Camtasia vs. Microsoft Powerpoint

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Camtasia
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Some video solutions on the market are super-easy to use, but deliver lackluster results. Others deliver professional quality video, but the learning curve is extreme. Camtasia aims to enable anyone to quickly start creating pro-quality videos in minutes with no video experience needed. Camtasia can capture everything happening on the screen with just a few clicks, and offers drag-and-drop editing and visual effects features to transform screen recordings into polished software…
$299
one-time fee per user
Microsoft Powerpoint
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software designed to allow users to create slide-based presentations including video and images, as well as slide transitions and animations.
$139.99
Pricing
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Editions & Modules
Education
$212.99
one-time fee per user
Government & Non-Profit
$269
one-time fee per user
Business
$299.99
one-time fee per user
One Time Purchase
$139.99
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*Discounts available for purchases supporting a large volume of users.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Considered Both Products
Camtasia
Chose Camtasia
I use both Snagit and Camtasia in the video development process. Both tools allow for live recording of screen, but Camtasia provides more flexibility and features to build a full video project including a user interface and dashboard for placement of audio, video, graphics, …
Chose Camtasia
Camtasia is not on the same level as Premiere Pro, but it isn’t designed to fill that niche either. Premiere Pro is much more capable, but it is also much more expensive and much more broadly focused as a linear editor. It is much more approachable, it is much more affordable, …
Chose Camtasia
The two first, well too complicated. I couldn't move fast enough to be able to edit what I needed. I tried and every single time, I came back to Camtasia. The rendering process seems to be faster (I worked prior with a third party company and the rendering process took a lot of …
Microsoft Powerpoint
Chose Microsoft Powerpoint
I do believe that PowerPoint is in the top 3 programs with concerns about its ease, ability, and functionality. It is and will remain, my go-to program for designs and presentations.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Small Businesses
Sendspark
Sendspark
Score 10.0 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Loom
Loom
Score 9.2 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Snagit
Snagit
Score 9.1 out of 10
Mentimeter
Mentimeter
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
7.6
(73 ratings)
8.9
(54 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(6 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.6
(14 ratings)
8.5
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
CamtasiaMicrosoft Powerpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
TechSmith
Camtasia is so easy to use that I recommend it over Adobe Premiere, Captivate, Storyline, and other tools. The only problem is the price. Due to the fact that I purchased this for education purposes, and educational prices have gone up exponentially, it has been difficult even at $179 to upgrade, as an educator and the organization is not always willing to reimburse the purchase, it would have been more economical. It was less than $100 (Black Friday) when I bought our updated version in 2019. Camtasia profile accounts aren't the best setup, however. My profile account does not reflect when I was a user or show past invoices, and I wanted to see how long ago I was a user.
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Microsoft
[Microsoft Powerpoint] is very well suited for preaching and teaching. I find it easier to describe what I am trying to get across with a graphic. [Microsoft Powerpoint] is the most effective way to present material. I have also used it do graduation videos for our preschool. The integration of music with the graphics provides a first rate presentation.
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Pros
TechSmith
  • Very intuitive controls. You don't need to be a pro at video editing
  • Seamless control of assets (separates video from still images)
  • Great library of annotations and gestures
  • Easy to integrate audio/video edits
  • Custom formats that suit my needs (web, mobile, tablets)
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Microsoft
  • Powerpoint is excellent for structuring your ideas as you before you present them
  • Powerpoint should be used as s skeleton for your presentation for maximum effectiveness, rather than just "reading off the slides"
  • Powerpoint on a high DPI system with screencasting software and microphone allows you to record a high resolution product demonstration video quickly.
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Cons
TechSmith
  • USB Microphones can sometimes cause a problem if they become accidentally unplugged during a recording session. This can corrupt some of the files that the Camtasia Recorder application uses to capture directly to .avi mode.
  • You'll sometimes get a message when you next try to record that .avi mode isn't available and the only way to fix this is by completely uninstalling and reinstalling Camtasia (with a reboot in the middle of these two actions).
  • This bug only manifested after Camtasia 8 was released, but still seems to cause an issue right up to and including Camtasia 2021.
  • I'd like to see more standard Annotation options. The existing ones are pretty good, but variety is a little lacking.
  • More 'Behaviours' would also be really welcome as these are a great feature and make Callouts a bit more interesting and lively. I've not seen any new Behaviours over the past few versions (since Camtasia 2018).
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Microsoft
  • The "remove background" feature could be a bit more user friendly - it tends to take up too much space and you're forced to start over and over again and take smaller areas to adjust which takes up quite a bit of time.
  • I could use some more design templates with less feminine features like flowers and swirls. More industry-themed ones would be great to use.
  • More adaptability to the "slide master" selection. It is extremely laborious to change each slide generated from the master slide.
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Likelihood to Renew
TechSmith
Each release of Camtasia has added just enough functionality to justify the upgrade to the new version. I like that Camtasia is not a subscription-based product as we have more flexibility and control over our spend on the product. We can also purchase support packages that include the next version when released.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Usability
TechSmith
I haven't used another video recording and editing tools that is as comprehensive and straight-forward as Camtasia. Typically, if you want a user-friendly video editing tools for novice users, you have to compromise on features. Camtasia solves this problem by offering extensive editing features in a simplistic, user-friendly environment. Highly recommend
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Microsoft
Very intuitive interface especially if you are familiar with tools like Word and Excel.
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Support Rating
TechSmith
With the latest version (Camtasia 2020), I actually had problems with an Imac with HighSierra, but from the first moment they answered and guided me to solve the problem, even before making the purchase (with some doubts I had). And they have support in English and Spanish, I really liked that.
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Microsoft
I've never contacted Microsoft support directly; I've only Googled the answers to my questions. But just the fact that there are thousands of posts on boards with people having random issues with PPT is a bit indicative of the state of the support for their product.
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Alternatives Considered
TechSmith
I've tried several freeware recorders, too. If all you want to do is literally record your screen, and nothing else, you don't need Camtasia. There are literally dozens of apps that will do that. If you want an app that will record your screen while capturing mouse clicks, follow you, record your voice while you capture, and annotate when you're done, Camtasia has no equal. Plus, it doesn't stop there. You can add professional intros and outros (many already created to choose from), lower thirds, etc., leading to videos with very high production value. This is THE program to buy if you want to produce training videos of very high quality.
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Microsoft
Adobe Illustrator is an excellent software but it's not easy to use for [everyone without] having any training or previous experience in working with illustrator. Microsoft Powerpoint is very easy to use and it's fantastic as it saves time more than illustrator. Another thing is it takes small space while illustrator takes a significant amount of space in the business machine
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Return on Investment
TechSmith
  • Many faculty members used it because it was easy to use and accomplish what they needed.
  • No need for a lot of training or follow-up training due to it being very to use.
  • Account management within our system and assigning permissions required a few steps when granting access.
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Microsoft
  • Helped reduce time we spend modifying and sharing back and forth different versions.
  • Saved us the frustration of having to work with an online program with limited functionalities.
  • Macros make it easy to share data in one excel file and automatically update presentation.
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ScreenShots

Camtasia Screenshots

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