Free teleprompter for Mac
You can prompt from a Mac without paying. Here's a free one to use right now, the other genuinely free options, and what each one can't do.
Try it now, free, in your browser
Your script is saved in this browser only. Nothing is uploaded.
Nothing is uploaded and there's no sign-up. Full instructions are on the free online teleprompter page.
Short answer
The fastest free teleprompter for Mac is a browser one, like the tool above. The best free native app is Textream: open source, voice tracking, and it sits under the notch, but it needs macOS 15. Keynote presenter notes work if you're presenting slides. The trade-off with most free options: a browser tab can't stay above your call window, and fixed-speed scrolling runs ahead when you pause.
Free teleprompter apps for Mac
Only options you can use without paying are listed, each checked against its official page as of September 2026. Freemium apps with a locked-down free tier are left out.
| Option | Cost | Follows your voice | Stays above other windows | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuey online teleprompterSource: This site | Free, no account | No, fixed speed | No, it's a browser tab | Gets buried under your call window; keeps scrolling when you pause |
| TextreamSource: GitHub | Free, MIT open source | Yes, word tracking or voice-activated | Yes, notch overlay or floating window | Needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later; its README says speech recognition may send audio to Apple |
| QPromptSource: qprompt.app | Free, GPL-3.0 open source | Not mentioned on its site | Not stated | Built for rigs and multi-screen prompting more than a laptop under a webcam |
| Keynote presenter notesSource: Apple Support | Free, included with new Macs | No | Separate window you position | Notes change per slide, not per line; you need a deck |
| NotchPrompterSource: GitHub, App Store | Source free for personal use; App Store build $4.99 | Yes, scrolls when you speak | Yes | Not free from the App Store; the license bars commercial use of the code |
Sources, as of September 2026: Textream README · QPrompt · Keynote in a video conference · Keynote is included free · NotchPrompter on the App Store. Prices and requirements change, so check before you install.
Which free option fits you
- One recording, today: use the browser teleprompter. Paste, set the speed, read.
- Regular calls on macOS 15 or later: Textream. It stays on top and can follow your speech.
- A slide presentation: Keynote. Choose Play > In Window, then open the presenter display window to see your notes and the next slide.
- A studio rig with a second screen or mirrored glass: QPrompt, or the browser tool with Mirror switched on.
Free teleprompter for Zoom
Any of the free options work on a Zoom call. Where you put the text matters more than which app you pick. Research on perceived eye contact found it peaks when you look about 2° below the camera lens (Gao et al., Journal of Vision, 2025). At a typical 55 cm from a MacBook, that's roughly 2 cm under the camera. The middle of the screen is closer to 10°.
- Make the prompter short and wide. Two or three lines is enough. A tall window pulls your eyes down the screen.
- Drag it to the top centre, right under the camera. Keep Zoom's video tiles below it.
- Raise the text size until you can read it without leaning in.
- Share a window, not your whole screen. Zoom lets you share a specific application window instead of the entire screen (Zoom Support). Share your whole screen and your script goes out with it.
- Watch the focus. Keyboard controls only reach the window in front. Click into Zoom to unmute and your space bar no longer pauses the prompter until you click back.
The browser teleprompter has one more catch on calls: the moment you click Zoom, the tab can drop behind it. A native app that floats above other windows avoids that. For the full Zoom setup, see using a teleprompter with Zoom.
When a paid native app is worth it
Free is the right answer if you record now and then. A paid native app starts to earn its place when these apply to you:
- Your script keeps disappearing. You're on calls most days and the prompter ends up behind the call window.
- You don't read at a fixed speed. You pause, answer questions or go off script, and fixed scrolling runs ahead.
- You want it closer to the lens. You need the text docked under the camera without dragging windows around every time.
- Your free option doesn't run on your Mac. Textream needs macOS 15, for example.
Cuey is our native Mac teleprompter built for those cases. It offers five placements, including Notch, Under Camera, Left of Camera and Right of Camera, plus a floating window. Its Voice Follow mode listens through Apple speech recognition and moves to the next line when you reach it. If you pause or ad-lib, it waits. It lives in the menu bar and runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later. It has a Free version and a 2-day trial; Cuey Pro is a one-time purchase.
Comparing paid apps too? Read our guide to the best teleprompter app for MacBook.
Questions, answered
What is the best free teleprompter app for Mac?+
For a native app that costs nothing, Textream is the strongest option: it is MIT-licensed, sits under the notch or floats above other apps, and can track your voice. It needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. On an older Mac, a browser teleprompter or Keynote presenter notes are the free fallbacks.
Is Cuey free?+
Cuey has a Free version (Read and Notes modes, every camera placement) and a 2-day trial of everything. Cuey Pro, which adds Voice Follow, is a one-time $29 purchase with no subscription. The online teleprompter on this page is free and needs no account.
Does macOS have a built-in teleprompter?+
No. The closest built-in option is Keynote, which is free on every new Mac and can show presenter notes in a separate window while your slides play.
Can people on a video call see my teleprompter?+
A teleprompter window isn't part of your camera feed, so it doesn't appear in your video. If you share your entire screen, any window on it can be visible, so share a single app window instead.
Related guides
Say it to the camera.
Not to your notes.
Native Mac app · macOS 14 or later