recd vs ScreenPal: your Drive vs their hosting

recd vs ScreenPal

ScreenPal, once Screencast-O-Matic, is a low-cost recorder and editor popular in schools. recd records your screen and your meetings on your Mac and keeps every file in your own Drive.

Side by side

What each one does

ScreenPal records and edits videos and hosts them on ScreenPal, with options to publish elsewhere. recd records screen, meetings and voice on your Mac and saves them to your Google Drive.

	recd	ScreenPal
Records your screen	Yes	Yes
Records meetings	Yes, both sides, in any call app	Not stated
Where your files live	Your Google Drive	ScreenPal hosting; can publish to Google Drive
Transcribed on your Mac	Yes, with Apple’s speech engine	Not stated
AI notes	Yes, written by your own Claude	Captions and transcripts on the MAX plan
Runs on	Mac (macOS 26)	Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, Chromebook
Free plan	Free while in beta	15-minute recordings, 10 hosted videos, no watermark
Paid plan	None yet	Deluxe $4/mo billed yearly

ScreenPal prices from screenpal.com/plans, checked 20 Oct 2026. Prices change; check theirs before you decide. recd is free while in beta.

The honest bit

Where each one is better

Where ScreenPal is better

Very low price, from $4 a month billed yearly
A full editor and stock media
Windows, Chromebook and phone apps
Quizzes, polls and LMS links for teaching

Where recd is better

Records meetings too, both sides, with no bot
Every file goes straight to your Google Drive
No 15-minute cap or video count while it’s in beta
Transcripts made on your Mac, AI notes from your own Claude

Pick ScreenPal if you teach, need quizzes or an LMS, or use a Chromebook. Pick recd if you’re on a Mac and want screen videos and meetings in your own Drive.

Questions