Limelight

A Presentify alternative that also shows keystrokes and records

Presentify lets you annotate your screen and highlight your cursor during presentations. Limelight does both of those and adds an on-screen keystroke display plus screen recording with auto-zoom and export. Here is an honest comparison.

Presentify is a tidy macOS app for live presenting: you can draw and annotate anywhere on screen and highlight your cursor so an audience follows your pointer. If annotation and cursor highlighting for talks and demos are all you need, it does that job cleanly.

Limelight covers the same live ground — draw-on-screen (⌃⌥3) and a glowing cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1) — and adds more on global hotkeys: an on-screen keystroke display (⌃⌥2) so viewers see the shortcuts you press, a region spotlight (⌃⌥4), and on-screen text (⌃⌥5). The bigger difference is recording. Hit record and Limelight auto-zooms into every click, smooths the cursor, and bakes those overlays into the video, then lets you trim and export to mp4 or a 9:16 vertical in a built-in editor — all fully offline. Pro is a one-time $34 lifetime license (or $2.99/mo), and the cursor spotlight is free forever.

Presentify vs Limelight, line by line. Annotate / draw on screen: both. Cursor highlight: both. On-screen keystroke display: only Limelight. Region spotlight and on-screen text: only Limelight. Screen recording with auto-zoom: only Limelight. Trim + mp4/9:16 export: only Limelight. Pricing: Limelight's cursor spotlight is free forever and Pro is a one-time $34 lifetime purchase (or $2.99/mo).

The honest split: if you only need annotation and cursor highlighting for live presentations, Presentify is a clean, focused choice. If you also want keystrokes on screen and the ability to record polished tutorials with auto-zoom and export, Limelight is the Presentify alternative that bundles annotation, highlighting, keystrokes, and recording into one native app.

Why Limelight

  • ▸Annotate and highlight your cursor, just like Presentify
  • ▸Adds an on-screen keystroke display, region spotlight, and on-screen text
  • ▸Records with auto-zoom and a smooth cursor, overlays baked in
  • ▸Trim and export mp4 or 9:16; one-time $34 lifetime, cursor spotlight free
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

What is the best Presentify alternative on Mac?
If you want Presentify's annotation and cursor highlight plus on-screen keystrokes and the ability to record, Limelight is the closest alternative. It draws and highlights the cursor like Presentify, shows your keystrokes, and records with auto-zoom and mp4/9:16 export.
Does Limelight highlight the cursor and let me annotate like Presentify?
Yes. Limelight has a glowing cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1) and draw-on-screen (⌃⌥3), covering the same live annotation and highlighting Presentify offers, plus a region spotlight and on-screen text.
Does Limelight record the screen?
Yes. Hit record and it auto-zooms into every click, smooths the cursor, bakes in your annotations and keystrokes, then lets you trim and export to mp4 or 9:16 — all offline.
How much does Limelight cost compared to Presentify?
Limelight's cursor spotlight is free forever, and Pro — which unlocks keystrokes, recording, and the rest — is a one-time $34 lifetime purchase (or $2.99/mo) with no subscription.

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