If you're an iOS developer looking to create professional app demo videos, you've probably considered both Matte and OBS. While both tools can record your screen, they serve fundamentally different purposes. OBS is a powerful, free, open-source tool designed primarily for live streaming and general screen recording. Matte, on the other hand, is purpose-built for creating polished app demo videos with device frames, backgrounds, and professional touches that make your app shine on the App Store.
Purpose-built for developers who need to create app demo videos quickly and professionally. Record, choose a device frame, pick a background, and export.
$5/mo or $75 lifetime
Free and open-source software for live streaming and general screen recording. Incredibly flexible with a steep learning curve.
Free (Open Source)
| Feature | Matte | OBS |
|---|---|---|
| Device Frames | ✓ Built-in, one-click | ✗ Manual overlay required |
| iOS Simulator Recording | ✓ Native integration | Window capture only |
| Touch Visualization | ✓ Automatic | ✗ |
| App Store Presets | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Manual settings |
| Live Streaming | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learning Curve | Minutes | Days/Weeks |
| Pricing | $5/mo or $75 lifetime | Free |
| Best For | App demos & App Store videos | Streaming & general recording |
OBS is the Swiss Army knife of screen recording. It's free, incredibly flexible, and beloved by streamers, gamers, and content creators worldwide. You can capture multiple sources, add overlays, stream to Twitch or YouTube, and record in various formats. It has a steep learning curve but offers unmatched customization.
Matte takes a focused approach. It's designed specifically for developers who need to create app demo videos quickly and professionally. Instead of wrestling with complex scene configurations, you record your iOS simulator or device, choose a device frame, pick a background, and export. The entire workflow is optimized for one thing: making your app look incredible in video form.
This is where Matte truly shines and where OBS falls short for app demos. Matte automatically wraps your recordings in pixel-perfect device frames—iPhone 15 Pro, iPad Pro, and more. The frames are high-resolution, accurate to Apple's specifications, and update as new devices release.
With OBS, you'd need to manually create or source device frame overlays, position them precisely, deal with scaling issues, and hope the alignment stays correct. Most developers end up taking their OBS recordings into After Effects or Premiere to add device frames—adding hours to the workflow.
Matte handles this in one click. Record, select frame, export. Your app is now showcased in a beautiful device mockup without any post-processing.
Matte offers native iOS simulator recording with automatic detection. Launch your simulator, hit record in Matte, and it captures at the perfect resolution with proper timing. It even captures touch indicators to show users exactly what's happening on screen.
OBS can record the simulator window, but you'll capture the window chrome, need to crop manually, and won't get native touch visualization. You're essentially treating the simulator like any other window rather than understanding it as an iOS device.
Choose OBS if you need live streaming capabilities, want to record gaming content, need complex multi-source compositions, are on a strict zero-budget, or enjoy tinkering with advanced settings. OBS is an incredible tool—it's just not specialized for app demos.
Choose Matte if you're an iOS/macOS developer creating app demos, need device frames without post-processing, want to record iOS simulators natively, need App Store preview videos quickly, or value simplicity and speed over infinite customization.
Ready to create stunning app demos without the complexity? Try Matte free and see how quickly you can make professional App Store preview videos with beautiful device frames.
Try Matte Free →Technically yes, but you'll need additional tools. OBS records raw footage, but App Store previews require specific dimensions, device frames, and professional polish. You'd need to take OBS footage into a video editor to add device frames and ensure correct specs. Matte handles all of this in one workflow.
Yes, OBS is completely free and open source. There are no hidden fees, premium tiers, or feature gates. It's supported by community donations and corporate sponsorships.
No, Matte is focused solely on creating recorded app demo videos. If you need live streaming, OBS is the better choice. Many developers use both tools—OBS for streaming and Matte for polished app demos.
Both can produce excellent quality. Matte exports in ProRes, H.264, and HEVC at up to 4K. OBS offers similar codec options. The difference is workflow efficiency, not output quality.