Every interactive demo tool captures your product in one of two ways. It saves a picture of each screen, or it saves the page itself. The choice affects how sharp the demo looks, what you can edit after recording, and how much the plan costs.
The short answer. A screenshot demo stores an image of each step. It is fast, faithful and works on every page. An HTML demo stores the page's code, so text stays editable as text and steps stay sharp at any zoom. Proovyt records screenshots on every plan and HTML on Pro and Team, in beta.
Key Takeaways
- A screenshot demo stores an image of each step. An HTML demo stores the page itself.
- HTML steps stay sharp at any zoom and their text can be edited as text.
- Proovyt edits text and numbers on screenshots too, on every plan.
- In our research, HTML capture was the biggest price gate. Proovyt includes it on Pro at $79, in beta.
- Proovyt keeps the screenshot next to every HTML step.
The Difference at a Glance
| Screenshot demo | HTML demo | |
|---|---|---|
| What is stored | An image of each screen | The page's HTML next to each screenshot |
| Sharpness when zoomed | Scaled from the image | Rendered from the page |
| Editing text | Cover it with new text on the image | Edit it as text |
| Hiding data | Blur on the image | Blur the field |
| Works on every page | Yes | Most pages. Complex pages can vary |
| Typical price | Entry and free plans | Mid tier at most vendors |
How a Screenshot Demo Works
Each click saves an image of the screen and marks where you clicked. The editor shows the image with a hotspot on it. Anything you add, such as a callout, a label or a blur, sits on top of the image.
Screenshots are reliable. What the viewer sees is exactly what was on your screen. The trade-off is that text is part of the picture, so changing it means covering it.
In Proovyt, editing a screenshot does not need HTML. Replace text covers a word or a line with your own, and Proovyt samples the screenshot around it so the new text sits in place. Change a number swaps a figure without an image editor. Both are on every plan, Free included. See how to change text and numbers on a screenshot.
How an HTML Demo Works
With HTML capture, the tool records the page itself as you click. Each step can be shown from that HTML instead of from an image.
In Proovyt, the extension asks before you record whether to capture screenshots or HTML. With HTML, it records the page next to each screenshot. In the editor, the HTML Version switch shows the HTML step, and the inspector lists the fields you blurred and the text you replaced. Typed text is never captured.
Sharpness and Zoom
Zoom shows the problem with images most clearly. Zooming into a screenshot enlarges its pixels. Zooming into an HTML step renders the page larger.
Proovyt zooms a step up to 3x on the hotspot, and callouts keep their size so their text stays crisp in both modes. With HTML capture, the screen under the callout stays sharp too.
Privacy
Both kinds of demo can carry data you do not want public, such as customer names and emails.
- On a screenshot, Proovyt bakes blur into the image pixels when you publish or export, so the original is not underneath.
- On an HTML step, you blur the field and the inspector lists it.
- In both, publishing copies only the screens the demo uses.
Read how to blur sensitive data in a product demo.
Price
In our research, HTML capture was the biggest price gate in the demo market. On 6 October 2026, published prices for it were HowdyGo Starter $159 a month, Supademo Business $199, Guideflow Growth $499 and Storylane Growth $500, all per month and billed annually except HowdyGo. Arcade had it on Enterprise only. Proovyt includes it on Pro at $79 a month billed annually, in beta. See interactive demo software with HTML capture.
Which One to Choose
Choose screenshots when:
- You want the fastest, most faithful copy of what is on screen.
- Your edits are a few values or names, which replace text and change number handle.
- You are on a free or entry plan.
Choose HTML when:
- Viewers will zoom into dense screens such as tables and dashboards.
- You change a lot of on-screen copy for different audiences.
- You want edited text to be real text on the page, not a patch on an image.
You do not have to choose once. In Proovyt Pro and Team the extension asks before every recording.
Capture Reliability
Screenshots capture whatever the browser shows, so they work on any page you can see. HTML capture has to record the page's structure, and complex or dynamic interfaces are where capture problems show up most in public reviews of demo tools. That is one reason Proovyt keeps the screenshot next to every HTML step. If an HTML step does not look right, the screenshot is still there.
Editing Compared
| Edit | On a screenshot step | On an HTML step |
|---|---|---|
| Change a word | Replace text, which samples the screenshot around it | Edit the text |
| Change a figure | Change a number | Edit the text |
| Hide a value | Blur, baked into pixels on publish | Blur the field |
| Point at something | Hotspot, callout, label, highlight | Hotspot, callout, label, highlight |
Where Each Fits by Use
| Use | Usual fit |
|---|---|
| Homepage demo of a short flow | Screenshots |
| Help article showing one task | Screenshots |
| Dashboard or table that viewers zoom into | HTML |
| Sales demo tailored with different copy per prospect | HTML |
Related Guides
- How to Change Text and Numbers on a Screenshot, replace text and change a number, step by step.
- How to Blur Sensitive Data in a Product Demo, what to hide on each step and how blur is baked in.
- Interactive Demo Software Pricing, the full price ladder read on 6 October 2026.
- What Is an Interactive Product Demo, the format explained, with how it is made and where it is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a screenshot demo and an HTML demo? A screenshot demo stores an image of each screen. An HTML demo stores the page itself, so text stays editable and steps stay sharp at any zoom.
Can I edit text in a screenshot demo? In Proovyt, yes. Replace text and change number work on screenshots on every plan.
Is HTML capture available on Proovyt's Free plan? No. It is on Pro and Team, in beta. Every plan works from screenshots.
Does HTML capture record passwords or form input? In Proovyt, typed text is never captured.
Are HTML demos always better? No. Screenshots are faithful to what was on screen and work everywhere. HTML is worth it for dense screens, heavy zoom and frequent copy changes.