Every Mac comes with QuickTime Player built in, and it includes basic screen recording capabilities. For years, developers have used QuickTime to record their iOS simulators and devices. It's free, it's already installed, and it works. So why would anyone pay for Matte?
Complete workflow from recording to polished demo. Record your simulator, choose a device frame, pick a background, and export ready for App Store.
$5/mo or $75 lifetime
Basic screen recording included with every Mac. Records screens and connected iOS devices. Minimal editing—trim start and end only.
Free (included with macOS)
| Feature | Matte | QuickTime |
|---|---|---|
| Device Frames | ✓ Built-in, one-click | ✗ Requires video editor |
| Touch Visualization | ✓ Automatic | ✗ |
| Timeline Editing | ✓ Full timeline | Trim only |
| App Store Presets | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Manual settings |
| iOS Device Recording | ✓ USB | ✓ USB |
| Simulator Recording | ✓ Native | Window capture |
| Workflow Time | 5-10 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
| Pricing | $5/mo or $75 lifetime | Free |
With QuickTime, recording an app demo looks like this: Open QuickTime, start a new screen recording, select your simulator or use the device recording feature, record your demo, stop recording, save the file. Now open your video editor. Import the footage. Find or create a device frame. Position your recording inside the frame. Add a background. Export with the right settings for App Store. Total time: 30-60 minutes if you know what you're doing.
With Matte: Open Matte, select your simulator/device/window, hit record, stop recording, choose a device frame, pick a background, export. Total time: 5-10 minutes, including export. Same professional result, fraction of the time.
QuickTime records pixels. That's it. If you want your app displayed in a beautiful iPhone frame with a gradient background—the industry standard for app demos—you need separate tools and significant effort.
Matte includes a complete library of device frames that update with new Apple hardware. iPhone 15 Pro, iPad Pro, Apple Watch—all pixel-perfect and ready to use. Select your recording, click a frame, and it's applied instantly. No Photoshop, no After Effects, no hunting for device mockup templates.
When someone watches your app demo, they need to understand what's happening. Where did the user tap? What gestures are being performed? QuickTime doesn't show this—you see the screen but not the interaction.
Matte automatically visualizes taps and gestures, making your demos clear and professional. Viewers can follow along exactly with what's happening in your app.
QuickTime is free, and free is compelling. If you're making one quick demo for internal use, QuickTime works fine.
Matte costs $5/month or $75 for lifetime access. For developers regularly creating app demos, marketing materials, or App Store assets, the time savings pay for itself quickly. One hour of developer time is worth more than $75 at any reasonable billing rate.
Tired of the QuickTime-to-editor-to-export workflow? Try Matte and create professional app demos with device frames in minutes, not hours.
Try Matte Free →Yes, QuickTime can record connected iOS devices via Lightning or USB-C cable. Go to File > New Movie Recording, then select your device as the camera source. However, you get raw footage without device frames or professional polish.
No, Matte is a standalone application with its own recording engine. It doesn't depend on QuickTime for any functionality.
The quality is acceptable, but you'll need to handle dimensions, framing, and export settings yourself. QuickTime doesn't know App Store preview requirements—you need to ensure compliance manually.
Not within QuickTime. You'd need to import the recording into a video editor (Final Cut, Premiere, After Effects) and manually composite device frames. This adds significant time and requires design skills or purchased templates.