Compare New Tab Notes and Screencastify: Which Extension is the Best?

	New Tab Notes	Screencastify
	Transform your new tab into a distraction-free notepad with New Tab Notes. Offering rich text formatting, auto-sync, and customization, it's a handy tool for seamless note-taking. New Tab Note Taking	Screencastify is a popular Chrome extension for screen recording. It offers a range of features but has shifted many basic functionalities behind a paywall, affecting its overall value. Productivity
Key Features	Rich Text Formatting: Use markdown and shortcuts for easy text styling. Auto-Sync: Notes are saved and synced across devices without an account. Customization: Adjust fonts, zoom, and toggle between dark/light themes. Export Options: Download notes as Markdown, HTML, or plain text.	Record Desktop, Browser Tab, and Webcam: Capture any part of your screen. Edit Video: Trim, merge, and add text directly from your browser. Share Easily: Export as MP4, GIF, or MP3, and share via Google Drive or Classroom. Interactive Questions: Add questions to videos to engage viewers. Annotations: Draw on your screen in real-time to highlight key points. Captions: Add captions in multiple languages to make videos accessible.
Our Rating	8.6	7.8
Total users	1,232	6,000,000
Total ratings	16	11,733
Average rating	4.7 ⭐	4.0 ⭐
Entry Level Price	Free	Free
Chrome	4.4 15 ratings 1.0K+Users	4.0 11.7K+ ratings 6.0M+Users
Edge	5.0 1 ratings 232Users	-
Firefox	-	-
Safari	-	-
Features	8.7 New Tab Notes offers a range of functions for quickly and effectively storing information and ideas in a structured manner. Headings are generally used to achieve a clear structure of the notes so that you can return to the notes you are looking for on the note sheet, which is always updated. The Markdown and shortcut support are particularly worth mentioning here, as they allow users to format the notes effectively and quickly. Anyone who already has experience with Notion, for example, will find it easy to use. However, new users may miss out on this function, as the markdowns are not described again in the extension itself and must be learned on the website. A small manual at the beginning should help new users to be able to use them as well. In addition to the headings, formats such as bullet lists, numbered lists, and codes can also be embedded. Other functions such as highlighting notes or integrating links can also be very helpful. For advanced users, a few functions may still be missing here, for example, to highlight them visually using different font colors. The automatic synchronization by the browser is used by the extension to synchronize data across devices. A big difference from other competitors is that the data is not stored on separate servers. Furthermore, the saved notes can be exported in various file formats so that they can be sorted and saved elsewhere later if necessary. Overall, the extension offers all the essential functions for general users to create structured notes. For advanced users, however, additional organizational tools could be beneficial.	8.8 Screencastify offers a robust set of features, including screen and webcam recording, video editing and interactive questions. Leaving aside the fact that many features are only available for a fee, it's fair to say that it offers a lot of features. While recording, you can easily add spotlights and draw on the screen. The drawing tools offer a nice range of options, so you should have everything you need: The subsequent editor also offers many functions where you can cut the video to your needs. Here is what the basic editor looks like: It recently also added an AI feature that automatically adds captions, transcripts, titles, and descriptions. Furthermore, Screencastify offers another video editor when clicking "Edit Video" in the top right corner. This will open up another editor where you can do some more video editing. Here is how it looks like: In our opinion, this editor isn’t necessary if you already have your own video editing software, but it could be useful for some people. We’re not entirely sure if this is just an older version of the original editor. However, we did discover that you can export videos to MP4 for free, thanks to an "Export" button that lets you do so without any limitations. We’re not certain if this is intentional, but at least it works for us.
Performance	8.8 In our tests, New Tab Notes works reliably and without any significant noticeable reduction in browser performance. When opening a new tab, the extension loads quickly and smoothly. There may be short delays with large notes that need to be synchronized, but these are hardly noticeable. Overall, the performance should be sufficient for most basic users without any performance problems, although there could still be room for improvement for advanced users.	7.5 The speed has deteriorated considerably with the latest updates. This is probably because more and more functions, such as the AI function, are being added. The tool has become slower, and creating links or accessing older videos takes longer than before. Many users have also complained about the performance in the reviews.
Design	8.5 The design of New Tab Notes is clean and minimalistic. It creates a distraction-free environment where you can easily take structured notes without getting distracted. Since the design is specifically meant to be distraction-free, this is good. However, there could be a few more customization options, especially when it comes to the color design, including the notes. Overall, the design fulfills its purpose, but it does not win a beauty award.	9.0 The design is intuitive and user-friendly. We think that navigation is very intuitive despite the many functions.
Value for Money	8.7 As a free extension, New Tab Notes offers excellent value for money. For the basic user, the range of functions should be sufficient, considering that it is a free tool. For advanced users, there are still a few functions missing that other providers already have. If these were also added free of charge, the price-performance ratio would be unbeatable.	5.0 As already mentioned, we are somewhat shocked by the limitations of the free version. Especially if you have used the app in the past and can export videos for free. In addition, even with the starter package for $7, you are limited to 10 exports. We find that many other providers offer much more for the money.
Ease of Use	8.5 New Tab Notes was easy to install in the test and the learning curve was very fast. Even Basic users should have no problems finding and using most of the functions straight away. However, one suggestion for improvement would be a small tutorial for new users on advanced features such as markdowns and shortcuts. Everyone who installs but doesn't see the website with instructions may not know about these features.	8.5 Screencastify is easy to use, with a minimal learning curve. Even beginners can quickly get the hang of it. However, we find that recent updates have introduced some complexities that are not absolutely necessary for a screen recorder.
Security & Privacy	8.2 New Tab Notes is an extension that stores all data exclusively via the browser. This approach is ideal for the user, as it eliminates the need for an account and reduces the risk of data breaches associated with other external cloud storage. This was apparent to us in our tests, but it is not clear whether the basic user is aware of this, as we were unable to find a privacy policy from the provider either in the store or on the website. This would be an important point of improvement to allow every user to read the extension's guidelines.	8.0 Unfortunately, an account is required, which in our opinion is not necessary for Screen recorder. However, Screencastify's privacy policy is very comprehensive and complies with standard data protection practices, including compliance with the GDPR and PCI-DSS certification for payment data. Screencastify takes reasonable security measures but, like all online services, cannot guarantee absolute protection.
Conclusion	With New Tab Notes, ideas, and information can be quickly and easily noted and saved directly in the browser without distractions. Text formatting features such as headings and the accompanying markdowns and shortcuts make it quick and easy to write them down in a structured way. The design is very user-friendly, but the extension could still benefit from additional export options and possibly more advanced functions. Overall, it is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a simple and effective solution to quickly save notes.	Screencastify was a fantastic tool in the past, and we used to use it daily. Unfortunately, recent updates have made it less user-friendly by hiding key features behind a paywall. For people who need a wide range of features, the tool is still an option. For others who just want to make a recording every now and then to export a video, Screencastify is unfortunately no longer an option.
	Install New Tab Notes	Install Screencastify
Our Recommendation	In our comparison between New Tab Notes and Screencastify, New Tab Notes came out on top, scoring 8.6. Screencastify is the most widely used, with over 6 million users and 12k+ reviews, but New Tab Notes outperformed it in our review. User reviews reflect our findings. Notably, New Tab Notes has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.70, which supports its strong performance in our review. There are some noticeable differences between these extensions, so it's worth considering your priorities and the details below. Looking for the richest feature set? Screencastify stands out with a rating of 8.8. On the other hand, New Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.7. Need top performance? New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.8. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5. Design lovers, take note: Screencastify stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, New Tab Notes lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5. Want to get the most for your money? New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 5. Ease of use? It's a tie: New Tab Notes and Screencastify. In the Ease of Use category, New Tab Notes has scored a very good 8.5. It is user-friendly, though there may be a small learning curve for some users. With privacy and security becoming ever more important, New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.2. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 8. If you want a quick recommendation, New Tab Notes is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.