AutocutsNative Mac apps
Both run natively on the Mac and record without a browser, an account, or an upload.
Updated August 15, 2026
Autocuts vs QuickTime Player
QuickTime Player is the free recorder built into every Mac. Autocuts is the recorder you upgrade to when the video has an audience. The difference is everything that happens after you press stop.
Feature comparison
QuickTime Player facts below reflect the built-in macOS screen recording documented in Apple’s user guide, checked on August 15, 2026. Product features and prices can change.
| Capability | Autocuts | QuickTime Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $34.99 once for one person on up to two Macs | Free and preinstalled on every Mac |
| Screen capture | Display, window, or selected area | Full screen or selected area via the Screenshot toolbar |
| System audio | Yes, together with the microphone and camera | Not without third-party audio-routing tools |
| Camera composited over the screen | Yes, with ten layout presets | No, a camera recording is a separate movie |
| Automatic click zoom | Yes, generated from your clicks and editable | No zoom effects |
| Cursor effects | Redrawn cursor with size, color, smoothing, and click ripples | A simple click indicator option only |
| Editing | Zoom timeline, clips, speed, backgrounds, camera layouts, captions | Trim, split, and rotate |
| Captions | On-device transcript, burned-in captions, SRT and VTT files | None |
| Teleprompter | Built in, paced by your voice | None |
| Export | MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9) up to 4K at 60 fps | MOV (H.264) at screen resolution |
Where the products overlap
Free to start
QuickTime is free. Autocuts lets you record and keep a video before buying a license.
Local files
Both produce a normal local video file that you can store, edit, or publish anywhere.
Can QuickTime Player record system audio?
Not on its own. The built-in screen recording captures the microphone, but the Mac’s own output needs a third-party audio-routing driver. Autocuts records system audio alongside the microphone and camera on supported macOS versions, which matters for app demos with sound.
Do I need Autocuts if QuickTime is free?
For a private capture that nobody else watches, QuickTime is enough. Every video with an audience earns its keep in Autocuts: it generates zooms from your clicks, smooths the cursor, frames the recording on a background, adds captions, and exports launch-ready 4K. One tutorial that looks professional pays back the $34.99 license.
Which is better for tutorials?
A tutorial lives or dies on whether viewers can follow the pointer and read the interface. QuickTime records exactly what happened, at desktop scale. Autocuts zooms into each click and redraws cursor motion, so the same take reads clearly even on a phone screen.
About these facts
QuickTime Player facts reflect the built-in macOS screen recording as documented in Apple's user guide, checked on August 15, 2026. Autocuts facts are based on the current desktop build and this site's product documentation.
Give the free recorder an upgrade.
Download Autocuts, record free, and unlock the motion studio for $34.99, once.
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