Limelight

A QuickTime screen recording alternative with zoom, cursor, and keystrokes baked in

QuickTime can record your screen for free, but it is bare: no zoom into clicks, no cursor highlight, no keystroke display, and no editing beyond a basic trim. Limelight records the same screen and bakes in auto-zoom, a cursor spotlight, and on-screen keystrokes, then lets you edit and export. Here is an honest comparison.

QuickTime Player ships with macOS and records your screen for free. That is its strength and its limit: you get a flat capture of exactly what was on screen, with no zoom toward clicks, no highlight on the cursor, no display of the keys you press, and only a simple trim afterward. For a quick, no-frills capture, QuickTime is fine and free — keep using it when that is all you need.

Limelight is built for tutorials and demos that need to be easy to follow. Hit record and it auto-zooms into every click and smooths the cursor, while baking in the overlays you trigger live: the on-screen keystroke display (⌃⌥2) so viewers see every shortcut, a glowing cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1), draw-on-screen (⌃⌥3), region spotlight (⌃⌥4), and on-screen text (⌃⌥5). When you stop, you trim and change speed in a built-in editor and export to mp4 or a 9:16 vertical. Everything runs fully offline, and Pro is a one-time $34 lifetime license (or $2.99/mo).

QuickTime vs Limelight, line by line. Free with macOS: QuickTime. Auto-zoom into clicks: only Limelight. Cursor spotlight / highlight: only Limelight. On-screen keystrokes baked into the video: only Limelight. Draw on screen and region spotlight while recording: only Limelight. Built-in trim: both; speed control and mp4/9:16 export: Limelight. Fully offline: both. Pricing: QuickTime is free; Limelight's cursor spotlight is free forever and Pro is a one-time $34.

The honest split: if you just need a quick, flat screen capture for free, QuickTime is already on your Mac and does the job. If you want tutorials where the zoom, cursor highlight, and keystrokes are baked into the video — the cues QuickTime simply does not have — Limelight is the QuickTime screen recording alternative built for that, for a one-time $34.

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

Why Limelight

  • ▸Everything QuickTime lacks: auto-zoom, cursor spotlight, and keystrokes baked in
  • ▸Hit record once — overlays are captured live, no post-production
  • ▸Built-in editor to trim, change speed, and export mp4 or 9:16
  • ▸Fully offline like QuickTime; cursor spotlight free, Pro a one-time $34
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 a better screen recorder than QuickTime on Mac?
QuickTime is great for a free, flat capture. If you want zoom into clicks, a cursor highlight, and on-screen keystrokes baked into the video, Limelight is the QuickTime screen recording alternative that adds all of that and a built-in editor, for a one-time $34.
Does QuickTime show keystrokes or highlight the cursor?
No. QuickTime records the screen as-is with no keystroke display, no cursor highlight, and no zoom. Limelight bakes all three into the recording automatically.
Is Limelight offline like QuickTime?
Yes. Recording, editing, and export all run fully offline on your Mac with no account and no cloud upload, just like QuickTime.
Is Limelight free?
The cursor spotlight is free forever. The full recorder with keystrokes, auto-zoom, and editing is Pro, a one-time $34 lifetime purchase (or $2.99/mo).

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