are essential.
Editing Capabilities
Basic video editing like trimming clips can be done in both the free and paid versions. But Deluxe unlocks additional advanced editing functionality.
You get multi-track timeline editing so you can layer b-roll footage, titles, animations and more to make very professional, polished videos. Chroma key green screen support is also included.
And my favorite feature – you can import existing videos to add to your Screencast-O-Matic footage with the Deluxe version.
When it comes to editing tools, Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe competes head-to-head with premium tools like Camtasia but at a fraction of the price.
Stock Media Library
All Screencast-O-Matic plans include access to free stock media like icons, characters, and backgrounds for your videos.
But upgrading to Deluxe expands that stock library 10x with premium stock images, video clips and audio tracks you can freely use in your videos.
As a professional video producer, I have spent thousands of dollars licensing quality b-roll, templates, music tracks and more over the years. So getting premium stock media included with Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe is an incredible value add.
Other Perks
A few other advantages you’ll get with Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe include:
- Ability to brand videos with your logo and watermark
- Record computer and webcam simultaneously (picture-in-picture)
- Mouse highlighting effects
- Detailed analytics on video engagement
- Priority email support
- No ads in exported videos
When you stack up all the additional capabilities Deluxe provides, it becomes very hard to justify sticking with the basic free version of Screencast-O-Matic… unless you only need to make very simple, short videos.
Which Version Should You Choose?
I’ll wrap up with some quick recommendations on which version of Screencast-O-Matic makes sense based on your video recording and production needs:
Free Version – Best for:
- Simple how-to videos under 5 minutes
- Video messages and communications under 5 minutes
- Basic video demos under 5 minutes
- Quick social media video posts in under 5 minutes
Deluxe Version – Best for:
- Tutorial videos over 5 minutes
- Long-form lessons and training videos
- In-depth video demonstrations and pitches
- Webinars and screen shares
- Client testimonial videos
- Video-heavy courses or membership sites
- YouTube channels and video blogs
The Deluxe version unlocks truly professional-grade video creation capabilities for a one-time fee of $39/year. That’s incredible value compared to other paid screen recording tools costing hundreds of dollars more.
With the 10-day free trial, you can experience all the premium features firsthand, no credit card required.
So if you’re ready to step up your video production quality, I highly recommend giving Screencast-O-Matic Deluxe a try. It has certainly taken my videos to the next level over the past 10+ years of use.
I hope this overview has helped explain the key differences between the free and paid versions of Screencast-O-Matic. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Also Read – What screenshot and annotation features does Icecream Screen Recorder have?