SmoothCapture vs Rotato
Rotato turns screenshots into 3D device animations. SmoothCapture does that too, and records, polishes and edits your app footage first.
SmoothCapture
Pay once • record and edit free • a licence unlocks export
- Records Mac, iPhone, iPad and the iOS Simulator
- Zooms that follow clicks, a smooth cursor, captions and webcam
- Real 3D devices with one-click camera moves and studio lighting
- Multi-clip timeline with audio mixing and AI narration
- One-time licence from $49, or $10 a month
Rotato
One-time • 6–12 months of updates, then paid renewal
- A large library of 3D device models
- Up to 8K, Lottie and image-sequence export
- Several devices in one scene
- Free Figma plugin and a browser version
Rotato pricing in 2026
Rotato is a one-time purchase with a set period of updates. Renewing buys another year of new devices and features; if you don’t renew, the version you have keeps working.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $79 | Phone mockups only. No templates, multi-device scenes or 2D text and images. |
| Standard | $89 | All devices, multi-device scenes, 2D text and images, 18 premium video templates, up to 4K. |
| Premium | $199 | Everything in Standard plus 8K export, 100 premium video templates and website templates. |
From rotato.app/pricing, checked October 2026. Rotato’s own pages list Basic updates as both 6 and 12 months, and renewal prices are not published. Rotato Web is a separate product with its own licence.
SmoothCapture vs Rotato
Rotato is a Mac app built for one job: animated 3D device mockups. You bring a screenshot or a finished recording, drop it on a device, and keyframe the camera. SmoothCapture starts a step earlier. It records your Mac screen, an iPhone over USB or the iOS Simulator, adds zooms that follow your clicks, a smooth cursor, captions and webcam, and then puts the same take on a real 3D device with camera moves, studio lighting and lid or fold animation, all on a multi-clip timeline.
If you only need a 3D still or a short device spin from a screenshot, Rotato is a focused, mature tool. It has a bigger device library, 8K and Lottie export, and an experimental path-traced renderer. If your mockup starts as a screen recording, or you want to cut it into a longer demo with narration, captions and zooms, SmoothCapture saves you the second app and the round trip through a video editor.
What sets them apart
- 1Recording. Rotato doesn’t capture your Mac screen, so you record somewhere else and import the file. SmoothCapture records the Mac screen, a window or an area, an iPhone or iPad over USB, and the iOS Simulator, keeping cursor and click data for zooms. Both can record an iPhone over USB.
- 2Screen-recording polish. SmoothCapture adds zooms that follow your clicks, a smooth cursor, keystrokes, captions and webcam layouts. None of these are part of Rotato’s documented feature set.
- 3Editing. SmoothCapture is a multi-clip editor: trim, split, reorder, speed up and combine takes, imported videos and slides, and give each clip its own device and camera. Rotato focuses on the mockup scene and suggests an external editor to combine projects.
- 4The 3D itself. Both render real 3D devices with keyframed cameras, presets, HDR lighting, reflections, floor shadows and depth of field, and both animate MacBook lids and the iPhone Duo fold. Rotato can place several devices side by side in one scene; SmoothCapture can nest a device inside another device’s screen, up to eight layers deep.
- 5Audio. SmoothCapture mixes mic, system audio, music and AI narration, with fades and ducking under voice. Rotato’s audio inspector offers timing and replacement, without a mixer or fades.
- 6Output. Rotato exports up to 8K on Premium, plus Lottie and image sequences. SmoothCapture exports MP4, MOV, GIF and transparent ProRes 4444 up to 4K60, and can make a share link.
- 7AI agents. Both ship a command-line tool and an MCP server, so Claude, Codex or Cursor can build a film for you.
Other ways to make 3D app mockups
Prices from each product’s pricing page in October 2026.
Screen Studio
$108–$348 a yearPolished Mac screen recordings with automatic zoom. Its device frames are flat, so there is no 3D camera.
Previewed
Free, $9.99 once, or $19/monthBrowser-based 2D and 3D mockups and short videos. The free tier exports 2D at 720p.
Rotato Web
Free during betaRotato’s browser editor, licensed separately from the Mac app and still experimental.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SmoothCapture | Rotato |
|---|---|---|
| Mac screen, window and area recording | ||
| iPhone and iPad recording over USB | ||
| iOS Simulator recording | Import a file | |
| Zooms that follow your clicks | ||
| Smooth cursor and click effects | ||
| Webcam overlay | ||
| Captions and transcript editing | ||
| Keystroke overlay | ||
| Real 3D device models | ||
| Keyframed 3D camera | ||
| Animation presets and templates | ||
| Laptop lid and fold animation | ||
| HDR lighting, reflections and depth of field | ||
| Several devices in one scene | Nested in screens | |
| Path-traced rendering | Experimental | |
| Multi-clip timeline | ||
| Titles and text animation | ||
| Audio mixing, fades and AI narration | Timing only | |
| Transparent video export | ProRes 4444 | ProRes 4444, HEVC |
| Maximum export | 4K60 | 8K (Premium) |
| Lottie export | ||
| Figma plugin | ||
| CLI and MCP for AI agents | ||
| Price | From $49 one-time | $79–$199 + renewals |
Which tool is best for you?
Choose SmoothCapture if you:
- Your mockup starts as a screen recording of a Mac app, an iPhone or the Simulator
- You want zooms, a smooth cursor, captions or webcam on the same video
- You cut several clips, devices and takes into one launch film or demo
- You add narration or music and want to mix it in the same app
- You would rather pay once from $49 than buy two apps
Choose Rotato if you:
- You only animate static screenshots and never record your screen
- You need 8K renders, Lottie files or a Figma plugin
- You want several devices side by side in one scene
- You want the widest choice of device models
Limitations of Rotato
- No Mac screen recording: record elsewhere, then import
- No click zooms, cursor smoothing, captions or webcam in its documented features
- Not a video editor: combining projects means another app
- Audio is timing and replacement only, with no mixer or fades
- Updates stop after 6–12 months unless you pay to renew
The Verdict
Rotato is the specialist: if your job is turning screenshots into polished 3D device shots, its device range and 8K output are hard to beat. SmoothCapture is the better fit when the mockup is part of a product video. You record the app, polish the footage the way you would in Screen Studio, put it on a real 3D device, and cut the whole film on one timeline, from $49 once.
Related reading: 3D device mockups in SmoothCapture, SmoothCapture vs Screen Studio.
Ready to try SmoothCapture?
Download now to record, edit, and test editor effects before buying. Exporting and share links require a valid license key.
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