The Recordly Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Recordly in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Recordly
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source screen recorder with auto-zoom and cursor effects
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Recordly’s own pages.
Made by webadderall · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Recordly’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Recordly’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 45 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Recordly is a free, open-source desktop app for recording the screen and turning the result into a polished demo or walkthrough. It suggests zooms from cursor activity, smooths the cursor, places the recording in a styled frame and adds a webcam bubble, all on a drag-and-drop timeline. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, exports MP4 or GIF, and is licensed under AGPL 3.0.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Recordly, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, but you download a prebuilt release and record, and the zooms are suggested for you rather than placed by hand.
- 1
Best for auto-zoomed demo recordings for free
Recordly is a free, open-source screen recorder for demos that adds automatic zooms, a smoothed cursor, a styled frame and a webcam bubble.
- 2
It is free
Recordly has no paid plan at all. The whole app is free and open source under AGPL 3.0, which the site describes as having no paywalls or hidden limits. The developer accepts tips through Ko-fi.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 4
Auto-zoom and cursor polish
Suggests zooms from cursor activity and renders a cursor overlay with smoothing, motion blur, click bounce and a loop mode for cleaner looping exports.
- 5
Frame styling and backgrounds
Places the recording inside a frame with built-in wallpapers, uploaded images, solid colors or gradients, plus padding, rounded corners, blur and drop shadows.
- 6
Webcam bubble overlay
Adds webcam footage as a bubble with preset or custom positions, mirroring, roundness and shadow controls, and optional scaling that reacts to zooms.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 45 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Recordly is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Recordly at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- webadderall
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for auto-zoomed demo recordings for free
Recordly is a free, open-source screen recorder for demos that adds automatic zooms, a smoothed cursor, a styled frame and a webcam bubble. It runs on macOS 14 or later, Windows 10 and Linux, under AGPL 3.0. Support is GitHub issues only, with no paid plan or contract behind it, there are no captions, transcripts or sharing, and on Linux the real cursor can show beside the styled one.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Nothing to pay. The whole app is free and open source under AGPL 3.0, which the site says allows commercial use, against rivals in this niche charging around the category's $10 middle. Tips through Ko-fi are the only money involved. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The complete desktop app, free on macOS, Windows and Linux, with what the site calls no paywalls or hidden limits. Nothing is held back for a paid tier because there isn't one. |
| Features | C | It does the demo-recording job completely: suggested zooms, cursor smoothing, styled frames, a webcam bubble, a timeline for trims and annotations, MP4 or GIF out. That's a smaller job than video proper, and the listing shows no captions, transcript or sharing at all. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but you download a prebuilt release and record, and the zooms are suggested for you rather than placed by hand. Linux is rougher: system audio usually wants PipeWire. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Computers only: macOS 14 or later, Windows 10 build 19041 or later, and Linux. No phone app, no web version, and the listing lists no integrations with anything else. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Recordly is for
- Fits if you make product demos and want automatic zooms without paying for them
- Works for developers who want to inspect, extend or build the tool from source
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a support line, as help is through GitHub issues with no support contract
- Not for you if you're on an older Mac, since it needs macOS 14.0 or later
- Tight if you record on Linux, because the real cursor can't be hidden and system audio usually needs PipeWire
- Too light for sharing or captioning, as the listing shows no captions, transcripts or share links
- Watch out: Windows needs build 19041 or later for the capture helper, and there's no phone or web version
Good to know
Good for
- Product demos and walkthroughs with automatic zooms
- People who want this style of recorder at no cost on Windows or Linux
- Developers who want to inspect, extend or build the app themselves
Worth knowing
- It needs macOS 14.0 or later, or Windows 10 build 19041 or later for the native capture helper.
- On Linux the real cursor cannot be hidden, so exports may show both it and the styled cursor, and system audio usually needs PipeWire.
- Support is through GitHub issues; there is no paid plan or support contract.
- The source is under AGPL 3.0, which the site says allows commercial use.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Recordly is free to use.
Tips through Ko-fi are the only money involved.
Recordly
$0
The complete desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, as a prebuilt release from GitHub or built from source.
The free plan
The whole app is free and open source under AGPL 3.0, which the site describes as having no paywalls or hidden limits. The developer accepts tips through Ko-fi.
Read from recordly.dev on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: macOS, Windows and Linux
Free, open-source screen recorder with auto-zoom and cursor effects. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, screen recording, video editing.
That's a smaller job than video proper, and the listing shows no captions, transcript or sharing at all.
- Auto-zoom and cursor polish
- Suggests zooms from cursor activity and renders a cursor overlay with smoothing, motion blur, click bounce and a loop mode for cleaner looping exports.
- Frame styling and backgrounds
- Places the recording inside a frame with built-in wallpapers, uploaded images, solid colors or gradients, plus padding, rounded corners, blur and drop shadows.
- Webcam bubble overlay
- Adds webcam footage as a bubble with preset or custom positions, mirroring, roundness and shadow controls, and optional scaling that reacts to zooms.
- Timeline editing
- Drag-and-drop regions set trims, zooms, speed changes, text and image annotations and extra audio. Work is saved as a .recordly project file and reopened later.
- MP4 and GIF export
- Exports MP4 or GIF with a choice of quality, aspect ratio and output size, and for GIFs the frame rate, looping and size presets.
- Extensions and marketplace
- A community extension system adds things such as cursor click sounds, device frames, browser mockups and wallpapers, installed from the Recordly Marketplace.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Recordly is made by webadderall.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
45/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Recordly's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 45 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 46 of 52) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Recordly has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Recordly’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 39 of 52
- AFree plan and trialAbove 46 of 52
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 52
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 52
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Recordly is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Recordly is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 45 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Recordly’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Screen Studio, Cap, FocuSee, Cursorful and Tella
The 5 tools Recordly is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.6GPA
Screen Studio
From $9/mo
Mac screen recorder with automatic zooms and cursor smoothing.
- Recordly has a free plan. Screen Studio does not.
- Only Recordly lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Recordly is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Cap
Free plan · from $29/yr
Open-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor.
- Only Cap lists a browser extension.
- Cap is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Cap also covers transcription and screenshots.
- 2.6GPA
FocuSee
Free trial · from $49.99/yr
Screen recorder that adds zooms and cursor effects automatically.
- Recordly has a free plan. FocuSee does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Recordly lists a Linux app.
- Only FocuSee lists a web app.
- 3.0GPA
Cursorful
Free plan · from $79 one-time
Screen recorder that adds zooms and pans automatically.
- Only Recordly lists a Linux app.
- Only Cursorful lists a web app.
- Only Cursorful lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Tella
Free trial · from $13/mo
Screen recorder with a built-in editor, layouts and 4K export.
- Recordly has a free plan. Tella does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Recordly lists a Linux app.
- Only Tella lists a web app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Recordly free?
Yes. Recordly is free to use.
How much does Recordly cost?
Recordly lists one plan. Recordly: $0.
What platforms does Recordly work on?
Recordly is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Recordly have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Recordly is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does Recordly have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Recordly is listed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Recordly open source?
Yes. Recordly is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes Recordly?
Recordly is made by webadderall.
What are the alternatives to Recordly?
The closest alternatives to Recordly in our directory are Screen Studio, Cap, FocuSee, Cursorful and Tella.
How does Recordly compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Recordly's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 45 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is Recordly good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Recordly A for value for money. Recordly has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Recordly?
Recordly is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Recordly’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Recordly's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-22.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by webadderall. Prices change, so check recordly.dev before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Recordly, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/recordly
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Recordly: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/recordly
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/recordly/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Recordly, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Recordly’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Recordly is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by webadderall. Prices and plans change: check recordly.dev before you buy.