Final Cut Pro vs ScreenFlow

Final Cut Pro

• Mac-based editors who want an editor tuned for Apple silicon
• Buyers who prefer a one-time purchase for the Mac app
• Creators who also want Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro in one subscription

ScreenFlow

• Mac users making software tutorials and product demos
• Trainers and teachers who record and edit in one app
• Buyers who want a one-time license instead of a subscription

Final Cut Pro

• Apple lists it for Mac and iPad: the Mac app needs macOS 15.6 or later, and the iPad app an M1 or later iPad, iPad (A16) or iPad mini (A17 Pro).
• The iPad version comes through the Apple Creator Studio subscription; the $299.99 one-time purchase covers the Mac app.
• After a subscription ends, projects stay on your devices but opening or editing them needs an active subscription.
• Visual Search and Transcript Search are available only in U.S. English and need Apple silicon.

ScreenFlow

• ScreenFlow runs only on macOS; there is no Windows version.
• ScreenFlow 10 is a paid upgrade for owners of earlier versions, and the $199 license allows one activation.
• The Stock Media Library is a separate $99-a-year subscription, and its purchases and renewals are non-refundable.
• The Mac App Store version gets no upgrade discounts and has sandbox limits on some virtual cameras.

Final Cut Pro

Magnetic Timeline

Move and trim clips while the rest of the edit stays in sync, which makes it quick to try different versions of a story.

Magnetic Mask and Object Tracker

Isolate people and objects from the background without a green screen, and track their movement to attach titles and effects.

Automatic captions and search

Captions are created from spoken audio. Visual Search finds objects and actions in clips, and Transcript Search finds spoken phrases.

Color grading and effects

Color curves, hue and saturation curves, color wheels and LUTs, plus a library of titles, transitions and effects that third-party plug-ins extend.

Final Cut Pro for iPad

Touch-first editing with Apple Pencil support, and Live Multicam recording from up to four iPhone or iPad devices. Projects can be exported to the Mac.

Motion and Compressor

Companion Mac apps for motion graphics and custom encoding, included in Apple Creator Studio or sold as one-time purchases.

ScreenFlow

Simultaneous recording

Record the screen, a camera and a microphone together and in sync, across several apps in one session. Supported UVC capture cards can be used as sources.

Timeline editing

Multi-track editing with nested clips, markers and color labels, plus transitions, text and video animations, freehand annotations and multi-channel audio.

iPhone and iPad recording

Record the screen of an iPhone or iPad from the Mac to make app demos.

Styles, templates and titles

Styles and templates speed up editing a series of similar tutorials, and a customizable title library adds branded titles.

Captions and export

A caption editor adds, edits and burns in subtitles. Export presets cover MP4 and ProRes, along with animated GIF and animated PNG.

Stock Media Library

An optional $99-a-year subscription that puts stock images, audio and video clips in a tab inside ScreenFlow projects.

Final Cut Pro

• Apple Creator Studio$12.99

  per month, or $129 per year

  Subscription with Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad, plus Motion, Compressor, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro and MainStage. Shareable with Family Sharing.

• Final Cut Pro for Mac$299.99

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  The Mac app bought outright. Some premium content is available only to Apple Creator Studio subscribers.

ScreenFlow

• ScreenFlow$199

  one-time purchase

  A license for ScreenFlow 10 with one activation and free self-help support. New major versions are paid upgrades.

• ScreenFlow Super Pak$275

  one-time, with the first year of Stock Media Library

  ScreenFlow plus the Stock Media Library at $76 for its first year instead of $99 a year. Shown against a crossed-out $298.

• ScreenFlow Super Pak +$325

  one-time, with a first year of stock media and support

  ScreenFlow, the Stock Media Library and Premium Support ($59 a year) with priority email replies. Shown against a crossed-out $357.

Final Cut Pro

• Annual discount

  About 17% less on the yearly plan

  Apple Creator Studio is $129 per year or $12.99 per month. Twelve monthly payments come to $155.88, so the yearly plan costs about 17% less.

• Education

  Students and educators: $2.99 a month

  Verified college students and educators pay $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year for Apple Creator Studio. Apple calls it a limited-time offer for individual use.

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase for $299.99

  Final Cut Pro for Mac is also sold as a one-time purchase on the App Store for $299.99, with some premium content reserved for subscribers.

• Other savings

  3 months free with a new Mac or iPad

  Buyers of an eligible new Mac or iPad can try Apple Creator Studio free for 3 months, claimed within 3 months of activating the device.

ScreenFlow

• Other savings

  Upgrade pricing for owners of earlier versions

  Owners of ScreenFlow 8 or 9 can move to version 10 for $79, and owners of versions 4 to 7 for $119, instead of buying a new $199 license.

• Other savings

  Volume discounts from 10 copies

  Telestream publishes a volume price table for ScreenFlow 10 that lowers the unit price for orders of 10 to 20 copies and again for 21 or more.