# Limelight

> Limelight is a macOS screen recorder for tutorials/demos that bakes your keystrokes, cursor spotlight, and annotations into the recording with auto-zoom. Record, then it auto-zooms into clicks, smooths the cursor, and overlays on-screen keystrokes, cursor spotlight, drawing, region, and text directly into the video — no separate KeyCastr needed.

## What it is

Limelight is a native macOS screen recorder built in Swift/SwiftUI (not Electron, so it is small, fast, and offline) for making coding tutorials, software demos, and product walkthroughs. You record your screen, and Limelight automatically zooms into your clicks, smooths your cursor movement, and bakes overlays into the final video: on-screen keystrokes, a cursor spotlight, drawing, region highlight, and text callouts. It has a built-in editor and exports to mp4 or 9:16 (vertical for Shorts/Reels/TikTok). Everything runs locally — nothing is uploaded.

Website: https://limelightmac.com

## The wedge (what makes it different)

Limelight SHOWS YOUR KEYSTROKES on screen, baked into the recording. Screen Studio does not display keystrokes, so tutorial makers have to run a separate KeyCastr app and composite it in. Limelight does it natively in one tool — viewers see exactly which keys and shortcuts you press, alongside auto-zoom and a smoothed cursor.

## Who it's for

Developers, indie hackers, course creators, and product teams who record coding tutorials, software demos, onboarding walkthroughs, YouTube/Loom-style explainers, and 9:16 social clips — anyone who needs viewers to follow exactly where they click and what they type.

## Pricing

- Free: the cursor spotlight is free forever — no account, no time limit.
- Pro: a one-time $34 lifetime purchase that unlocks the full recorder, editor, and all overlays. No subscription.
- Promo code LIMELIGHT25 takes 25% off the lifetime Pro unlock.

## Key features

- Screen recording with automatic zoom into clicks.
- Smoothed cursor movement for clean, professional footage.
- On-screen keystroke display baked into the recording (the wedge — no separate KeyCastr).
- Cursor spotlight (free forever).
- Draw, region highlight, and on-screen text overlays.
- Built-in editor to trim, arrange, and adjust overlays after recording.
- Export to mp4 and 9:16 vertical for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.
- Fully offline and local — nothing recorded is uploaded.
- Native macOS app (Swift/SwiftUI, not Electron).

## Alternatives it replaces

Limelight is a screen recorder alternative to Screen Studio (and adds native keystroke display, so you do not need KeyCastr), Loom, Camtasia, and QuickTime. It also replaces KeyCastr, Mouseposé, and Presentify for the overlay use case — because the keystrokes, spotlight, and annotations are recorded directly into the video instead of being layered live.

## Key pages

- [Home](https://limelightmac.com): overview, demo recordings, and download for the Limelight macOS screen recorder.
- [Pricing](https://limelightmac.com/#pricing): free cursor spotlight plus the $34 one-time lifetime Pro unlock.
- [Screen recorder tool](https://limelightmac.com/tools/screen-recorder): record your macOS screen for tutorials and demos.
- [Free keystroke visualizer](https://limelightmac.com/tools/keystroke-visualizer): a free in-browser tool to display the keys you press on screen.
- [Free cursor spotlight](https://limelightmac.com/tools/cursor-spotlight): a free in-browser cursor spotlight tool.
- [Changelog](https://limelightmac.com/changelog): release notes and version history.
- [Download (DMG)](https://github.com/Muk9700/limelight-releases/releases/latest/download/Limelight.dmg): direct download of the latest Limelight.dmg for macOS.

## Keywords

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