ScreenKite vs OpenScreen: Native macOS Recorder vs Open-Source Electron App

Feature comparison

The codesigning problem

This is worth calling out specifically because it is a security issue, not just a convenience issue.

OpenScreen ships without a Developer ID certificate. When you download it on macOS, Gatekeeper blocks it with a "damaged" or "cannot be verified" warning. The README instructs users to run:

xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Openscreen.app

This command strips Apple's quarantine flag, bypassing Gatekeeper entirely. It works, but it trains users to disable macOS security protections for any unsigned app. That is a bad habit to build, especially for a tool that requests screen recording, microphone, and camera permissions.

ScreenKite is code-signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple. Double-click, grant permissions, done.

What OpenScreen's open issues reveal

OpenScreen has 25 open issues on GitHub. Several of them highlight fundamental reliability problems that come from the Electron architecture:

• Export doesn't work on Windows — the core functionality of the app is broken on an entire platform.
• VideoDecoder crash — cannot call 'decode' on a closed codec. This is a race condition in the JavaScript export pipeline.
• Cannot select screens/windows to record — the capture picker fails for some users.
• Bottom toolbar cut off on 14" MacBook — Electron's window management does not respect macOS display scaling correctly.
• Gatekeeper blocks the app as "damaged" — filed December 2025, still open.

These are not edge cases. Export, capture, and basic UI layout are the three things a screen recorder must get right. When those break, the tool is not ready for production use.

Codebase reality check

OpenScreen's entire codebase is roughly 34,000 lines of code across 143 files — almost entirely TypeScript and TSX. That is a small web application. The recording, editing, and export logic all run through browser APIs and JavaScript libraries (PixiJS, mp4box, gif.js) inside Electron's Chromium shell.

ScreenKite's native Swift codebase is purpose-built for macOS with direct ScreenCaptureKit, Metal, and VideoToolbox integration. No browser runtime, no JavaScript rendering pipeline, no Electron overhead. The depth of native integration is simply not possible in a web-based architecture.

Where ScreenKite wins

• Reliability. ScreenKite's capture and export paths are built on Apple's production APIs. They do not crash with codec errors or fail on export.
• Performance. GPU-accelerated recording and export versus JavaScript-based processing. The difference is measurable in CPU usage, battery drain, and export time.
• Security. Code-signed, notarized, and distributed through proper channels. No Gatekeeper workarounds needed.
• Features. Drop shadows, cursor smoothing, speed ramping to any speed, pause/resume recording, laptop frames, cloud sharing — production features that OpenScreen has not shipped.
• Maintenance. Full-time development means ScreenKite stays current with macOS updates. OpenScreen is a hobby project that may or may not keep up.

The bottom line

OpenScreen is a fun project. It proves that a motivated developer can get a basic screen recorder working with Electron and PixiJS in a few hundred commits. The viral GitHub traction is impressive, and the MIT license means anyone can learn from it or fork it.

But "went viral on GitHub" and "ready for daily professional use" are different things. When your export pipeline crashes with codec errors, your macOS build requires disabling Gatekeeper, and your UI clips on a standard MacBook — that is a project, not a product.

ScreenKite is the product. Native, GPU-accelerated, code-signed, and built by a full-time team that ships updates when Apple changes things. If you are on macOS and making product demos, tutorials, or walkthroughs for real work, the native stack is not optional — it is the whole point.

If you are on Windows or Linux, OpenScreen is a solid free option. On macOS, the choice is clear.

Download ScreenKite — free during beta, no account required.