What Screencastify is

The extension records a browser tab, desktop, or webcam with microphone narration, drawing tools, and captions, then supports trimming, merging, and sharing by link, Google Drive, Google Classroom, or MP4, GIF, and MP3 export. Teachers can add interactive questions and see who watched.

Feature coverage

  • Tab, desktop, and webcam recording
  • Interactive questions and viewer analytics
  • Google Drive and Classroom sharing

What stands out

  • Very large public footprint
  • Updated October 2026
  • Publisher has taken the Student Privacy Pledge

Tradeoffs to know

  • 3.9 rating below other recorders
  • Free plan capped at 10 videos
  • Recordings are stored in its cloud

Is Screencastify safe to use?

Screencastify is reasonably safe for classroom use: a narrow listing disclosure of personally identifiable information, a privacy policy that addresses COPPA and FERPA and commits to the Student Privacy Pledge, and current updates. The caveats are product ones, a 3.9 rating and a 10-video free cap, plus the usual care over what appears on screen.

Page access Broad

Requests page-content access across sites. Broad access is not itself a red flag — the question is whether the job justifies the reach, and whether the publisher's record earns it.

Recording a tab and drawing on it require access to the pages you record, and desktop or webcam capture goes through Chrome's screen-sharing and camera prompts. Close unrelated tabs and notifications before recording, because anything visible on screen ends up in the video.

Store-disclosed data

  • Personally identifiable information

The listing names only personally identifiable information, chiefly account details from sign-in. Screencastify, LLC's privacy policy says data is stored in Google Cloud in the United States, includes the videos you create, and states that student data is not sold; the company says it upholds the Student Privacy Pledge.

Where does Screencastify store my recordings?

Screencastify's privacy policy says data, including the videos you create, is stored in Google Cloud in the United States. You can also share to Google Drive or export MP4, GIF, or MP3 files.

Is Screencastify safe for students?

Its privacy policy says it upholds the Student Privacy Pledge, does not sell student data, and lets schools consent under COPPA for educational use. Schools should still confirm their own data agreement before rolling it out.

Is Screencastify free?

Partly. The free plan allows 10 videos of up to 30 minutes each. Starter, Pro, and Enterprise/EDU plans remove the video cap and add editing, AI, and admin features.

How we judge this: our extension safety guide · how we rate

Pricing

Free plan for 10 videos up to 30 minutes; paid Starter, Pro, and Enterprise/EDU plans. Pricing and plan limits change more often than store metadata, so use the linked developer page as the final check before subscribing.

Alternatives

AlternativeLoomAlternativeAwesome Screenshot

Sources

We used the official Chrome Web Store listing and first-party developer material. Public metrics can change after the fact-check date.

  1. Chrome Web Store listing

    Rating, rating count, public users, version, update date, and publisher disclosures verified 2026-10-12.

  2. Screencastify product documentation

    First-party product, feature, support, or project documentation used for workflow context.

  3. Extension Reviewer methodology

    How public claims, permissions, evidence, and tradeoffs are reviewed.

View in Chrome Web Store Developer site
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