# Is There a One-Time Purchase iPhone Screen Recorder?

> Yes. DemoScope is a one-time purchase screen recorder app for iPhone with no subscription, $19.99 once for face cam, touch dots and clean MP4s.

- Published: 2026-11-07
- Author: Adam Tal, developer of DemoScope (https://demoscope.app)
- Canonical: https://demoscope.app/blog/posts/one-time-purchase-screen-recorder-iphone-no-subscription.html

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Yes. DemoScope (HD Face Cam Screen Recorder on the App Store and Google Play) is a one-time purchase screen recorder app for iPhone with no subscription: Pro costs $19.99 once and never renews. Most of the well-known alternatives, Loom, ScreenPal, Vidyard, bill monthly or yearly, which is why this question gets asked so often.

**Short answer:** DemoScope is a one-time purchase screen recorder for iPhone, iPad and Android with no subscription. Pro is $19.99 paid once and unlocks watermark-free MP4 exports, unlimited take length, face cam overlay, touch indicators and the teleprompter. Install the free tier first (watermark, 10-minute cap), record a test, then buy Pro in-app.

*Last updated: November 2026.*

## The price in one line

| Tier | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Recording and streaming with a watermark, 10 minutes max per take or stream (including Other App mode) |
| Pro | $19.99, one time | No watermark, no 10-minute cap, all features |

No trial, no renewal, no per-seat pricing. You use the free tier as the trial, then pay once. Buying Pro on iPhone and buying it on Google Play are separate purchases, same $19.99 either way.

## How to record on iPhone with DemoScope

1. Install HD Face Cam Screen Recorder from the App Store (iOS 15+) and open DemoScope.
2. Pick your recording source: record inside DemoScope, or choose **Other App** to record anything else on your phone.
3. Set up the face cam bubble. Choose circle, square, vertical rectangle or horizontal rectangle, drag it to a corner, pinch to resize, and flip between the front and back camera.
4. Turn on **touch indicators** so animated dots show where you tap, and set the indicator color so it reads against your app's UI.
5. Paste your script into the **teleprompter** and set the scroll speed. The teleprompter is visible only to you and is not part of the recording.
6. Hit record. While recording you can draw on the screen and place text that gets baked into the video.
7. Stop. The file saves to your camera roll as an MP4 (H.264) at your device's native resolution, with no watermark on Pro.


## Recording other apps without leaving your face behind

DemoScope's **Other App** mode is the part most buy-once recorders skip. It activates a system-wide floating picture-in-picture face cam, drops DemoScope to the background, and captures your whole phone through the iOS Broadcast Extension while your face stays on screen. That is how you demo someone else's app, a game, or Safari with commentary.

Be clear about the trade-off on iPhone: in Other App mode you get Camera, PiP Border and Text on screen, and that is it. No touch indicators, no teleprompter, and no DemoScope control panel, because iOS hands those off to the system recording UI. If your tutorial depends on tap dots or a script, record it inside DemoScope instead. On Android, Other App mode keeps more: the floating control panel, teleprompter, drawing, text and a laser pointer all work over other apps, and tap dots come from Android's own "Show taps" developer setting rather than DemoScope.

## The free route, and where it runs out

iOS has a built-in screen recorder in Control Center. It is free, it captures your screen and mic, and for a quick bug clip it is fine. It has no face cam, no touch indicators, no teleprompter, and no on-screen drawing, so the moment you need a talking-head demo you are stacking apps or re-shooting with a second phone pointed at your face. Our [iphone built-in screen recorder vs third-party apps](/blog/posts/best-ios-screen-recorder-options-built-in-vs-third-party.html) breakdown goes deeper, and the [ios screen recorder guide: built-in tool vs dedicated apps](/blog/posts/ios-screen-recorder-guide-mobile-recording.html) covers the whole workflow.

## DemoScope vs the built-in recorder vs Loom

| | DemoScope Pro | iOS built-in recorder | Loom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | $19.99 one time | Free | Subscription |
| Face cam overlay | Yes, draggable and resizable | No | Yes (desktop/web focused) |
| Touch indicators | Yes, in-app recording, custom color | No | No |
| Teleprompter | Yes, in-app recording | No | No |
| Records other apps with face cam | Yes, Other App mode | Screen only | Not a mobile-first flow |
| Video editing | No | No | Yes |
| Cloud hosting / links | No, saves to camera roll | No | Yes |

That table is the honest version of the pitch. If what you actually need is a shareable link, trimming, auto-captions and team folders, Loom earns its subscription and DemoScope will frustrate you. For a head-to-head on the recording quality side, see [ios screen recorder with face cam: demoscope vs built-in](/blog/posts/demoscope-vs-ios-built-in-screen-recorder-face-cam-comparison.html).

## What $19.99 does not buy

DemoScope does not edit video. No trimming, no cropping, no filters. It does not generate captions or transcripts, there is no cloud storage or share link, no analytics, no team seats, and no Mac or Windows app. Everything you want in the final cut has to be right in the take, which is why the teleprompter matters more than it sounds: a clean third take beats a sloppy first take you cannot fix.

Two things that actually bite in daily recording. First, storage: native-resolution MP4s fill a phone fast, so clear space before a long demo. Second, mic routing: if AirPods are connected, iOS routes audio to them, and the thin sound is a common reason people re-record a perfectly good take.

## My recommendation

Buy DemoScope if you record phone demos more than a couple of times a month and you want to stop paying rent on software. Pay once, record at native resolution, export clean MP4s. If you only need one bug clip a quarter, Control Center is free and enough, and the $19.99 is wasted on you.

One bonus for anyone who also goes live: the same app does RTMP streaming to Twitch, YouTube Live and Facebook Live at 2500 to 8000 kbps, covered in [live stream my phone screen to twitch with a face cam](/blog/posts/live-stream-phone-screen-to-twitch-with-face-cam.html). That is inside the same one-time purchase.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is DemoScope Pro a subscription?

No. DemoScope Pro is a $19.99 one-time purchase on the App Store and on Google Play. There is no monthly or annual renewal and no free trial, so the free tier (watermark, 10 minutes per take) is how you test it first.

### Can I use DemoScope without paying anything?

Yes. The free tier records and streams with a watermark and a 10-minute cap per take or stream, including Other App mode. Pro removes both. Other App Clip mode stays Pro-only.

### Does DemoScope work on Android and iPad too?

Yes. DemoScope runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 15+) and on Android phones (Android 16+), listed as HD Face Cam Screen Recorder on both stores. The Android build actually does more in Other App mode: teleprompter, drawing, text and a floating control panel all work over other apps.

### Can I edit or add captions to the recording in DemoScope?

No. DemoScope has no trimming, cropping, filters, or auto-captions. Recordings export as MP4 to your camera roll, so use a separate editor if you need cuts or subtitles.

### Will my recording have a watermark on the free tier?

Yes, free recordings and streams carry a DemoScope watermark. The $19.99 Pro purchase removes it permanently along with the 10-minute limit.