Comparison

A Screen Studio alternative you pay for once

Easy Take vs Screen Studio: pay $14.99 once instead of a subscription. What each Mac screen recorder does well, what Easy Take leaves out, and how to switch.

Updated 4 October 2026

Easy Take and Screen Studio side by side

Both apps record your screen and your camera on a Mac and turn the result into a tidy video with a backdrop. They differ most in how you pay and in how much polish the app adds for you.

Prices checked on 4 October 2026 on screen.studio. Prices change, so check the vendor’s page before you decide.

Compared Easy Take Screen Studio
Price Free download, 3 free full-quality exports, then $14.99 once $29 a month on the monthly plan, or $9 a month on the yearly plan
Billing One-time in-app purchase Subscription. One-time licences are no longer sold to new customers
Updates Every future update included “New features as they ship” listed in both plans
Platforms Mac only, macOS 15 or later Mac only, macOS 13.1 or later recommended. No Windows version planned
Export 1080p, 1440p or 4K; landscape, portrait or square MP4 in 720p, 1080p or 4K at up to 60 fps, GIF; 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16
Automatic zoom No Yes, zooms in on clicks, plus manual zooms
Cursor effects No Yes: smoothing, motion blur, click effects, cursor size and style
Edit by transcript No Yes, including filler word removal
Share links and comments No Yes, links in 1080p for videos up to 30 minutes, with viewer comments
Where recordings live On your Mac. Nothing is uploaded On your Mac. Uploads happen only when you create a share link or use cloud features, and the app asks first

Who should pick Screen Studio

Screen Studio is a strong tool, and for some videos it is the right one.

  • You make product demos often. Automatic zoom follows your clicks, so small interface details stay readable without manual work. Easy Take has nothing like it.
  • The cursor matters. Screen Studio records the cursor separately, so it can smooth shaky movement, add click effects and change the cursor’s size after you record. Easy Take records the screen as it looked.
  • You edit by text. Deleting a sentence from the transcript to cut it, and clearing filler words in one pass, saves real time on longer videos. Easy Take has no transcripts.
  • You want a link, not a file. Screen Studio can upload a video and give you a link with comments. Easy Take only exports a file.
  • You record every week. If video is part of your job, a subscription that keeps adding features can be worth it.

Who should pick Easy Take

Easy Take is built for people who record a few times a year: a demo for a colleague, a walkthrough for a client, a short lesson.

  • You do not want another subscription. You pay $14.99 once, after three free exports, and every future update is included. A project never locks or expires, and recording and editing are always free.
  • You want a good-looking video without effects work. A calm gradient backdrop, rounded corners, soft shadows and a camera bubble are there from the start.
  • You want to change your mind about layout. Easy Take has four layouts: you, screen, you and screen with a camera bubble, and side by side. Switch while recording, or change the layout afterwards for any part of the video.
  • You want cutting that cannot go wrong. Split, trim and delete clips, undo anything, and use Reset to Original to bring the full recording back. The recorded files are never rewritten.
  • You want your recordings to stay on your Mac. There is no account, no sign-in and no upload.
  • You want help while you talk. Speaker notes float on screen and are never recorded. If the app or the Mac crashes, the next launch recovers the recording.

Easy Take records a whole display or a single window, your camera and your microphone, each to its own file, then exports in 1080p, 1440p or 4K, in landscape, portrait or square. See pricing for the full deal.

What Easy Take does not do

To be plain about it, Easy Take has no automatic zoom, no cursor effects, no transcripts, no share links and no comments. There is no Windows version. If you need any of those, Screen Studio or another tool will serve you better.

How to switch from Screen Studio

  1. Export any Screen Studio projects you want to keep as MP4 files while your subscription is active. Easy Take cannot open Screen Studio projects.
  2. Get Easy Take from the Mac App Store (coming soon) and grant camera, microphone and screen recording permission when it asks.
  3. Pick a display or window, your camera and your microphone, choose a layout and record. The guide to recording your screen and webcam walks through it.
  4. Cut out the mistakes, then export. Your first three full-quality exports are free, so you can try it on real work before paying anything.

Questions about the app are answered on the help page.

Questions

Is Easy Take a one-time purchase?

Yes. Easy Take is a free download from the Mac App Store. Recording and editing are free, the first three full-quality exports are free, and after that one in-app purchase of $14.99 unlocks exports for good. There is no subscription, and every future update is included.

Does Easy Take have automatic zoom or cursor effects like Screen Studio?

No. Easy Take does not zoom in on clicks and does not smooth or restyle the cursor. If those effects matter for your video, Screen Studio is the better fit.

Can I still buy a one-time Screen Studio licence?

Not as a new customer. On 4 October 2026, Screen Studio's own site said one-time licences were possible in the past but are no longer available for new purchases. Older licences stay valid.

Does Easy Take add a watermark?

No. Easy Take never adds a watermark, not on the free exports and not after you buy.

Easy Take icon: a red panda peeking over a screen

Your next video, in one take.

Coming soon to the Mac App Store

Free download · 3 free exports · $14.99 once · macOS 15 or later