ScreenFlow
Mac screen recorder and multitrack video editor for tutorials
ScreenFlow's solo core is compact: build a local Mac screen recording + editing workflow that imports user-owned media, applies the core edit or transformation, previews it, and exports a standard file. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on media pipeline, hosting, distribution.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates
- hosted recording reliability
- large-scale rendering
- distribution and podcast hosting
- professional codecs, effects, and collaboration
Why people still pay
ScreenFlow: People pay to avoid codec failures, upload limits, rendering surprises, lost recordings, and distribution chores.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks.
- Implementation components: Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials. ScreenCaptureKit and AVFoundation for capture, composition and export with timestamped source tracks.
- Scope boundary: production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: swiftui-expert-skill — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: swift-concurrency — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: sharp-edges — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: ScreenCaptureKit sessions, audio/video track timestamps, edit decisions, annotations and export jobs
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Permission denial cannot create an empty success artifact; edit timing must respect the source tracks' timestamps rather than assuming a fixed frame rate.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Record a short fixture with an audible clap and retain A/V alignment after trimming; cancelling export leaves the source recording intact.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Record a selected Mac display/window and optional microphone with visible controls, trim non-destructively and add a small set of callouts. Export through AVFoundation with an explicit format and recoverable job state. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability
Phase 2
Durable model. Model ScreenCaptureKit sessions, audio/video track timestamps, edit decisions, annotations and export jobs Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Permission denial cannot create an empty success artifact; edit timing must respect the source tracks' timestamps rather than assuming a fixed frame rate.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Require explicit screen/window and microphone choices with OS permission, an always-visible recording state and an immediate stop control. Keep tracks local by default, define deletion/retention controls and never collect keystrokes or upload recordings without separate consent. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. Record a short fixture with an audible clap and retain A/V alignment after trimming; cancelling export leaves the source recording intact. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Record a selected Mac display/window and optional microphone with visible controls, trim non-destructively and add a small set of callouts. Export through AVFoundation with an explicit format and recoverable job state. Build this scoped ScreenFlow-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Swift, SwiftUI and focused AppKit integrations for a macOS utility. - SQLite or Codable files for local settings and history; macOS Keychain for credentials. - ScreenCaptureKit and AVFoundation for capture, composition and export with timestamped source tracks. Prerequisites and limits macOS, Xcode and a selected deployment target. Ask for each OS permission only when its feature is enabled; code signing and distribution are separate release tasks. Outside this release: production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability Data model and correctness ScreenCaptureKit sessions, audio/video track timestamps, edit decisions, annotations and export jobs Invariant: Permission denial cannot create an empty success artifact; edit timing must respect the source tracks' timestamps rather than assuming a fixed frame rate. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. Security and privacy Require explicit screen/window and microphone choices with OS permission, an always-visible recording state and an immediate stop control. Keep tracks local by default, define deletion/retention controls and never collect keystrokes or upload recordings without separate consent. Recovery and export Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Record a selected Mac display/window and optional microphone with visible controls, trim non-destructively and add a small set of callouts. Export through AVFoundation with an explicit format and recoverable job state. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model ScreenCaptureKit sessions, audio/video track timestamps, edit decisions, annotations and export jobs Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Permission denial cannot create an empty success artifact; edit timing must respect the source tracks' timestamps rather than assuming a fixed frame rate. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Keep UI state on the main actor, cancel obsolete background tasks, and avoid blocking system callbacks. Record only the selected feature scope, with clear retention controls. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Require explicit screen/window and microphone choices with OS permission, an always-visible recording state and an immediate stop control. Keep tracks local by default, define deletion/retention controls and never collect keystrokes or upload recordings without separate consent. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export settings and explicitly selected history without secrets. Preserve the last working configuration and provide a reset that does not delete user source files. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Record a short fixture with an audible clap and retain A/V alignment after trimming; cancelling export leaves the source recording intact. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance Record a short fixture with an audible clap and retain A/V alignment after trimming; cancelling export leaves the source recording intact. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [swiftui-expert-skill](https://github.com/AvdLee/SwiftUI-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swiftui-expert-skill/SKILL.md) — Build and review native SwiftUI views, state management, navigation, accessibility and rendering performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [swift-concurrency](https://github.com/AvdLee/Swift-Concurrency-Agent-Skill/blob/main/skills/swift-concurrency/SKILL.md) — Design Swift async tasks, actors, isolation, cancellation and safe data sharing, including Swift 6 migration. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: ScreenCaptureKit sessions, audio/video track timestamps, edit decisions, annotations and export jobs Project rule — preserve this invariant: Permission denial cannot create an empty success artifact; edit timing must respect the source tracks' timestamps rather than assuming a fixed frame rate. Project rule — acceptance evidence: Record a short fixture with an audible clap and retain A/V alignment after trimming; cancelling export leaves the source recording intact.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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ScreenFlow pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| screenflow | — | — | Mac screen recorder and multitrack editorOne-time purchase: $199. |
| screenflow super pak | — | — | ScreenFlow plus first year of Stock Media LibraryFirst purchase: $275 promotional ($298 displayed list); Stock Media Library renews at $99/year after the first-year $76 component. |
| screenflow super pak+ | — | — | ScreenFlow, first year of Stock Media Library and Premium SupportFirst purchase: $325 promotional ($357 displayed list); stock renews at $99/year and Premium Support at $59/year. |
free tierno free tier
billingone-time software purchase; optional stock-media and support components renew annually
hidden costsStock Media Library renews at $99/year; Premium Support renews at $59/year, and future major-version upgrades are separate purchases.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about ScreenFlow
Can you build your own ScreenFlow with AI?
The verdict is yes for the scoped workflow. ScreenFlow's solo core is compact: build a local Mac screen recording + editing workflow that imports user-owned media, applies the core edit or transformation, previews it, and exports a standard file. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on media pipeline, hosting, distribution.
What does the ScreenFlow build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Record a selected Mac display/window and optional microphone with visible controls, trim non-destructively and add a small set of callouts. Export through AVFoundation with an explicit format and recoverable job state. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability; large-scale rendering. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the ScreenFlow prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this ScreenFlow project take?
The catalogue estimate is one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing ScreenFlow?
production codecs, rendering speed, and media templates; hosted recording reliability; large-scale rendering; distribution and podcast hosting; professional codecs, effects, and collaboration. ScreenFlow: People pay to avoid codec failures, upload limits, rendering surprises, lost recordings, and distribution chores.
What can I use instead of building ScreenFlow?
The prior-art section lists Kdenlive as starting points. Review their current scope, license and maintenance before adopting one.