The Screencastify Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Screencastify 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.
Screencastify
The Insider’s Guide
Browser-extension screen recorder built for classrooms and teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Screencastify’s own pages.
Made by Screencastify LLC · checked Oct 6, 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 Screencastify’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Screencastify’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Screencastify is a screen recorder that runs as a Chrome or Edge extension, with nothing else to install. It records a browser tab, the full screen or the webcam, then lets you trim the video, add questions and share it by link or through Google Drive. Most of its users are teachers and students, and its Submit tool collects video responses from a class. Business teams use the same plans.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Screencastify, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for classroom screen recording in Chrome
Screencastify is a screen recorder that lives in Chrome or Edge, aimed at schools on Chromebooks: record a tab, the screen or your webcam, trim it, add quiz questions and share a link.
- 2
Paid plans start at $7 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $7 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Your first 10 videos, recordings up to 30 minutes at up to 1080p, uploads of your own videos, link sharing and privacy controls. Inviting people adds up to 20 bonus videos.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Tab, screen and webcam recording
Record a browser tab, the full screen or the webcam with microphone narration, and draw on the screen or emphasize the mouse while recording.
- 6
Castify Edit
Trim and stitch videos and add text, boxes and blur from Starter. Pro adds editing by transcript and other AI editing tools.
- 7
Questions and polls
Add interactive questions and polls to a video to check what viewers understood. Available from Starter, with AI-generated questions on Pro.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 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.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Screencastify you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Screencastify at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $7 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Screencastify LLC, since 2014
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for classroom screen recording in Chrome
Screencastify is a screen recorder that lives in Chrome or Edge, aimed at schools on Chromebooks: record a tab, the screen or your webcam, trim it, add quiz questions and share a link. The free plan covers your first 10 videos in total, not per month. Starter is $7 a user billed annually but $19 monthly, captions and 4K need Pro, and there's no desktop or phone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is $7 per user a month on the year and Pro $10, which is the middle of this category where the lowest quarter starts at $5. Pay by the month and it's $19 or $25, which is another matter entirely. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free covers your first 10 videos, 30 minutes each at up to 1080p, and inviting people adds up to 20 more. That's a lifetime allowance, not a monthly one, so it's a taster rather than somewhere to live. |
| Features | C | It does the classroom recording job fully: tab, screen and webcam capture, drawing, questions and polls, Submit for collecting video answers. But editing is trimming, stitching and a blur box, and captions, transcripts, translation and 4K all wait for Pro. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but it's a Chrome or Edge extension with nothing else to install: record a tab, share a link or push it to Google Drive. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Chrome and Edge extensions plus the web, tied into Google Drive, Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Gmail, Outlook and YouTube. No desktop app and no phone app, which caps it here. |
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 Screencastify is for
- Fits if you're a teacher recording lessons and collecting video assignments
- Works for schools that run on Chromebooks and Google Workspace
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as recording works through Chrome and Edge extensions
- Tight if you're staying free, because the plan covers your first 10 videos in total, at 30 minutes each
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $19 for Starter against $7 billed annually
- Watch out: captions, transcripts, translation and 4K need Pro, and Starter stops at 60 minutes a recording
- Watch out: paid plans hold up to 5 members, and SSO, LMS links and admin controls need Enterprise & EDU
Good to know
Good for
- Teachers recording lessons and collecting video assignments
- Schools that run on Chromebooks and Google Workspace
- Teams that want quick screen recordings without installing an app
Worth knowing
- Recording works through the Chrome and Edge extensions; the site lists no desktop or mobile app.
- The Free plan covers a user's first 10 videos and limits each recording to 30 minutes.
- Captions, transcripts, translations and 4K recording need Pro; Starter records up to 60 minutes at 1080p.
- Free, Starter and Pro accounts hold up to 5 members; SSO, LMS integrations and admin controls need Enterprise & EDU.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$7
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Screencastify has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
That's a lifetime allowance, not a monthly one, so it's a taster rather than somewhere to live.
Free
$0
Up to 10 videos, 30 minutes per recording, uploads of your own videos, link sharing and privacy controls.
Starter
$7
per user / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
Unlimited videos, recordings up to 60 minutes, basic editing, questions and polls, video requests and advanced collaboration.
Pro
$10
per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Recordings up to 180 minutes in up to 4K, AI editing, captions and transcripts, translations and voiceovers, and an AI teleprompter.
Enterprise & EDU
Custom
Unlimited members, central admin controls, LMS integrations, Google and Microsoft SSO, dedicated training and a success manager.
The free plan
Your first 10 videos, recordings up to 30 minutes at up to 1080p, uploads of your own videos, link sharing and privacy controls. Inviting people adds up to 20 bonus videos.
Read from screencastify.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 60% less with annual billing
Starter is $7 per user a month billed annually against $19 billed monthly, and Pro is $10 against $25, a saving of roughly 60% on either plan.
Stated on screencastify.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Browser-extension screen recorder built for classrooms and teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, transcription, screen recording, video editing.
Chrome and Edge extensions plus the web, tied into Google Drive, Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Gmail, Outlook and YouTube.
- Tab, screen and webcam recording
- Record a browser tab, the full screen or the webcam with microphone narration, and draw on the screen or emphasize the mouse while recording.
- Castify Edit
- Trim and stitch videos and add text, boxes and blur from Starter. Pro adds editing by transcript and other AI editing tools.
- Questions and polls
- Add interactive questions and polls to a video to check what viewers understood. Available from Starter, with AI-generated questions on Pro.
- Submit video requests
- Ask students or colleagues for a video response and collect the recordings in one place. A Submit AI add-on drafts rubrics, suggested grades and feedback.
- Captions and translation
- Pro generates captions and transcripts and translates videos into more than 90 languages, with AI voiceovers.
- Sharing and export
- Share a watch page by link, upload to Google Drive or YouTube, or export as MP4, animated GIF or MP3. Analytics show who watched.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Google Drive
- Google Classroom
- Canvas
- Schoology
- Google Slides
- Gmail
- Outlook
- YouTube
Screencastify is made by Screencastify LLC, and has been around since 2014.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Screencastify's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 20 of 52) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 14 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Screencastify’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 52
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 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. Screencastify 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
To replace Screencastify you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $84 a year.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Google Drive, Google Classroom and Canvas among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Screencastify’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
Loom, ScreenPal, Vmaker AI, Awesome Screenshot and Screenity
The 5 tools Screencastify is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Loom
Free plan · from $18/mo
Screen and camera recorder for shareable video messages.
- Only Screencastify lists a web app.
- Only Loom lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Loom also covers screenshots.
- 3.0GPA
ScreenPal
Free plan · from $4/mo
Screen recorder, video editor and video hosting in one low-cost suite.
- Only ScreenPal lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- ScreenPal also covers templates and screenshots.
- 2.4GPA
Vmaker AI
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI video editor, clip maker and screen recorder in one account.
- Only Vmaker AI lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Vmaker AI also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.6GPA
Awesome Screenshot
Free plan · from $5/mo
Screenshot and screen recording extension with cloud sharing.
- Only Awesome Screenshot lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Screencastify also covers transcription.
- Awesome Screenshot also covers screenshots.
- 2.4GPA
Screenity
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source Chrome screen recorder with a scene-based editor.
- Screenity is open source, according to its own site.
- Screenity also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Screencastify free?
Screencastify has a free plan. Your first 10 videos, recordings up to 30 minutes at up to 1080p, uploads of your own videos, link sharing and privacy controls.
How much does Screencastify cost?
Screencastify lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Screencastify work on?
Screencastify is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Screencastify offer any discounts?
Screencastify publicly lists the following: About 60% less with annual billing.
Does Screencastify have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Screencastify is listed for Web.
Does Screencastify have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Screencastify is listed for Web.
Is Screencastify open source?
Screencastify is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does Screencastify integrate with?
Screencastify's listing names Google Drive, Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Google Slides, Gmail, Outlook and YouTube.
Who makes Screencastify?
Screencastify is made by Screencastify LLC. It dates from 2014.
What are the alternatives to Screencastify?
The closest alternatives to Screencastify in our directory are Loom, ScreenPal, Vmaker AI, Awesome Screenshot and Screenity.
How does Screencastify compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Screencastify's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
Is Screencastify good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Screencastify C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 14 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Screencastify?
To replace Screencastify you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Screencastify’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Screencastify's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-06.
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 Screencastify LLC. Prices change, so check screencastify.com 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
- Screencastify, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/screencastify
- 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, "Screencastify: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/screencastify
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/screencastify/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Screencastify, 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 Screencastify’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. Screencastify is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Screencastify LLC. Prices and plans change: check screencastify.com before you buy.