Tella
Simple screen and camera recording for polished async videos
For solo async clips, a recorder plus lightweight trimming and hosted share page can be vibecoded; the paid app wins on design polish and templates.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- beautiful layouts
- browser extension/native polish
- templates
- team sharing
- reliable video hosting
Why people still pay
They pay because they want a video that looks good without editing or deployment chores.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Runtime and tools: Node, Express, browser MediaRecorder/getDisplayMedia/getUserMedia, FFmpeg and SQLite share metadata.
- Before starting: A supported browser on localhost/HTTPS, microphone/screen permissions, FFmpeg and an optional authenticated upload target.
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.
Project rule — domain: Store Recording, ScreenTrack, WebcamTrack, TrimRange and UploadReceipt; track synchronization is explicit and publishing references an approved completed render.
Project rule — scope and recovery: Browser capture requires user permission and supported audio sources. Keep local originals, authenticate uploads and clarify public/unlisted sharing; 'unlisted' is not private access control.
Project rule — acceptance: Deny webcam access but allow the screen, stop sharing from browser chrome and render; offer screen-only recording and finalize a recoverable file instead of losing the session.
Project rule — delivery: document real setup commands and permissions; do not claim a build, accuracy level, performance result or security certification that has not been demonstrated.
Recommended skill: web-design-guidelines — review keyboard access, focus, validation, error recovery and the readable work/review interface or HTML report. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Recommended skill: sharp-edges — review configuration and API defaults against the app-specific invariants and recovery boundaries above; this is not a security certification. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Pin the working slice and create its example input: Record a selected screen and optional webcam in the browser, trim the result, review an MP4 render and deliberately publish a share page. Confirm setup: A supported browser on localhost/HTTPS, microphone/screen permissions, FFmpeg and an optional authenticated upload target.
Phase 2
Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store Recording, ScreenTrack, WebcamTrack, TrimRange and UploadReceipt; track synchronization is explicit and publishing references an approved completed render.
Phase 3
Connect the working view to real saved state. Keep source files immutable and store edit decisions separately. Run media tools with argument arrays, bounded file size/runtime and unique job directories; only rename a completed export into its final location.
Phase 4
Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Browser capture requires user permission and supported audio sources. Keep local originals, authenticate uploads and clarify public/unlisted sharing; 'unlisted' is not private access control.
Phase 5
Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Deny webcam access but allow the screen, stop sharing from browser chrome and render; offer screen-only recording and finalize a recoverable file instead of losing the session. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.
Build the following focused alternative to Tella. Implement the focused workflow below first; the verdict is not evidence of a completed or production-certified build. WORKING SLICE Record a selected screen and optional webcam in the browser, trim the result, review an MP4 render and deliberately publish a share page. SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE Use Node, Express, browser MediaRecorder/getDisplayMedia/getUserMedia, FFmpeg and SQLite share metadata. Prerequisites: A supported browser on localhost/HTTPS, microphone/screen permissions, FFmpeg and an optional authenticated upload target. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success. DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS Store Recording, ScreenTrack, WebcamTrack, TrimRange and UploadReceipt; track synchronization is explicit and publishing references an approved completed render. IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT Keep source files immutable and store edit decisions separately. Run media tools with argument arrays, bounded file size/runtime and unique job directories; only rename a completed export into its final location. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content. APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY Browser capture requires user permission and supported audio sources. Keep local originals, authenticate uploads and clarify public/unlisted sharing; 'unlisted' is not private access control. ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO Deny webcam access but allow the screen, stop sharing from browser chrome and render; offer screen-only recording and finalize a recoverable file instead of losing the session. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested. DELIVERY Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product. PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.
$ 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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Alternatives to building your own
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Tella pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| pro | $26/user | $13/user | Unlimited videos; clips up to 6 hours; 106 languages; 4K; 60fps export only for videos up to 5 minutes |
| premium | $39/user | $19/user | Custom domain, domain restriction, white-labeling, 60fps and advanced analytics |
| enterprise | — | — | Custom seats, SSO/SCIM, security, support and procurement |
free tierno free tier; 7-day workspace trial allows unlimited recording, editing, export and sharing, but blocks uploads of existing videos and raw-recording export
billingmonthly + annual (50% lower); plan changes are prorated
hidden costsSSO/SCIM is an add-on on self-serve paid plans and included only with Enterprise; every user requires a paid seat.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Tella
Can you build your own Tella with AI?
The verdict is yes for the scoped workflow. For solo async clips, a recorder plus lightweight trimming and hosted share page can be vibecoded; the paid app wins on design polish and templates.
What does the Tella build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Record a selected screen and optional webcam in the browser, trim the result, review an MP4 render and deliberately publish a share page. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: beautiful layouts; browser extension/native polish; templates. 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 Tella 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 Tella project take?
The catalogue estimate is weekend 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 Tella?
beautiful layouts; browser extension/native polish; templates; team sharing; reliable video hosting. They pay because they want a video that looks good without editing or deployment chores.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Pro plan is $13/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Tella?
Recordly: Polished screen-and-camera recordings with auto-zoom and editing; still visibly young around audio. Screenity: A browser extension that records forever, edits enough, then hands you a file or Drive link. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.