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Both Edpuzzle and Screencastify are educational tools that allow you to record and use video content in creative and instructive ways.
If you’re here, you’re probably wondering which tool is right for what you need to do as an educator. In this Edpuzzle vs. Screencastify comparison guide, we’ll show you the areas where each tool excels and help you decide which one will be the most valuable in your classroom.
Even though the two tools are pretty different as far as feature sets and use cases, the Screencastify vs. Edpuzzle question is a common one. So, let’s get to the bottom of which one is better for educators like you.
An overview of Screencastify
Screencastify is a tool made by educators with educators 🧑🏫 and students 👩🎓 in mind. It’s primarily known as a screencasting tool, which offers you an easy way to record the content on your screen and add audio or video narration if you desire.
But screencasting is only one piece of the Screencastify puzzle.
Screencastify has three primary tools that educators use to enhance their lessons, parent-teacher communication, and more:
- Record: Used mainly to create videos which include webcam and screen recording videos
- Edit: Browser-based editor used to turn any video into polished, engaging video
- Submit: Assign and collect video submissions from students (or anyone) using magic links
Screencastify works in your browser, and any device that can run the desktop version of Chrome can run Screencastify. This includes PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. In addition, Screencastify Submit assignment can be completed on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. That means there’s no separate app to install or compatibility issues to worry about.
Additional features like annotations and stickers round out Screencastify, making it a powerful tool for any teacher that wants to create and edit content for use in or outside the classroom. Learn more about Screencastify's mission in this episode of EdTech Heroes!
An overview of Edpuzzle
Edpuzzle is also a video-oriented tool, but it’s not primarily designed as a video creation tool. Instead, it’s designed to allow you to take an existing video (from places like YouTube or Khan Academy) and add educational and assessment material to that video, like voice narration and answerable questions.
As a way to create interactive video lessons from existing (even copyrighted) content, Edpuzzle is an impressive tool. As one researcher puts it, Edpuzzle is a tool that “does one thing very well” for its users: It lets them create interactive video lessons based on content that’s already published and available.
Edpuzzle is compatible with iOS and Android phones and tablets, PCs and Macs, and also has a YouTube extension.
You can use Edpuzzle with videos you record yourself. However, that’s not the primary purpose, so you won’t find as many editing features as with other screencasting tools.
Edpuzzle vs. Screencastify: Comparing screencasting tools and features 🔎
We’ve already mentioned that these two tools have different focuses, even if the feature sets overlap slightly. But what does this mean, practically? And which tool should you use (or do you need both)?
Let’s compare the tools and features found in Screencastify with those in Edpuzzle in six key categories:
- Video quality, features, and user-friendliness
- Video editing options
- Video sharing, exporting, and integrations
- Video security and privacy
- Education-focused resources
- Pricing
Video quality 📽, features, and user-friendliness 🙌
Both tools have comparable user experience and interfaces as far as how easy and intuitive they are.
Quick tip: If you haven’t considered how browser extensions can improve your teaching workflow, you might be missing out! Using browser extensions is a powerful yet lightweight way to enhance your content and speed up a variety of tasks. If you’re curious what’s possible these days, check out 10 must-have Google Chrome extensions for teachers. (Spoiler alert: Screencastify makes the cut! ✂)
Both apps can record full HD video of both the user’s webcam and screen. These are essential features if you need to record a lesson or exercise and switch back and forth between footage of you and content on your screen, like Google Slides or a quick video clip.
Edpuzzle’s platform offers robust tools for marking up existing video content on smartphones, tablets, PCs, and Macs.
Screencastify, on the other hand, offers a more robust video recording experience, including annotation tools for teachers. In terms of annotations, what Edpuzzle allows you to do in a limited way on other people’s content, Screencastify enables you to do more richly on your own content.
Screencastify has also introduced the use of stickers in video content, an exciting new feature. Learn more about the new toolbar in Screencastify Record and how to use stickers from there.
Video editing options
Video editing is another crucial area where Screencastify shines and Edpuzzle lacks. Because Edpuzzle is primarily focused on enabling educators to add a layer of instruction or assessment to existing content, its video editing tools are extremely limited.
On the other hand, Screencastify’s Editor allows anyone to perform simple and straightforward video editing — without the need for specialized tools or intensive training.
Both tools allow for simple video trimming (e.g., removing dead air at the start or end of a video or cutting out mistakes). But that’s all Edpuzzle offers in terms of editing.
Screencastify allows you to do so much more, including all these actions:
- Give clips a title
- Trim and crop video
- Zoom in or out
- Blur areas (to obscure sensitive information or unnecessary elements)
- Add text
- Split video into multiple clips
- Merge and rearrange clips
- Edit and adjust audio levels (including mute)
Best of all, you can do all this editing on any video saved to your Google Drive or computer, including video files you didn’t create using Screencastify Record.
Learn more about all the powerful features and functions within Screencastify Editor.
Video sharing, exporting, and integrations
Creating excellent video content for use in and outside the classroom is a great first step. But figuring out how to share that content and integrate it with the other tools you’re using is just as important.
Here’s another area where the two tools take very different approaches. Edpuzzle takes a more closed ecosystem approach, while Screencastify is much more open.
Edpuzzle — Semi-closed, platform-centric: Most of the time, you’ll need to play and access your Edpuzzle videos from within the Edpuzzle platform — and only from within the platform. It’s a very platform-centric model that keeps you going back to edpuzzle.com.
There are reasons for this, including the copyright considerations of modifying other people’s video content for classroom use. Still, it’s a drawback to consider: Files aren’t portable, and you don’t own what you create. It all stays on the Edpuzzle platform, and you’ll lose it if you stop paying for your subscription.
Now, we said “semi-closed” above because Edpuzzle does integrate with learning management systems (LMSes) — including Canvas, Schoology, Moodle, Blackboard, Blackbaud, and Google Classroom.
With the Google Classroom integration, for example, you can post assignments to Google Classroom from within Edpuzzle and sync student lists and grades. You can also embed Edpuzzle assignments. Keep in mind that they still live on Edpuzzle, just like an embedded YouTube video lives on YouTube and vanishes if YouTube or the owner removes it.
Screencastify — Open, content-centric: Screencastify integrates Google Classroom. Beyond that, it has integrations with all sorts of education software platforms, including PlayPosit, Remind, and Wakelet — and you can post Screencastify content directly to YouTube.
That last point is a big one. It’s a good example of how different these platforms are when it comes to sharing and access. With Screencastify, you own your content and can share, export, and view it however you want. There’s a ton of flexibility here 🤸♀️.
You have the freedom to share videos with your students via whichever methods make sense, supporting hybrid, virtual, and flipped classrooms (and anything else you need to do). You aren’t bound to a particular platform or system.
That’s also what makes building integrations with Screencastify so easy!
User generated content
Screencastify enables user generated original video content. Administrators often prefer user generated content to existing video content that might run into copyright issues or be less engaging. With Screencastify, there’s no need rely on YouTube or someone else’s original content — instead you teachers are empowered and supported to create personalized video content.
Video security and privacy
Because both tools are designed with schools in mind, video security and privacy are high priorities for both companies. The teams behind Screencastify and Edpuzzle have both taken the time to get the appropriate education- and privacy-related certifications: FERPA, COPPA and CSPC. This is a meaningful step that other tools on the market haven’t taken and could be a significant selling point on a districtwide decision-making basis.
Screencastify doesn't rely on YouTube content, meaning we align with district privacy policies and there is less to worry about in terms of copyright issues. If you’d like to know more about Screencastify’s privacy policies (like how we never share your data with third parties — ever), check out our more in-depth privacy page.
Education-focused resources
Both Screencastify and Edpuzzle allow users to create video-based educational resources, but what resources do the two companies provide that help teachers improve their classroom efforts and understand their tools?
Edpuzzle has a Help Center section for teachers (and sections for parents and students) with a guide to Getting Started. It acts like an onboarding tool, designed to get you up to speed on how to use the core features and find answers to FAQs. The Edpuzzle blog also publishes helpful content about modern teaching and edtech.
Screencastify has a Help Center and robust library of free resources, including expert-led webinars, podcasts, and videos. You’re reading this article on our blog, full of industry news and education inspiration. Screencastify even offers Screencastify University for more in-depth training and certifications on how to use screencasting tools and enhance your edtech skills.
Price comparison
Lastly, it’s worth comparing the pricing structures of the two tools. Both offer a limited free tier, which is designed to let users test out the platform and get familiar with the tools.
Edpuzzle’s free plan gives you full access to interactive and annotation tools, plus analytics on your students’ results. The big limitation here is that you’re capped at 20 videos. And since Edpuzzle content can’t be exported off the platform, you’ll have to delete old content (which you could have reused) if you want to post anything new.
Screencastify’s free plan gives you full access to all three tools, Record, Edit, and Submit, but with certain limitations on each. You’ll be limited to five-minute video length for recording and editing, and you’ll only be able to use one active Submit assignment at a time.
As far as paid plans, on a per-teacher basis, Screencastify’s yearly price for all three tools comes out to $107 per year (regular price), but watch for specials and limited-time offers that may drop the price considerably lower.
Edpuzzle’s Pro Teacher plan works out to $150 per year for unlimited storage space.
Both companies also offer custom quotes for schoolwide and districtwide licenses.
Which tool is right for you? Screencastify or Edpuzzle?
To recap, both Screencastify and Edpuzzle have plenty to offer teachers and educators, including unique and powerful functions that the other tool doesn’t match.
If you’re looking for a content creation tool, one that empowers you to record, edit, and share your own educational content, Screencastify offers far more functionality.
However, it’s important to note that Edpuzzle excels when it comes to transforming existing video content, including externally produced video resources teachers find online, and turning those videos into assessable, interactive material for lessons.
So, which tool is right for you? It depends on what you need the tool to do! If you’re punching up YouTube videos by other creators, Edpuzzle will perform exceptionally well.
But if you’re screencasting, editing, and sharing your own content (or wanting students to submit their responses to that video content), Screencastify is the clear choice.
Find out why school districts love using Screencastify
Screencastify is fantastic for individual teachers, but it’s even better for entire school districts. Educators in 70% of districts use our platform, taking advantage of the user-friendly features, simple interface, and plentiful training resources to get up and running in no time.
Check out what Screencastify can do for teachers, plus how it excels as a districtwide solution.
