Short answer: Silk Recorder is a polished screen recorder for the Mac only: it needs macOS 14 or later, and its site answers "No" to a Windows version. If you are on Windows, or want to start in a browser tab with nothing to install, Girato does the same core job, zooms placed on your clicks, a smoothed cursor and a backdrop, on Windows, macOS and the web. If you are on a Mac, Silk is a strong pick with a generous free tier.
Side by side
| Silk Recorder | Girato | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS 14 or later (Apple silicon and Intel) | Windows, macOS, and the browser with no install |
| Free tier | Record, edit and export up to 4K at 60 fps with no watermark and no time limit, plus a transcript made on your Mac | Full editor, 1080p; 3 clean exports a month, then a Made with Girato badge |
| Paid | $69 once: 3 Macs, 12 months of updates | Pro $12/mo or $8/mo billed yearly, or $99 once for a lifetime licence |
| Zooms on clicks | Yes | Yes, flat or a cinematic 3D tilt (desktop apps; by hand in the browser) |
| Cursor | Smoothed on a spring | Smoothed, with click spotlights and click sounds |
| Typing sounds from your keystrokes | Not listed on its site | Yes |
| Captions | Transcript free on your Mac; burned-in subtitles with the licence | Made on your device, free |
| Chapters | Proposed from the transcript; written into the file with the licence | YouTube chapters from the transcript, free |
| Formats | Social presets up to 4K60 | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5, free |
| Refund | 14 days | 14 days on your first purchase |
Decided?Start free in your browser or get lifetime, $99 once
Silk Recorder details from silkrecorder.com, checked 29 Oct 2026. Prices and features change, so check its site before you buy.
Choose Silk Recorder if
You record on a Mac and you want 4K exports with no watermark for free. When you need burned-in subtitles or chapters written into the file, its one-time licence is $69 for 3 Macs, with 12 months of updates, and the app stays yours after that.
Choose Girato if
You are on Windows, your team mixes Windows and Mac, or you want to try it in a browser tab first. Girato also adds a 3D tilt to its zooms, click and typing sounds made from what you actually did, and captions made on your computer at no cost.
Moving a recording over
- Open Girato in the browser or the desktop app.
- Press Import video and choose an MP4 you already have.
- Add zooms on the timeline where you want the close-ups, then pick a backdrop in Look.
- Export in the shapes you need: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Shorts and Reels.
Try it on Windows in a minute
- Record twenty seconds in your browser
- See the zooms land on the timeline