Every video creator wants to leave a lasting impression on their audience. But how to do that if you are an off-camera person? Now, using those little flashcards can be cumbersome, and it may not add to your confidence. So, if you want to deliver your message like a TED Talk presenter, consider using an online teleprompter.

Besides helping you speak flawlessly, a teleprompter app saves time by cutting out on those re-takes and post-production edits that may occur because of slip-ups, awkward fillers, or forgetting what to say next.

In this post, we’ll discuss what is a teleprompter, how to use a teleprompter online and share our top picks for free and paid teleprompter apps.

What is a Teleprompter?

Traditionally, a display device that scrolls text as a person reads and speaks it to the audience; today, a teleprompter could also refer to an app that lets you convert your laptop, tablet or smartphone into a text-prompting device.

Apart from helping you maintain eye contact with the audience as you speak, it also makes you sound natural and more confident while eliminating the need to memorize a script or cues.

Best Online Teleprompter Tools: Free & Paid

1. Wave.video

Wave.video is an all-in-one, browser-based tool that helps you create amazing videos, live streams and recordings in a centralized platform. It streamlines connecting with your audiences through its amazing features, and its online teleprompter is one of them. It enables you to deliver accurate speeches with conviction, is easy to use and completely flexible.

You can use Wave.video’s teleprompter to save time as you create perfect live videos while keeping eye contact with your audience. You can easily use it to eliminate those awkward pauses and ensure a smooth flow of speech as you live stream.

Pros

• Quick set up and hassle-free use
• Integration within the live-streaming studio
• An all-inclusive video creation, live streaming and recording suite
• Easy text adjustment options
• Free tool for all users

Free or Paid: Free

Platforms: Web

Verdict

Wave.video enables live streamers and video creators to manage their speeches directly from within the studio. You can easily add text, adjust the font, speed and margin and enjoy it for free. It’s one of the best teleprompter apps that does the job exceedingly well, without stressing you with overwhelming features.

How to Use Wave.video’s Online Teleprompter

You can use Wave.video’s teleprompter while live streaming or recording a video. Here’s how to do that in a few simple steps:

Step 1 – Log In and Set Up a Live Stream or Start a Recording

Log into your Wave.video account, go to “My streams & recordings” on the left and click “Setup Live Stream” or “New Recording”. You can also directly go to the studio by choosing “Open Studio” from the options.

Step 2 – Add Stream Details and Destinations

Now, add a title, description and choose a folder for recording. You can also upload a thumbnail and schedule the live stream in this step.

Once done, click “Setup destinations”.

After selecting your live stream destinations, click “Create Live Stream”.

Step 3 – Open Studio & Go to the Teleprompter

After checking the mic and camera settings, enter the live studio, and click the “Teleprompter” tab on the right.

You can now paste or type your text in the teleprompter box and click “Show”.

Your text will be displayed on the screen along with your video. You can adjust the font size, speed, and margin according to your requirements.

To play the text, hit the “Play (Space)” tab or use the space key on your keyboard.

And that’s how easy it is to use Wave.video’s teleprompter feature for your live streams and video recordings!

2. Speakflow

If you need a teleprompter that enables team collaboration and organization while keeping track of all the changes made to the scripts, Speakflow can help. Like Wave.video, this one is also a web-based app, but it doesn’t offer live streaming functionality.

However, it does offer a unique flow mode where it follows your voice as you read. So, you can take pauses and sound natural without requiring video re-takes.

Pros

• Scroll with your voice using the flow mode
• Sync multiple devices at once
• Hassle-free collaboration
• Auto-save feature with revision history and AI assistance

Cons:

• No live streaming functionality
• Some online reviews complaint about glitches in the flow mode

Free or Paid: Paid, starting at $10 per month

Platforms: Web

Verdict

Speakflow is a good online teleprompter that offers multiple features like device sync for remotely scrolling the text, text adjustments, integrated AI and voice recognition, etc. But, it’s not a free tool. So, if you need a teleprompter app at no added cost, you may have to look elsewhere.

3. Promptr

Built as a personal project, Promptr is one of the well-deserved entries on this list. The web-based teleprompter app doesn’t require sign-ups or downloads. Its clean user interface is fantastic and it lets you focus on what you need to speak. There are multiple formatting options, text adjustments and mirrored and normal views for hassle-free reading.

Pros

• A free, web-based tool that works on all devices
• Clean and intuitive UI
• Easy text adjustment

Cons:
There is no option to read the text as an overlay on other apps.

Free or Paid: Free

Platforms: Web

Verdict

Promptr doesn’t limit itself to a basic online teleprompter. Instead, it seamlessly serves speakers with features that help match the flow of their voice with the text on the screen. On the flip side, it doesn’t offer an overlay feature. So, if you need to use it with a live streaming app, you’d have to choose an alternative like Wave.video.

4. PromptDog

Our next pick, PromptDog, is an excellent teleprompter software for Windows and macOS devices. Although it requires a download, its list of features makes it worth the storage space. It lets you read your script in front of or beside the camera, supports multiple languages and even comes with a rewind feature to back up a few lines for those quick re-takes.

There’s also an eyeline indicator with adjustable transparency and a fast search option to aid your video production efforts.

Pros

• Compatible with most professional teleprompter hardware
• Easy above/below the lens setup
• Works offline
• Dual screen support

Cons:

• Requires downloading the app
• Available only for Windows and macOS devices

Free or Paid: Paid, one-time payment of $99

Platforms: Windows, macOS

Verdict

PromptDog is an excellent fit for Windows and macOS users who want to record videos even when they are offline. And although it’s not free, it doesn’t require recurrent payments like other paid apps on this list.

5. Teleprompter Online

Another free app for those needing a web-based teleprompter, Teleprompter Online has many customization options like text size, duration control, color management, etc.

You can also record your speech as an audio file which can be stored locally. The audio recordings get immediately available for download without reaching the app’s servers.

Pros

• Horizontal, vertical, mirror and reverse effects
• Responsive app
• Play, pause and stop feature
• Local recordings available

Cons:

• A bit archaic interface
• No overlay option

Free or Paid: Free

Platforms: Web

Verdict

Teleprompter Online is a no-fuss tool to prompt text directly to your browser. You get some good features like the mirror and reverse effects, making it a great app to use with a physical teleprompter device.

6. PromptSmart

PromptSmart is a cross-platform app suite for video production and offers some interesting features that make it one of the best online teleprompter tools out there. From its VoiceTrack technology that automatically scrolls as you speak, stops when you pause, and resumes when you return to the script to its customer portal, there’s much to like about this app.

However, it comes at a decent price point, and you just get a 7-day free trial to test the waters.

Pros

• Cloud sync
• Browser-based control room
• Multilingual support for VoiceTrack scrolling

Cons:

• No free version
• Involves a bit of a learning curve
• Requires download and sign-up

Free or Paid: Paid, starting at $9.99/month

Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Verdict

If you’re looking for an intuitive teleprompter with a voice-activated feature, PromptSmart is your best bet. This one has many useful features like a remote control room, duplicate prompter displays and speaker profiles, etc., making this paid app worth the price.

7. Teleprompter Mirror

Teleprompter Mirror may not have the range of features you’ll see on most apps, but the browser-based version excels at simple prompting, voice-activated scrolling and text adjustment.

You can go for this app from the company that sells teleprompter mirrors and enjoy a trouble-free prompting experience, as they know what their audience needs. The web interface is slick and performance is a real highlight too.

Pros

• Voice-activated scrolling
• Mirror flip option
• Multilingual support
• Offers keyboard shortcuts

Cons:

• No option to live stream
• Can’t use as an overlay with other apps

Free or Paid: Free

Platforms: Web

Verdict

Teleprompter Mirror is an impressive tool for anyone who doesn’t want to download or sign up for a teleprompter app. It’s easy to use and offers some great features like automatic scrolling, voice-activated scrolling, keyboard shortcuts, font color management, etc.

Conclusion

These teleprompter apps can help you speak to the camera with confidence and deliver your script without memorizing it. So, if you hate breaking eye contact with your viewers, use one of the tools mentioned on this list and create more engaging and professional-looking videos.

To learn how to make your videos more professional, check this guide.