Comparison
Screen Studio vs OBS Studio
The two most popular ways to record a Mac screen — one polished and automatic, one free and infinitely configurable.
Choose Screen Studio if
Choose Screen Studio if you want beautiful, zoom-tracked demo videos with almost no editing — and a subscription is fine.
Screen Studio Trust Report ›Choose OBS Studio if
Choose OBS Studio if you want a free, open-source recorder and streamer with total control, and you're happy to edit elsewhere.
OBS Studio Trust Report ›| Pricing & licence | ||
| Price | Subscription From $9/mo, annual | Free Forever |
| Source model | Proprietary | Open source GPL-2.0 |
| Free tier | — Trial only | Full No limits |
| Experience | ||
| Cursor auto-zoom | Automatic | — Not built in |
| Built-in editor | Yes Magnetic timeline | — Record only |
| Learning curve | Minutes | Steep |
| Fit | ||
| Best for | Polished demos | Streaming & control |
| Platforms | macOS | Win · macOS · Linux |
| Data | Local | Local |
The bottom line
Choose Screen Studio if
Choose Screen Studio if you want beautiful, zoom-tracked demo videos with almost no editing — and a subscription is fine.
Choose OBS Studio if
Choose OBS Studio if you want a free, open-source recorder and streamer with total control, and you're happy to edit elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Screen Studio and OBS Studio?
The two most popular ways to record a Mac screen — one polished and automatic, one free and infinitely configurable. In short: choose Screen Studio if choose Screen Studio if you want beautiful, zoom-tracked demo videos with almost no editing — and a subscription is fine. Choose OBS Studio if choose OBS Studio if you want a free, open-source recorder and streamer with total control, and you're happy to edit elsewhere.
Is Screen Studio or OBS Studio cheaper?
At our last review, Screen Studio is listed at “From $9/mo (annual) - $20/mo (monthly)” and OBS Studio at “Free”. Pricing is recorded as published by each developer and re-checked when the report is refreshed.
Which of Screen Studio and OBS Studio supports more platforms?
Screen Studio runs on macOS 13.1+ (Ventura) · Apple Silicon & Intel. OBS Studio runs on Windows 10/11 · macOS 12+ (Intel & Apple Silicon) · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04+, Flatpak).
Are Screen Studio and OBS Studio both safe to use?
Both carry an independent Altapp Trust Report. Screen Studio: 5/9 of nine checks verified, last full review Jul 18, 2026. OBS Studio: 7/9 of nine checks verified, last full review Jul 18, 2026. Each covers source verification, data and permissions, and known risks. Altapp publishes no score of its own — the count is a tally of what could be independently confirmed.