Smackdown! Screen Toaster vs. Screencast-O-Matic

I've been using Jing for quite a while now, and I do indeed love it, but I think the love affair might be over. One of my colleagues told me about Screencast-O-Matic, and it didn't take long before this fantastic tool won me over. Then, as I was about to publish a comparison between the two (S-O-M won by a landslide), I came across Screen Toaster, and a new smackdown began.

First, let's talk about screencasting in general. If you've watched one of the many tutorials posted in my blog, then you already know what a screencast is. At its most basic, a screencast allows you to show what is on your screen while recording narration to go along with it. It's a great way to demonstrate to someone how to do something on their computer, whether it's demonstrating some of the privacy features on Facebook or showing a colleague how to insert a signature in their email. It's also a great tool for students to demonstrate their knowledge and talk about process while working on a project.

Both S-O-M and Toaster are web based. This means no download. AND in both cases, no signup or login! For classroom teachers, this is huge. Of course, you will get more features if you log in, and even more if you upgrade to the (very inexpensive) paid version, but you really don't have to do either of those things.



As you can see, both tools have their advantages. If you really want subtitles in your screencasts, Toaster is the way to go. Otherwise, I found S-O-M a little easier to use, and the fact that it uploads to YouTube HD is pretty cool. Either way, you really can't go wrong. Please keep me posted on how you are using screencasts with your students and staff, and which tool is most helpful to you.

If you need to see Screencast Smackdown in full screen mode, you can!