Compare Screencastify and Poper Blocker: Which Extension is the Best?
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. | Poper Blocker is a Browser extension that blocks pop-ups, ads, cookie requests, and more. With functions such as the social media content filter, it stands out from other competitors. | |
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each extension. |
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| Our Rating Tooltivity's expert review score for each extension, based on hands-on testing and research. | 7.8 | 8.4 Winner in this category |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 6,000,000 Winner in this category | 2,039,064 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 11,733 | 81,432 Winner in this category |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | 4.0 ⭐ | 4.3 ⭐ Winner in this category |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the extension. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Chrome User rating and stats for the extension on Chrome browser. |  4.0 3.63 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 6.0M+Users | 4.8 3.78 Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews 2.0M+Users Winner in this category |
| Edge User rating and stats for the extension on Edge browser. | - |  3.9 3.57 Average Microsoft Edge Store rating from the last 100 reviews 39.1K+Users Winner in this category |
| Firefox User rating and stats for the extension on Firefox browser. | - | - |
| Safari User rating and stats for the extension on Safari browser. | - | - |
| Features Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 9.0 Adblocking:Poper Blocker completely blocks any type of advertising on any website. This includes any pop-ups, YouTube ads, and ads on social media. A whitelist can also be added for adblocking; adblocking is switched off on the websites. In our tests, the ad blocking worked, except for preventing web videos on YouTube.  Cookie blocking:Currently, constant cookie consent requests interfere with web surfing. Poper Blocker removes cookie banners without any problems in our test.  Social Media Content Filter: The social media filter is a very intuitive and easy-to-use tool for those who don't want to read about certain topics on social media. For example, if I no longer want to read about war in the world every day, I can enter “war” as a term here and it will be filtered out on social media so that it is no longer displayed to me.  Winner in this category |
| Performance Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 8.3 The extension blocks most types of pop-ups and ads well. In our tests, there were only problems with advertising videos from YouTube, which are not hidden. Also, some users in the reviews have reported problems with certain types of pop-ups that still get through. Winner in this category |
| Design Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each extension. | 9.0 The design is intuitive and user-friendly. We think that navigation is very intuitive despite the many functions. Winner in this category | 8.5 The design is clear and user-friendly. The various settings and functions are easy to navigate. The constant request to use the Pro version is always annoying when using the Basic version. |
| Value for Money Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 7.5 Basic version: Pro Version: Winner in this category |
| Ease of Use Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each extension. | 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. | 9.0 Poper Blocker is easy to install and use. The user interface is intuitive, and the functions are easily accessible and configurable in the settings. Much attention has been paid to ensuring that anyone can use it, particularly with the social media content filter. Winner in this category |
| Security & Privacy Tooltivity's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each extension. | 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. Winner in this category | 7.8 The tool does not block tracking on websites as other competitors do. In the tool, Poper Blocker uses modern encryption and security measures, but as with AdBlocker, the collection of personal data, even in anonymized form, and the use of third-party cookies can pose a certain data protection risk. |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each extension. | 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. | Poper Blocker is a good tool for blocking various types of online distractions. With its extensive range of functions in the Pro version and its intuitive user interface, it is a powerful tool. The social media content filter was particularly impressive. This is currently a unique selling point of the tool. In terms of performance, there are currently issues with certain types of pop-ups and YouTube's ad videos. The Basic version is also very limited and does not include normal ad blocking on all websites. If you are looking for a comprehensive solution to block pop-ups, ads and prevent tracking, the Pro version is a good choice. As a free version, however, there are alternatives from competitors that offer more functions. |
| Our Recommendation | In our comparison between Screencastify and Poper Blocker, Poper Blocker came out on top, scoring 8.4. Screencastify is the most widely used, with over 6 million users and 12k+ reviews, but Poper Blocker outperformed it in our review. User reviews reflect our findings. Notably, Poper Blocker has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.33, 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.
If you want a quick recommendation, Poper Blocker is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you. | |
