Loom vs Guidde vs Synthesia vs Puradoc: which screen recorder fits you?
4 min read
Loom, Guidde and Synthesia all help you explain things on video, but they do it in very different ways. Loom records you talking over your screen. Guidde turns clicks into step-by-step how-to videos. Synthesia makes videos with AI presenters from a script. Puradoc records your screen and writes and voices the script for you. Here's how they compare on price, limits and what you actually get.
Prices and limits below were checked on October 18, 2026, on each company's own pricing page. Monthly prices are per person; most tools are cheaper if you pay yearly.
Pricing and limits at a glance
| Free plan | Paid plans | Recording limits | AI voice | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loom | 25 videos, up to 5 min each, 720p | Business $18/mo ($15.12 yearly). Business + AI $24/mo ($19.92 yearly) | Unlimited length on paid plans, up to 4K | No. You narrate live |
| Guidde | 25 how-to videos, Guidde watermark | Pro $29/mo ($19 yearly). Business $59/mo ($39 yearly) | Unlimited videos on paid plans | Business plan and up |
| Synthesia | 10 min of video a month, watermark, 9 avatars | Starter $29/mo ($18 yearly, about 12 min a month). Pro $89/mo ($64 yearly, about 60 min a month) | Counted in minutes of finished video | Yes, with AI avatars |
| Puradoc | 10 min a month, up to 5 min per recording, Puradoc watermark | Pro $29/mo, with a 7-day free trial and no card needed | Pro: 20 min a month, up to 10 min per recording | Yes, on every plan, six natural voices |
Loom: best for quick videos in your own voice
Loom is the name most people know. You hit record, talk over your screen and your camera, and share a link a moment later. It's great for quick replies to a client or a teammate, where your face and your natural voice are the point. The free Starter plan gives you 25 videos of up to 5 minutes; Business ($18 a month) removes the limits and adds 4K, and Business + AI ($24) adds AI editing, summaries and meeting notes.
Good to know: what you say is what viewers hear. If you like talking on camera, that's a plus. If you tend to say "um" or lose your place, you'll be doing retakes.
Guidde: best for step-by-step how-to libraries
Guidde captures your clicks in the browser and builds a how-to video with steps, which makes it popular for training and help centers. The free plan covers 25 videos with a Guidde watermark and your own voiceover. Pro ($29 a month, or $19 yearly) removes the watermark and adds a brand kit and exports. AI text-to-voice and desktop app recording come with Business ($59 a month, or $39 yearly).
Synthesia: best for AI presenter videos
Synthesia is built around AI avatars: you type a script and a lifelike presenter reads it, in many languages. That makes it strong for training courses, announcements and videos you'd otherwise need a studio for. It also has a Chrome extension for screen recordings. Plans are counted in minutes of finished video: about 10 a month free (with a watermark), about 12 on Starter ($29 a month, or $18 yearly) and about 60 on Pro ($89 a month, or $64 yearly).
Puradoc: best for solopreneurs who want polished walkthroughs without the retakes
Puradoc is the one we make, so take this section with that in mind. It's built for one person running a business who needs to show their app or process to clients, leads or a VA. You click through your screen, talking or not, and Puradoc writes a clean script from what you did, reads it in a natural voice and zooms in on every click. You also get a written step-by-step guide from the same recording, to send as a PDF, Word doc or link.
The free plan includes AI voices, auto-zoom and guides, with Puradoc branding on what you share. Pro is $29 a month for 20 minutes of recordings, recordings up to 10 minutes long, your own logo and colors, and no Puradoc branding. Every new account gets 7 days of Pro free, without a credit card. See how it looks on a real app on our screen recorder for SaaS page.
Which one should you pick?
- You want quick, personal videos in your own voice and face: Loom.
- You're building a library of how-to videos for a team or help center: Guidde.
- You want an AI presenter on camera, or videos in many languages: Synthesia.
- You want a polished walkthrough of your app or process, plus a written guide, without recording yourself talking: Puradoc.
All four have a free plan, so the fastest way to decide is to record the same two-minute walkthrough in each and see which result you'd actually send.