A Mac screen recorder with no subscription.
Framecast is a one-time purchase: $79 $39 once buys a lifetime license, with every future update, for up to 3 Macs. It zooms in where you click, smooths your cursor and writes your captions. No renewals, and no subscription unless you want one.
Free to try with every feature · A license is only needed to export · macOS 14 or later
What you get for $79 $39
One payment, then nothing to cancel. Here’s exactly what the pay-once license includes:
- A license key, by email and on the page after checkout. Activate it in Framecast › Settings › License. No account to create.
- Exporting on up to 3 Macs. Save MP4, MOV and GIF files up to 4K, copy videos to the clipboard, make share links, step-by-step guides and subtitle files. Recording and editing are free; exporting is what the license unlocks. See Your license.
- Lifetime updates. Every future version of Framecast, at no extra cost.
- A license that’s yours for good. It doesn’t expire, and there’s nothing to renew.
- Hosted share links with comments and passwords, and 25 GB of storage at share.framecast.pro.
- A 14-day refund, no questions asked.
Prefer to pay as you go? Framecast Monthly is $15 a month, on 3 Macs, with every update while you’re subscribed. It suits a single project. Six months of it costs more than buying once, so if you record often, pay once.
What happens after you buy
Nothing more to pay. Framecast keeps working, and every new version is yours too: Framecast tells you when one is out, and you install it when it suits you. There’s no update plan to renew and no year to count down.
One thing to know: Framecast checks your license online now and then. If it hasn’t reached the license server for a while, it can’t export until it checks again: connect to the internet and click Check now in Settings › License.
What it costs over 1, 3 and 5 years
Screen Studio, another Mac screen recorder that zooms in on your clicks, is sold by subscription. Here’s how the totals compare if prices stay as they are today.
One payment, with every future update included. Nothing to renew.
$9 a month on the yearly plan, or $29 month to month. As listed on screen.studio in October 2026.
Screen Studio prices as listed on screen.studio in October 2026. Its FAQ says one-time licenses are no longer available for new purchases. Framecast Monthly comes to $180 a year. Prices in USD, plus tax where it applies.
What’s included
There are no tiers. Every license, pay once or monthly, gets every feature:
- Automatic zoom where you click and type, following your pointer while it’s zoomed. See Automatic zoom.
- A cursor you can fix after recording: bigger, smoother, with a circle or ripple on each click. See Cursor.
- Captions written on your Mac, drawn into the video or saved as SRT and VTT files. Edit the video by deleting words in the transcript, and remove every “um” in one click.
- Your camera as a bubble, side by side or cut out in front of your screen, with no green screen.
- Clean sound: voice enhancement, and your Mac’s audio from every app or only the apps you choose.
- Private info found for you: API keys, email addresses, phone and card numbers, and password fields, blurred in one click. See Find private info.
- iPhone and iPad recording over a cable, in a drawn device frame.
- Every output: MP4, MOV or GIF up to 4K at 60 fps, vertical 9:16 video, share links, a step-by-step guide with a screenshot for every click, and a click-through demo.
Recordings, transcription and voice cleanup run on your Mac, and only what you choose to share is uploaded.
Who it’s for
- People who record tutorials, product demos, onboarding or help-center videos, and want them to look edited without editing.
- Anyone tired of paying every year for software they use every week.
- Anyone who wants their recordings to stay on their Mac.
Who it’s not for
- Windows or Linux users. Framecast is Mac only.
- Macs on macOS 13 Ventura or earlier. Framecast needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Apple silicon is recommended for the fastest exports.
- An occasional quick clip. Your Mac’s own recorder is built in and costs nothing. See how to screen record on Mac.
- Anyone who needs a free plan that exports. Framecast is free to try with every feature, but saving or sharing a video needs a license.
Still comparing? See our roundup of the best screen recorders for Mac, or how Framecast compares as a Screen Studio alternative.
- Download Framecast and drag it to Applications. Open it and allow Screen Recording.
- Record and edit for free, with every feature and no time limit. Follow Your first video if you’re new.
- Buy once when you like the result. Paste your key in Settings › License, then export or share.
Questions
Is Framecast a one-time purchase?
Yes. $79 $39 once buys a lifetime license, with every future update, for up to 3 Macs. There’s also a $15 monthly plan if you prefer, but you never need it.
Is there a free trial?
Framecast is free to try, with every feature and no time limit. A license is only needed to export, which means saving, copying or sharing a video. Your projects stay on your Mac, ready to export once you activate a license.
How many Macs can I use it on?
Up to 3, with the same key. To move to a new Mac, click Deactivate this Mac in Settings › License on the old one, or remove it on your account page if it’s gone.
Do I have to pay for updates?
No. Every future version of Framecast is included with your license. There’s nothing to renew, and nothing stops working.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, within 14 days of buying a license, no questions asked. On the monthly plan, the first payment can be refunded within 14 days. See the refund policy.
Is there a student discount?
Students and teachers get 40% off. Ask us.
Pay once. Keep recording.
Free to try with every feature. Buy a license when you’re ready to export.