Debut Video Capture vs ScreenPal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick ScreenPal: it is first in our ranking of screen recording and video tools, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Debut Video Capture grades higher on the free plan. ScreenPal grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Debut Video Capture
Screen, webcam and device video recorder from NCH Software
ScreenPal
Screen recorder, video editor and video hosting in one low-cost suite
Which one is for you
Pick Debut Video Capture if
- Fits if you record at home and want a free recorder
- Works for people who want webcam and device capture in one program
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you record for a business, as the free version is non-commercial and business use needs Pro
- Watch out: fuller editing is a separate NCH product, VideoPad
- Watch out: support is a paid choice at checkout, at $33 for email and $99 for priority phone
- Watch out: the store shows a sale until Nov 15, 2026, and the prices here are the normal ones
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as only Windows and Mac are listed
Pick ScreenPal if
- Fits if you teach and want to record a lesson with a quiz in it for your LMS
- Works for training or support tutorials if $4 a month, billed annually, is your budget
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free: each recording stops at 15 minutes, hosting at 10 videos and playback at 720p
- Not for you if you want the AI tools or more than 5 quizzes on Solo Deluxe, as both need Solo Max at $10 a month
- Watch out: the $4 and $10 prices are for annual billing, and monthly plans cost more
- Skip it if you're a team of two, because Team Business, with SSO and team management, needs at least 3 users
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADebut Video CaptureGood | 3.0GPAScreenPalVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BHome is $60 a year and Pro $70, about $5 a month, inside the category's $8.33 cheaper quarter. | BSolo Deluxe is $4 a month paid annually, which is inside the cheapest quarter of this category, where the middle plan is $10. For that you get unlimited recording and hosting and the full editor. Solo Max, with the AI, is $10. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free version needs no signup and has no time limit listed, but it is for non-commercial use only. | CFree with no watermark, but each recording stops at 15 minutes, hosting at 10 videos, quizzes at 5 and playback at 720p, and those are caps you meet quickly. |
| Features | CScreen, window and region capture, webcam and device sources, overlays, captions, scheduling and uploads. Trimming is the only editing built in. | BRecord screen, window or area with the webcam on top, then cut, crop, add text, music and narration, host it in channels with passwords, and drop quizzes and polls in for an LMS. Screenshots with OCR too. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a program you install and start recording with, with nothing to set up. | B4.59 from 5,375 App Store ratings, short of the 4.7 an A needs. You can draw and zoom mid-recording, and there's a Chrome recorder if you'd rather install nothing. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows and Mac only, which is a program for computers alone. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, connecting to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Blackboard, YouTube and Google Slides. Only the image editor with text recognition is desktop-only. |
| Best for | free personal screen and webcam capture | screen recording, editing and hosting on a small budget |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Debut Video Capture and ScreenPal. How we grade
Price against what you get
Debut Video Capture starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ScreenPal starts at $4 a month and scores 3.3.
ScreenPal scores higher and starts $1 a month lower. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, 9 score higher than Debut Video Capture for less, and none scores higher than ScreenPal for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ScreenPal also covers transcription, templates and screenshots.
At a glance
| Debut Video Capture | ScreenPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $60 per year for the Home edition | $4 per month, paid annually (Solo Deluxe) |
| Free plan | Free version for non-commercial use only, with no signup required. | Unlimited recordings of up to 15 minutes each with no watermark, basic video editing, screenshots, 10 hosted videos, 3 channels and 5 video quizzes. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | NCH Software | ScreenPal |
| Price read from | secure.nch.com.au | screenpal.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Debut Video Capture
- The free version is for non-commercial use only; business use needs the Pro edition.
- The store shows a limited-time sale until Nov 15, 2026; the figures here are the normal prices.
- Support is a paid choice at checkout: email support is $33 and priority phone support $99, or manuals and forums for $0.
- Trimming is the only editing built in; fuller editing is a separate NCH product, VideoPad.
ScreenPal
- The free plan limits each recording to 15 minutes and hosting to 10 videos.
- ScreenPal AI, including text-based editing and the AI video generator, needs Solo Max or a team plan.
- Listed prices are for annual payment; monthly subscriptions are offered at a higher rate.
- Team Business requires at least 3 creators, and SAML SSO and team management are limited to team plans.
Key features
Debut Video Capture
- Screen, window and region capture
- Records the whole screen, one window or a selected portion, and supports recording across several monitors.
- Webcam and device sources
- Captures from a webcam, a network IP camera or a video input device such as a VHS recorder.
- Overlay and captions
- Records the screen and webcam together, with text captions, timestamps, a logo watermark and keystroke display.
- Scheduled recording
- Starts and stops a capture at set times, once, daily or weekly, so online meetings can be recorded unattended.
- Output formats and upload
- Saves AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG, MP4, MOV and more, and can upload to YouTube, Vimeo or Flickr.
ScreenPal
- Screen and webcam recorder
- Record the full screen, a window or any area, with the webcam alone or as picture-in-picture. Draw and zoom while recording; no watermark is added on any plan.
- Video editor
- Cut, crop and combine clips, add text, shapes, animations, overlays, music and voiceover narration, and remove silences. The full editor starts with Solo Deluxe.
- Screenshots and image editing
- Capture screenshots, including scrolling and time-delayed ones, then annotate, blur or highlight them. The image editor with OCR text recognition is listed for Windows and Mac.
- Hosting and channels
- Host videos and images with folders, channels, password and privacy controls, scheduled publishing and custom thumbnails. Hosting is capped at 10 videos on the free plan.
- Interactive video
- Add quizzes, polls and ratings to a video and embed it in a learning management system or website. Free and Deluxe allow 5; Max and team plans are unlimited.
- ScreenPal AI
- Generates titles, summaries, captions, quiz questions and translated transcripts, and adds text-based editing, filler-word removal and an AI video generator. Included in Solo Max and Team Business.
Plans
Debut Video Capture
Free$0
Free download for non-commercial use only; the vendor says to buy a license for commercial use.
Home Edition Annual Plan$60
per year, for non-business use
Unlimited use, licensed for non-business use. Showing $39.95 until Nov 15, 2026.
Pro Edition Annual Plan$70
per year
Fully featured single-installation license. Showing $49.99 until Nov 15, 2026.
Pro Edition Quarterly Plan$11.64
per quarter, billed every 3 months
Full Pro edition with all upgrades; the store shows it as $3.88 a month.
ScreenPal
Free$0
Recordings up to 15 minutes, basic editing, screenshots, 10 hosted videos, 720p playback and 5 quizzes.
Solo Deluxe$4
per month, paid annually
Unlimited recording time and hosting, the full video editor, storyboards, AI speech-to-text captions and standard stock media.
Solo Max$10
per month, paid annually
Deluxe plus ScreenPal AI, auto-captions and transcriptions, AI text-to-speech, the AI video generator, premium stock media, 4K playback and unlimited quizzes.
Team Business$8
per user / month, paid annually (3 users minimum)
Max features plus collaboration tools, team management, advanced integrations and SAML SSO. The plan card carries a 22% off label.
Ways to pay less
Debut Video Capture
- Other savings
About 30% off until Nov 15, 2026
The store shows Pro at $49.99 and Home at $39.95 a year for orders placed on or before November 15, 2026.
ScreenPal
- Education
Education plans from $3 a month
ScreenPal's education plans page lists Deluxe Edu at $3 a month and Max Edu at $6 a month, paid annually, against $4 and $10 for the standard Solo plans.
- Annual discount
Discounted annual subscriptions
ScreenPal's plans FAQ says monthly subscriptions are available for the Solo plans and Team Business and describes the annual subscription pricing as discounted.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Debut Video Capture or ScreenPal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ScreenPal is cheaper to start with: $4 a month, against $5 a month when paid by the year for Debut Video Capture. Debut Video Capture starts at $60 per year for the Home edition, and ScreenPal starts at $4 per month, paid annually (Solo Deluxe).
Which has a free plan, Debut Video Capture or ScreenPal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Debut Video Capture and ScreenPal have a free plan.
Which platforms do Debut Video Capture and ScreenPal run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ScreenPal lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.