# Lumora vs Screen Studio: which one for your product video?


**Short answer:** pick **Screen Studio** if you record on a Mac and want the smoothest possible screen recording. Pick **Lumora** if you are on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, if you already have a recording or just screenshots, or if you want a launch-style video (3D camera, callouts, music on the beat) rather than a polished recording.

We make Lumora, so we have tried to be fair: Screen Studio is very good at what it does, and the two can be used together.

## At a glance

Screen Studio details are from [screen.studio](https://screen.studio/), checked on 25 October 2026.

| | Screen Studio | Lumora |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Native screen recorder that polishes the recording | Browser video editor that directs a recording or screenshots into a product video |
| Platforms | macOS only (13.1+ recommended) | Any modern browser: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS |
| Recording | Screen, camera, mic; iPhone over USB | Screen, window or tab, webcam bubble and mic, in the browser; or upload from any tool |
| Auto zoom | From recorded clicks and actions | From the picture: finds typing, clicks and motion, so it also works on other tools' recordings |
| Cursor | Smoothed from recorded cursor data | Click effects; no cursor-path smoothing |
| Captions | Generated locally on your Mac | Transcribed with Whisper; pop, clean or karaoke styles; .srt and .vtt |
| AI voice | From a typed script | From a script, or written for you by AI direction (Pro) |
| Camera and effects | 2D zooms, backgrounds, device frames | 18 3D camera moves, 16 looks, 9 callout styles, device frames, launch-film shots, beat-synced cuts |
| Formats | MP4 up to 4K 60 fps, GIF up to 1080p | MP4, GIF, WebM; 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 from one edit; 4K on Pro |
| Coding agents | Not mentioned | Hosted MCP server, Claude Code and Codex plugins, REST API |
| Price | $29 / month, or $9 / month yearly | Free (3 exports a month, 720p, watermark); Pro €9 / month |

## When Screen Studio is the better choice

- You are on a Mac and recording is most of the job.
- You want the cursor smoothed and zooms placed from real click data.
- You record an iPhone app over USB.
- You want captions processed on your own machine.

## When Lumora is the better choice

- **You are not on a Mac.** Lumora records in the browser and gives you automatic zoom on Windows, Linux and ChromeOS.
- **You already have footage.** Upload a recording from QuickTime, OBS, Loom, Cap or Screen Studio itself, or just screenshots.
- **You want a launch video, not a tutorial.** 3D camera moves, kinetic headline shots, a logo lockup and cuts that land on the drop of your music.
- **You need every format.** One edit exports landscape, vertical and square.
- **Your coding agent should make the video.** Claude Code or Codex can create and render a changelog video through Lumora's [MCP server](/docs/agents).

## Using both

A common setup: record on a Mac with Screen Studio, then upload the MP4 to Lumora for the launch cut. Lumora's auto zoom works from the picture, so it keeps or adds zooms on footage from any recorder.

More options are in [Screen Studio alternatives for Windows and the web](/blog/screen-studio-alternatives-windows-web).