Compare Screencastify and Web Activity Tracker: Which Extension is the Best?

	Screencastify	Web Activity Tracker
	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	Web Activity Time Tracker is an open-source extension that tracks time on websites, providing insights and customizable alerts to help manage online activities. Time Management Productivity
Key Features	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.	Activity Monitoring: Tracks time spent on different websites. Detailed Reports: Provides insights into daily, weekly, and monthly activity. Limit and Block Distracting Websites: Set daily time limits for specific websites Custom Alerts: Set alerts for excessive time on specific sites. Pomodoro Mode: Use the Pomodoro technique for focus work Export: Export your Data to CSV.
Our Rating	7.8	9.2
Total users	6,000,000	37,399
Total ratings	11,733	814
Average rating	4.0 ⭐	4.7 ⭐
Entry Level Price	Free	Free
Chrome	4.0 11.7K+ ratings 6.0M+Users	4.8 789 ratings 30.0K+Users
Edge	-	4.6 25 ratings 7.4K+Users
Firefox	-	-
Safari	-	-
Features	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.	8.7 The tool offers the option of independently tracking your time on different websites. Compared to its competitors, it stands out because it has thought about which functions are important for effective tracking. This can be seen, for example, in the function that automatically stops tracking if there is no activity on the website within a certain period. This avoids the problem faced by competitors: if several tabs are open, they all continue to be tracked simultaneously. The reports are also very clearly presented, but there is still some room for improvement in the evaluation, for example by classifying the websites directly into categories such as social media or similar, so that they can be evaluated later.
Performance	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.	9.7 The tool works reliably, there were no crashes or errors during testing. It tracks and reports data efficiently without you noticing any performance issues during use. A few users wrote in reviews that there were inaccuracies in the tracked time, which we could not reproduce in the test.
Design	9.0 The design is intuitive and user-friendly. We think that navigation is very intuitive despite the many functions.	9.0 The Design is clear and intuitive. Some design changes such as the dark mode can also be adjusted in the settings. In our opinion, the dashboard is the only area where there is still room for improvement in terms of presenting the evaluations.
Value for Money	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.	9.3 As a free tool, it offers good value for money for users looking for basic tracking features at no cost. In comparison with competitors, many functions are already offered, but other competitors still have useful functions, particularly in the evaluation of data, and there is still room for improvement here.
Ease of Use	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 Setting up the Web Activity Time Tracker is simple and does not require a great deal of technical skill. The tool is designed to be very user-friendly, including the setup with short instructions. The only thing that is a little confusing is that not all evaluations can be displayed in the dashboard via the icon. Only the evaluation for the current day is displayed here.
Security & Privacy	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.	9.7 Web Activity Time Tracker performs almost perfectly here, as it does not collect or transmit any data. This data is only stored on the local computer. The entire code can be read open source on GitHub. However, it is also pointed out in the very short privacy policy that this can change; a somewhat more detailed policy would be desirable in this case, in which it is also specified which data is stored locally and where.
Conclusion	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.	Web Activity Time Tracker is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to know how much time is spent on which websites. The user-friendly design and comprehensive reports make it an easy tool to increase productivity. The customizability of various features also stood out. Overall, it offers good added value, especially when you consider that it's free.
	Install Screencastify	Install Web Activity Tracker
Our Recommendation	In our comparison between Screencastify and Web Activity Tracker, Web Activity Tracker came out on top, scoring 9.2. Screencastify is the most widely used, with over 6 million users and 12k+ reviews, but Web Activity Tracker outperformed it in our review. User reviews reflect our findings. Notably, Web Activity Tracker has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.71, 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, Web Activity Tracker lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.7. Need top performance? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5. Both look and feel great: Screencastify and Web Activity Tracker. In the Design category, Screencastify has scored an excellent 9. The design is both attractive and highly functional, making it stand out. Want to get the most for your money? Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.3. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 5. If you hate complicated tools, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5. With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Web Activity Tracker stands out with a rating of 9.7. On the other hand, Screencastify lags behind in this area with a rating of 8. If you want a quick recommendation, Web Activity Tracker is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.