As one of the most popular screen recording and editing programs available, Snagit has grown quite a reputation since its humble beginnings back in 1990, and has greatly expanded the number of tools and features it offers customers to where it is now highly praised by virtually everyone who has experience with it.
As with any recording software however, it’s always crucial to check reviews on how well the software actually works as while it may be packed full of features, sometimes this isn’t exactly what we need for a particular project and can be a little too much.
To help you make a decision on whether you should invest in Snagit as your screen recording software, we have broken down each of its features, tools, and overall price in this Snagit review to understand if this screen recording software is still worth it after all these years.
What Is Snagit?
Developed by TechSmith who many consider to be the king of video recording and editing software, Snagit is dedicated to supplying all the resources needed for screen recording to make it as simple to use as possible for when you need it.
Part of the reason Snagit is so widely recommended is that it doesn’t just appeal to one particular audience, instead, it offers a screen recording software suitable for journalists, bloggers, IT workers, and really anyone in a role where they will need to record what’s on their screen, even if it’s just for a business presentation.
Since it’s been going for over two decades at this point, Snagit is well known for its incredibly vast selection of recording tools allowing you to make a video as precise and clear as possible with a few additional tools to add some unique flare to a recording or screenshot to make it as eye-catching as possible.
But how good really are these features?
And how do they stack up to the ever-growing number of screen recording software that can be used for a similar price? Keep reading to find out if Snagit is really worth it.
Recording Options
As a screen recording software, the most important feature of the software to many people is how you can actually record, and on what devices since many people will need to record the screen of multiple devices rather than just one.
The good news is, Snagit offers an incredible amount of recording options allowing you to easily share a video or screenshot from any device.
Snagit not only allows you to record your desktop screen to make instructional videos or presentations, but it also allows you to record using your webcam so that you can seamlessly jump from a device to the webcam in the same video.
On top of this, Snagit also features an audio recorder so that you talk over the visuals.
When doing this, you won’t be restricted to only using a separate microphone since you even get the option to use the microphone built into your device and while the quality might not be as good, it’s still a useful feature that many similar apps just don’t offer.
Finally, there is the iOS screen recorder which can be used on an iPad, iPhone, or even iPod to record the screen which can then be shared with the Snagit desktop version for further editing.
This a easily be done by downloading the free Snagit app on the iOS store, however if you’re an Android user, you will still be able to record your mobile device by using the TechSmith Fuse app.
When it comes to recording, with Snagit you get just about all the options you could need and with extra audio and webcam functionality, it allows you to make your recordings and screenshots as vibrant and eye-catching as possible.
Editing Tools
The one feature of Snagit that is praised most by its users is just how many useful editing tools you get to make each recording as crisp and clear as possible, and we can safely say it comes with more of these extra tools than any other recording software on the market.
One of these incredible editing tools is the pre-made Snagit templates that allow you to create an image or video from scratch to save you much more time that you can spend on editing the recording itself.
The trim feature is also incredibly accurate, allowing you to cut a video down to the exact moment that you want it to stop, or cut to the next scene, ensuring no transitions look out of place or awkward but instead look professional and seamless.
Adding any text is also made incredibly easy by Snagit since it uses a drag-and-drop feature where you can simply add the text you want on the screen and then place it where you would like viewers to see it.
You also get the option to adjust how long it stays on the screen, granting the user a good amount of customization options that can work great for instruction videos or presentations when you want to direct the viewers’ attention to a specific area of the screen.
You are also free to change font, color, and size of the text and while this may not seem too special, many screen recording programs do not allow you to go this in-depth with adding text to recordings which can often make it seem a lot more out of place in the final video, which is what makes Snagit so efficient in the editing area.
These are just a few of the key editing features Snagit offers, however there are many more incredibly useful tools such as adding step-by-step guides into a recording, being able to insert stickers and even the ability to highlight words or images that you want to stand out.
While the number of tools can be overwhelming to beginners and the software has been known to crash after heavily editing longer videos, when it comes to the editing tools themselves, nothing beats Snagit.
Ease Of Use
One thing to mention about Snagit’s interface is it is not beginner friendly and will take some getting used to if you have never tried out the software before.
This is not to say it’s not worth getting to grips with the cluttered menus and icons dotted all around the screen since there are some incredibly deep features here that make recording and editing so easy, however, it does take some practice.
On the left of the screen will be the capturing features and from there you can select ‘Open editor’ to manipulate any screenshots or recordings you have taken using the wide variety of editing tools that Snagit offers.
At a time when other recording software is making their programs as streamlined and accessible as possible, Snagit is far too busy to be able to understand clearly on your first try with menus running across the screen.
While recording your screen can be done very quickly, Snagit will throw a few options at you first regarding what you want to record whether it be a screen recording, webcam recording, mobile screen recording, or even just a sample of audio.
If you just want the basics and don’t mind sacrificing all the bells and whistles for a more streamlined software, then Snagit may not be for you, however if you want the maximum amount of recording tools and features possible and don’t mind taking some time to navigate your way around the packed menus, Snagit is more than worth it.
Sharing Recordings
While the main interface can seem a little messy, once you’re inside the Editor control menu sharing your recordings can luckily be done very easily with users being able to share their recordings and screenshots to a few different platforms including through email, Word, Excel, Screencast, Evernote, Slack, and all social media platforms.
In terms of exporting, Snagit also offers its users an excellent amount of options with there being 15 different exporting choices to choose from including a PDF, PNG and even a GIF for those shorter recordings.
This grants you near limitless ways to share your recording whether it’s to just a few friends, as part of a business presentation, or even just a funny GIF that you want to share on your social media accounts, Snagit gives you an excellent amount of choice.
Price
Before you spend any money on Snagit, they do generously offer a 15-day free trial which gives you a decent amount of time to test the software out and decide whether it’s suitable for the recordings you intend to make.
After this trial, there are a few different packages you can purchase depending on if you just want to use the software for your own projects, or as part of a bigger organization or institution.
The packages you can choose from are:
- Individual – $62.99
- Business, single license – $62.99
- Education, single license – $37.99
- Government, single license – $53.99
- Snagit update – $34.99
While all these plans do come with an incredibly generous 30-day money-back guarantee so that you at least have a backup if you aren’t satisfied with the plan you’ve chosen, these prices are admittedly quite a bit pricier than many of Snagit’s competitors which will cost you far less while still allowing you to screen record efficiently.
This all comes down to the extra features and how much you’re willing to pay to have as many tools at your disposal as possible since while you will be spending more, you will also be getting some of the most accurate, precise and effective features to make a recording as eye-catching and high-budget as possible.
Final Verdict
There’s no doubt that in terms of software that is designed to make screen recording easy, Snagit is definitely one of the best on the market right now, specifically for just how many options are granted to the user.
Along with the various ways you can actually record whether it be on a desktop, mobile device, or even a webcam, the editing menu also features an extravagant amount of customization options that allow you to make a video or snapshot as vibrant and interesting as possible, both in the visual and audio department.
This also makes Snagit incredibly versatile, whether you need a program to help make a phone presentation as neat and sharp as possible, or if you just want to record some funny memes and gifs on your phone, Snagit works perfectly for any role where screen recording will be required so you won’t need to worry about it being tailored towards just one specific audience.
While it is packed full of features, some of which cannot be found on any other recording software, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind, one of these being the ease of use.
Snagit is not the most accessible software with its abundance of menus and features that can take a bit of time to get used to, additionally, Snagit has been known to crash on random occasions because of just how much is going on at one time.
These crashes have been reported by users to happen most often after heavy editing is applied to a long video, so this is always something to keep in mind.
There is also the pricing which is more expensive than its competitors, however this higher price is primarily because you will be paying for some elite features for recording and editing videos that those other programs just don’t offer, so it all comes down to if you want a more streamlined experience for a cheaper price, or if you don’t mind spending a little more to have all the premium tools that you will need at your disposal.
Overall, Snagit is more than worth its price point for just how efficient, reliable and dedicated it is to helping each user have a much easier time recording their screen and giving them an incredible amount of tools to edit them just the way they would like.
