The Screencastify alternative for Windows.
Screencastify: The Chrome recorder for classrooms. Sceed is a screen recorder and editor for Windows 10 and 11 that finishes the video for you. It records without the cursor and draws a smooth one back, eases zooms in and out where you place them, adds a camera look, a frame and a background, and exports 4K at 60 fps straight to disk. Nothing is uploaded.
Screencastify is a Chrome extension that records a tab, the desktop or the camera, saves to Google Drive and shares a link, with a simple online editor. It is made for schools. Sceed is a native Windows app for people who want the recording itself to look finished.
Why people switch
- You want native capture on Windows at full resolution.
- Zooms, a smooth cursor and a camera bubble should be one click each.
- Nothing should leave the machine.
What you would give up
- You live in Chrome and Google Workspace.
- Students or colleagues need to record on Chromebooks.
- Drive storage and a link is the workflow.
Sceed and Screencastify, feature by feature
| Sceed | Screencastify | |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | ||
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 | Chrome, Chromebook |
| Price | Free plan; Pro monthly or yearly | Free tier, then subscription |
| Recordings live | On your disk | Google Drive, Screencastify cloud |
| Works without an account | Free account | |
| Capture | ||
| Window, area or monitor | Tab, desktop, camera | |
| System audio and mic | ||
| Webcam | ||
| Live streaming | ||
| Editing | ||
| Editor built in | Light, online | |
| Cursor redrawn after recording | ||
| Cursor smoothing and looks | ||
| Zooms | Numbered points, eased | Crop and zoom in editor |
| Camera looks | Many looks | Bubble |
| Frames and backgrounds | Frames and backgrounds | |
| Region effects | Many kinds | Drawing while recording |
| Sections between clips | Many styles | |
| Text and lower thirds | Basic | |
| Captions made on the machine | In the cloud | |
| Privacy blur | Blur tool | |
| Keystroke overlay | ||
| Output | ||
| 4K export | 4K at 60 fps | |
| GIF export | Planned | |
| Share link | ||
Compiled from each product's public pages, checked September 2026. Read the full Sceed vs Screencastify comparison →
Moving from Screencastify
- 01
Download Sceed
Free, with a free account and no card. Windows 10 and 11.
- 02
Record one take
Pick a window, an area or a monitor. The cursor is not recorded, so it can be fixed later.
- 03
Let the defaults work
Frame, background, cursor smoothing and a camera look are already on. Drop a zoom point where it matters.
- 04
Export
4K at 60 fps, straight to disk. What you scrubbed is what you ship.
Questions
- Does Sceed work in Chrome?
- No. Sceed is a Windows app. It captures any window, area or monitor, not only the browser.
- Does Screencastify edit the cursor or zoom?
- No. It trims, crops and adds text. Sceed redraws the cursor and adds zoom points after the take.
- Which is free?
- Screencastify has a free tier with limits. Sceed has a free plan, and Pro is $25 a month or $115 a year.
Sceed and Screencastify as a list
- Runs on: Sceed Windows 10 and 11; Screencastify Chrome, Chromebook.
- Price: Sceed Free plan; Pro monthly or yearly; Screencastify Free tier, then subscription.
- Recordings live: Sceed On your disk; Screencastify Google Drive, Screencastify cloud.
- Works without an account: Sceed Free account; Screencastify No.
- Window, area or monitor: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Tab, desktop, camera.
- System audio and mic: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Yes.
- Webcam: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Yes.
- Live streaming: Sceed No; Screencastify No.
- Editor built in: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Light, online.
- Cursor redrawn after recording: Sceed Yes; Screencastify No.
- Cursor smoothing and looks: Sceed Yes; Screencastify No.
- Zooms: Sceed Numbered points, eased; Screencastify Crop and zoom in editor.
- Camera looks: Sceed Many looks; Screencastify Bubble.
- Frames and backgrounds: Sceed Frames and backgrounds; Screencastify No.
- Region effects: Sceed Many kinds; Screencastify Drawing while recording.
- Sections between clips: Sceed Many styles; Screencastify No.
- Text and lower thirds: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Basic.
- Captions made on the machine: Sceed No; Screencastify In the cloud.
- Privacy blur: Sceed Yes; Screencastify Blur tool.
- Keystroke overlay: Sceed Yes; Screencastify No.
- 4K export: Sceed 4K at 60 fps; Screencastify No.
- GIF export: Sceed Planned; Screencastify Yes.
- Share link: Sceed No; Screencastify Yes.