What to look for in a free teleprompter app

"Free" on an app store page often means a trial, a watermark, or a version that scrolls but takes the one feature you wanted and puts it behind a subscription. Here are the ten things to check before you pay anyone for scrolling text, and how this teleprompter handles each of them.

1. No watermark and no time limit

A prompter that stops after three minutes or stamps a logo on your screen is a demo, not a tool. Check whether the free version has any limit on script length, session length or number of uses.

Here: no limits of any kind. There is no paid version to upgrade to.

2. Voice tracking included

Scrolling that follows your voice is the feature that makes a prompter usable without a second person. It is also the feature most often held back for paying users. Make sure it is in the free tier, and try it with a real script, not a demo text.

Here: voice-controlled auto-scroll is the core feature, free, in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

3. No account to create

A sign-up wall before you can paste a script is a data collection step, not a feature. It also means your scripts live on someone's server.

Here: nothing to sign up for. Open the page or the app and start.

4. Scripts stay on your device

Scripts often contain unreleased announcements, client names or personal stories. Read the privacy policy: where are scripts stored, and is your voice uploaded when voice tracking is on?

Here: scripts are saved in your browser or on your phone only. The teleprompter itself never records or uploads audio; speech recognition runs through your browser's or Apple's speech service, which may process the audio on their servers under their own privacy terms.

5. Mirror mode

If you use a beam-splitter rig, the text has to be flipped so it reads correctly through the glass. Horizontal and vertical mirroring should both be there, because rigs differ.

Here: both, one toggle each in the settings.

6. Works offline

Shoots happen in basements, on rooftops and in studios with no Wi-Fi. A web teleprompter that needs a connection to load your script will let you down at the wrong moment.

Here: installable from the browser and works offline; the app works offline as well.

7. Unlimited scripts, and a way to move between them

A day of filming means a dozen scripts. You want to load them all, order them, and jump to the next one without leaving the prompter.

Here: unlimited scripts, drag to reorder, sort by name, and previous or next script with one tap, a swipe, or the arrow keys.

8. Import and export

Your scripts are written somewhere else. Importing text files saves the copy and paste, exporting gets them back out when you switch devices.

Here: import .txt and .md files, many at once, and export any script as a text file.

9. Control over the layout

Text size, column width, line spacing, scroll speed and the position of the reading line decide whether your eyes stay on the lens. If the reading line cannot move, the prompter dictates where you look.

Here: all five are adjustable, and the settings are saved.

10. Runs where you are

Phone, tablet, laptop, an external prompter monitor. A prompter that only exists as one app on one platform forces the rest of your setup to follow.

Here: the website runs in any browser on any device, and there is a free app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. USB-C prompter monitors work as an external display.

Why this one is free

It was built by a videographer who wanted a teleprompter that just works, and who got tired of paying for scrolling text. The site earns nothing and asks for nothing. The only promotion is one line about cutsmart, the video editing assistant from the same person, which is where the money comes from. That is the whole business model, and it means the teleprompter can stay free.

Run through the list yourself. Paste a script, turn on voice tracking, and see whether it keeps up with you.

Open the teleprompter iPhone, iPad and Mac app