Question 1

What does "buy once" mean?

Accepted Answer

You pay once. No subscriptions, no recurring fees. Pro is $39 and activates 1 Mac at a time. Studio is $99 and activates up to 2 Macs at a time. All updates within v1 are included. A future major version (v2, v3, etc.) may be released as a separate paid product; any upgrade pricing for existing owners is at our discretion.

Question 2

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Free is the trial: no time limit, no card required. Every feature is on: Camera AI (background blur, virtual scenes, smart framing, auto-light), Studio Audio (noise removal, voice clarity, EQ), OCR, scroll capture, the full video editor, PDF editor with signatures, transcription, Smart Share. Free has a few caps designed to make Pro's value obvious: 3-minute recordings, 720p export, OwnClip watermark on every export, a soft limit of 25 saved recordings, and 5 Capture Text (OCR + AI) uses a month. Upgrade to Pro ($39 once) to remove every cap, or Studio ($99 once) to add Brand Studio + Go Live.

Question 3

What Macs are supported?

Accepted Answer

OwnClip requires Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 or later) and macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later. Intel Macs are not supported, and OwnClip will not install on an earlier macOS. It is built on capabilities that only exist in the current macOS, so there is no partial or unsupported mode. Check  menu → About This Mac before you buy, and try the free tier first to confirm it runs on your Mac.

Question 4

Where are my recordings saved?

Accepted Answer

Recordings save directly to your local filesystem, by default in ~/Movies/OwnClip/. You can also share via Google Drive, or use the native macOS share sheet for AirDrop, Mail, Messages, and more.

Question 5

Can OwnClip back my captures up automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes, to storage you already own. Switch on Google Drive, iCloud Drive or OneDrive — available on every plan including Free, and you can run several at once — and every screenshot and recording is copied there once it finishes. Studio adds storage you rent yourself, such as Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 or Wasabi. Backup is off until you turn it on, the copies land in your accounts rather than on an OwnClip server, and the originals always stay on your Mac. Sharing is a separate thing with a separate destination: share links are created from your Google Drive, and iCloud Drive can hold backup copies but cannot produce a link.

Question 6

What happens if something interrupts my recording?

Accepted Answer

You keep the take. If the window you were recording closes, the display is unplugged, the lid shuts, screen-recording permission is revoked, or you quit with ⌘Q mid-recording, OwnClip finishes and saves the recording exactly as if you had pressed Stop, and tells you what happened. If OwnClip itself crashes, the next launch completes what was left behind and puts it back in your library under a "Recovered" name — a recovered take has no cursor data, so Smart Zoom isn't available for it. And nothing is ever deleted outright: a file OwnClip can't open goes to the Trash, where you can still reach it. A force-quit or a power cut can still cost you the take, because nothing gets the chance to close the file.

Question 7

Is my data private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All processing (camera effects, noise removal, transcription, AI Studio generation) runs entirely on your Mac. Audio and video never leave your device unless you explicitly share them. OwnClip has zero servers that see your content.

Question 8

How is OwnClip different from other screen recorders?

Accepted Answer

Most popular recorders are cloud-first: your recordings upload to someone else's servers, you pay every month, and your library disappears the day you stop paying. OwnClip is the inverse. It's a native macOS app, Metal-accelerated, with a full editor built in, and recordings stay on your Mac unless you explicitly share them. You decide what leaves your device, you keep your library forever, and you pay once instead of monthly.

Question 9

Can I use it on multiple Macs?

Accepted Answer

Pro activates 1 Mac at a time. Studio activates up to 2 Macs simultaneously. You can manage active devices from ownclip.io/account or from the app settings. To move your license to a new Mac, just deactivate the old one first. Re-installs on the same Mac don't cost an activation slot.

Question 10

Does OwnClip work offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All core features work completely offline: recording, editing, camera effects, transcription, screenshots. An internet connection is only needed for automatic backup, sharing links, and license activation. Captures made offline are copied to your backup destinations as soon as you are back online.

Question 11

What export formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

MP4 (H.264), HEVC (H.265), MOV (QuickTime), ProRes 422 and 4444 for professional workflows, and animated GIF. Quality presets range from Web (1.5 Mbps) to High (10 Mbps), or you can customize the bitrate.

Question 12

Is there a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

All purchases are final. Free is full-featured with no time limit, and we encourage you to use it on real work before deciding. The 3-minute, 720p, watermark, and 25-recording caps are designed so you feel exactly what Pro removes before paying. Mandatory consumer-protection law in your country may grant additional rights. For billing questions, contact support@ownclip.io.

Question 13

Will my recordings work if I stop using OwnClip?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Recordings are standard video files saved on your Mac. They work in any video player, editor, or platform. No proprietary format, no vendor lock-in.

Question 14

What macOS version do I need?

Accepted Answer

macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later, on Apple Silicon. Earlier macOS releases are not supported and OwnClip will not install on them. The download is approximately 150 MB.

Question 15

How do I get support?

Accepted Answer

Email us at support@ownclip.io. We typically respond within 24 hours. For feature requests and bug reports, you can also reach us on Twitter/X.

Frequently asked questions