Best Teleprompter Apps for Mac (2026)

The best teleprompter app for a Mac depends on where the script sits. If you record your screen, the script has to stay out of the shot, and there are three ways to manage that:

• Use a recorder that hides its own prompter, like Screen Bolt's built-in teleprompter.
• Put the script on an iPhone or iPad with PromptSmart Pro or Teleprompter Pro.
• Keep a plain text window outside the part of the screen you record. This is free and works for short scripts.

Quick picks, ordered from what you already have to the most specialized:

• A Notes or TextEdit window outside the recorded area: best for an occasional short script, free.
• Keynote presenter notes: best for slide talks when you have two displays, free.
• Screen Bolt: best for reading a script while recording your Mac screen and webcam, with the prompter hidden from the recording.
• PromptSmart Pro: best if you want the script to scroll at your speaking pace, on an iPhone or iPad.
• Teleprompter Pro (formerly Teleprompter Premium): best for a dedicated prompter across iPhone, iPad and Mac, mainly for on-camera work.

We make Screen Bolt, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, including the free ones.

What a teleprompter app does on a Mac

A teleprompter app shows your script in large text and scrolls it, so you can read while looking toward the camera instead of memorizing lines. macOS has no built-in teleprompter, so you either use a separate app or improvise with a text window.

A Mac adds one extra problem: the prompter is usually a window on the same screen you're recording. Any ordinary window inside the recorded display or area ends up in the video. So the first question for any prompter is whether it stays out of the recording.

How we chose: the must-haves

We judged each option on what matters when you read a script while recording on a Mac. For Screen Bolt we describe how the current version (1.11.5, as of November 2026) behaves. For the other apps we describe what their developers, App Store listings and the reviews we found say, as of November 2026.

• Hidden from capture. The script must not show up in the recording. A prompter stays out of the shot in one of three ways:
  • The recorder excludes its own prompter window.
  • You record only a window or area that leaves the prompter out.
  • The script runs on another device or another display.
• Scroll control. You need to control the scroll without reaching across the recorded screen. Useful controls are a speed setting, pause, page-by-page reading, or scrolling that follows your voice.
• Near the camera. On MacBooks and iMacs the camera sits at the top center of the display. A script placed just below it keeps your eyes close to the lens.
• Readable at a glance. You want a large font, a narrow column and, ideally, adjustable opacity so you can see what's behind it.
• Price model. Free, one-time purchase or in-app purchases, and what the free version leaves out.

Check any prompter in 30 seconds

Before you record anything important, test your setup:

1. Open your prompter with some text in it, where you plan to keep it.
2. Start a short recording of your whole screen.
3. Read a line, then stop the recording.
4. Play it back.

If the script shows up, it will show up in every recording made that way. For live screen sharing in a call app, share your screen to a test meeting and check what the other side sees. A window hidden from one recorder isn't automatically hidden from every other app.

Summary table

Free options

A text window outside the recorded area

If you only read a script now and then, you don't need an app. Use a narrow text window and leave it out of the recording. The macOS screenshot toolbar (⇧⌘5, Shift-Command-5) can record just part of the screen.

1. Paste your script into a Notes note or a TextEdit document.
2. Set a large font size.
3. Make the window narrow and drag it to the top center of the screen, under the camera.
4. Press ⇧⌘5 and click Record Selected Portion.
5. Drag the selection so the script window sits outside it.
6. Click Record.

What it can't do:

• There is no auto scroll. To scroll, the pointer has to be over the script window, so you can't scroll and point at something in the recording at the same moment.
• It doesn't work if you need the whole screen in the shot.

Our guide to recording part of the screen on Mac covers the selection step in more detail.

Keynote presenter notes for slide talks

If your video is a slide presentation, Keynote is free from Apple and already has a place for your script: presenter notes. With two displays connected, Keynote plays the slides full screen on one display and shows the presenter display, with your notes, on the other. Record only the slide display and the notes stay out of the video (see how to screen record one monitor on a Mac).

Keynote is a presentation tool, not a teleprompter. Notes belong to each slide and change as you advance; there's no speed-controlled scroll. For talks that mix slides and a webcam, see how to record a presentation with webcam on Mac.

Free tiers of paid apps

All three paid options let you start without paying:

• Screen Bolt: the free version includes the teleprompter.
• PromptSmart: PromptSmart Lite is a free trial version.
• Teleprompter Pro: the app is free to download, with in-app purchases.

The details are in each section below.

Screen Bolt's built-in teleprompter

Screen Bolt is a Mac screen recorder with a teleprompter built in. The teleprompter is a floating window that Screen Bolt excludes from its own recordings, whether you record a display, a window or a dragged area. The recording bar and the webcam preview bubble are excluded the same way, so you can keep all of them on screen while you record.

How to use it

1. Click Script in the recording bar, or press ⇧⌘T (Shift-Command-T) while Screen Bolt is the active app.
2. Add your script:
   • paste or type it into the editor,
   • click Import .txt, or
   • drag a .txt file onto the window.
3. Choose Auto Scroll and set the speed slider (0.25× to 4×), or choose Manual to read page by page.
4. Drag the window just below your camera, and lower the opacity if you want to see your screen behind it.
5. Pick a source (Display, Window or Area). If you need them, choose a camera from the Camera menu and a microphone from the Mic menu.
6. Press the red record button.

Scrolling starts when the recording starts. It pauses when you pause the recording and picks up where you left off.

What you can adjust

• Window size: 320×500 by default, resizable from 260×400 up to 600×900.
• Opacity: 30% to 100%.
• Text size: three sizes, 14, 18 and 24 pt.
• Word count and reading time: the header shows both. The reading time assumes 150 words per minute at 1× speed.
• Cue markers: Cues inserts [PAUSE], [CUT], [B-ROLL], [SLOW] and [EMPHASIS] as colored chips in the script, so you can see where to pause or slow down without reading ahead. Our teleprompter script examples show how to use them.

Keys while recording

These keys work only while the teleprompter window is focused:

What it lacks

• Fixed-speed scroll. Auto Scroll runs at the speed you set; it doesn't follow your voice.
• No countdown. Scrolling begins the moment recording starts.
• Keys depend on focus. Once you click into the app you're demoing, the teleprompter loses focus and its keys stop working. For click-heavy demos, settle on an Auto Scroll speed in a test take first.
• Tied to Screen Bolt recordings. Scrolling runs with Screen Bolt's recording, so it isn't built as a prompter for live calls or other recorders. We only claim it's hidden from Screen Bolt's own recordings; if you plan to share your screen in a call app, test first.
• Keep a copy of your script. Screen Bolt saves the script automatically in its preferences, and Reset preferences in Settings clears it.

Price

As of November 2026:

• Free version. Recording is unlimited and the teleprompter is included. Exports carry a "Made with Screen Bolt" watermark, are limited to 3 minutes at 720p, and can't be GIFs.
• Screen Bolt Pro. $79 as a one-time purchase with lifetime updates, plus a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Screen Bolt needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

Who should pick it

Pick Screen Bolt if you record screen demos, tutorials or webcam walkthroughs on one Mac and want the script on that same screen without it showing up in the video. The recording help page covers the camera, microphone and teleprompter settings. You can download the free version and compare plans in the pricing table.

PromptSmart Pro

PromptSmart Pro is a teleprompter for iPhone and iPad. Its standout feature is VoiceTrack, which uses speech recognition to scroll the script at your speaking pace in real time. It works without an internet connection and pauses when you go off script. That fixes the main problem with fixed-speed scrolling, where you either chase the text or wait for it.

Because the script lives on a separate device, it never appears in your Mac recording. Prop the iPhone or iPad right below or beside your Mac's camera to keep your eyes near the lens.

What it lacks:

• No Mac app. As of November 2026 the App Store marks PromptSmart Pro as "not verified for macOS," and we found no Mac desktop app. Plan on a second device.
• It doesn't record anything. You still need a screen recorder on the Mac.
• Not on the iPhone you use as a webcam. Continuity Camera uses the iPhone's rear cameras, so when the phone is your webcam its screen faces away from you.
• More cost for the full feature set. The full feature set needs an in-app purchase on top of the up-front price.

Price (as of November 2026, US App Store):

• $29.99 up front.
• In-app purchases listed as "PromptSmart Extended" at $34.99 and "PromptSmart Pro Extended" at $3.99. A November 2026 review describes these as $34.99 a year or $3.99 a month.
• PromptSmart Lite is a free trial version, so you can try VoiceTrack before paying.

Who should pick it: people who read longer scripts on camera, lose their place with fixed-speed scrolling, and have a spare iPhone or iPad to put by the lens. It's on the App Store.

Teleprompter Pro (formerly Teleprompter Premium)

Teleprompter Pro is a dedicated teleprompter app for iPhone, iPad and Mac from Teleprompter Apps Ltd. Its official site says studios, TV and creators use it. The developer's support page also covers controlling the app from a Mac, which helps when the prompter runs on an iPhone or iPad next to the camera and you sit at the Mac.

What it lacks:

• It isn't a recorder. None of the sources we checked describe screen capture, so you still need a separate recorder on the Mac.
• Unclear on Mac capture. We found nothing about whether its Mac window is hidden from screen recordings. Treat it as visible and run the 30-second check above. On an iPhone or iPad, the question goes away.
• Confusing name. The app was renamed from "Teleprompter Premium" to "Teleprompter Pro," but the Mac-only App Store listing is still called "Teleprompter Premium." "Teleprompter Pro" is also the name of a separate, older iOS listing and of a Windows Store product, so check the developer before you buy.

Price (as of November 2026): free to download, with in-app purchases. We couldn't confirm the plan prices on the official site, so check them in the app before you buy.

Who should pick it: people who want one prompter app across iPhone, iPad and Mac, mostly for talking-head and on-camera work. If that's your format, our guide to talking head videos covers framing and setup. Its homepage is teleprompterpro.com.

Descript: if you'd rather not read a script

Descript isn't a teleprompter, and none of our sources mention one in it. We include it because some people would rather speak freely and fix mistakes afterwards. Descript edits video and audio through the transcript, so you cut stumbles by editing text. A November 6, 2026 release added a model that lines words up more closely with the audio.

Third-party listings describe paid plans as per-user subscriptions and also mention a free plan. We couldn't confirm prices or supported platforms from official sources as of November 2026, so check descript.com first. It suits people who sound stiff when reading and would rather cut mistakes out than rehearse.

Which teleprompter app to choose on a Mac

• If you record a short script now and then, use a Notes or TextEdit window outside a selected-area recording. It's free and you already have it.
• If your video is a slide talk and you have two displays, put your script in Keynote's presenter notes and record only the slide display.
• If you record screen demos or tutorials on one Mac and want the prompter on that screen, use Screen Bolt. Its teleprompter is hidden from its recordings and starts and pauses with them.
• If fixed-speed scrolling keeps tripping you up, use PromptSmart Pro on an iPhone or iPad for voice-following scroll.
• If you mostly talk to camera and want a dedicated prompter you can control from your Mac, use Teleprompter Pro on an iPhone or iPad.
• If reading from a script makes you sound stiff, skip the prompter, speak from bullet points, and edit afterwards.

For technique, such as how fast to read and where to put your eyes, see how to read a script while recording a video.

FAQ

Does a teleprompter window show up in a screen recording?

A normal window does if it sits inside the display or area you record. To keep it out, use a prompter the recorder excludes (as Screen Bolt does with its own), record only a window or area that leaves the prompter out, or run the prompter on another device.

Is there a free teleprompter for Mac?

macOS has no built-in teleprompter. A text window kept outside the recorded area works for free, and Keynote presenter notes work for slide talks. Screen Bolt's free version also includes its teleprompter; only its exports are limited (watermark, 720p, 3 minutes, no GIF).

Can I use my iPhone as a webcam and a teleprompter at the same time?

Not the same iPhone. Continuity Camera uses the rear cameras, so the screen faces away from you. Use a second device for the script, or keep the script on the Mac. Our guide on using your iPhone as a webcam on Mac covers the camera side.

How fast should a teleprompter scroll?

Match how you naturally speak, then adjust after a test take. As a reference, Screen Bolt's reading-time estimate assumes 150 words per minute at 1× speed. If you'd rather not set a speed at all, PromptSmart's VoiceTrack scrolls as you talk.