Limelight

A Pointerly alternative for live screen presenting

Pointerly and Limelight cover a lot of the same ground: highlighting your cursor and drawing on screen during presentations. Here is how they compare and which fits your workflow.

Pointerly is a well-known macOS presentation tool that highlights the cursor, can dim distractions to focus attention, and lets you draw on the screen while you present. It is a solid, focused pick for live demos and teaching where you want the audience eyes on the right spot.

Limelight is a macOS menu-bar overlay built for the same live-presenting moment, but with a wider feature set driven entirely by global hotkeys. It gives you a cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1), an on-screen keystroke display (⌃⌥2), draw-on-screen (⌃⌥3), a region spotlight (⌃⌥4), and on-screen text (⌃⌥5). It records nothing and runs fully offline over any app, from Zoom and Meet to Keynote and OBS. The cursor spotlight is free forever, and Pro unlocks the rest for a one-time purchase with no subscription required.

If you mainly want cursor highlighting and screen drawing, both tools do that well, so pick whichever feel suits you. If you also want keystroke overlays for tutorials, a region spotlight, and on-screen text — without a recurring bill — Limelight covers more in one menu-bar app. You can also run either alongside your recorder, since neither captures video.

Why Limelight

  • ▸Cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1) is free forever, no trial countdown on that feature
  • ▸Keystroke display (⌃⌥2) shows shortcuts on screen for tutorials and demos
  • ▸One-time Pro unlock — no subscription required — for drawing, region spotlight, and text
  • ▸Works as a live overlay over any app and records nothing, fully offline
Try it free — download

Cursor spotlight free · from $2.99/mo or $34 lifetime · macOS 14+

Or get Pro — from $2.99/mo · See how it works →

free to start, then go Pro from $2.99/mo or a $34 one-time lifetime license. macOS 14+, notarized by Apple.

FAQ

Is Limelight a drop-in replacement for Pointerly?
It overlaps heavily — cursor highlighting and on-screen drawing are core to both. Limelight adds keystroke display, a region spotlight, and on-screen text, all triggered by global hotkeys, so it covers a broader slice of live presenting.
How much does Limelight cost compared to a subscription?
Limelight is a one-time purchase for Pro, with the cursor spotlight free forever. The cursor spotlight stays free; Pro unlocks the rest.

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