Comparison · Updated August 2026

An Elgato Prompter alternative with no hardware to buy

The Elgato Prompter is a beautiful piece of gear — a screen that sits in front of your lens. Lumi does the reading job in software: a script at the camera line, scrolling with your voice, a recorder built in, invisible on calls. No device, no mount, from $27.

Get Lumi for $27

One-time payment · or $9/mo subscription · macOS, Windows & Web

Hardware prompter vs software prompter

The Elgato Prompter is a single-piece unit with a built-in 9-inch screen that mounts in front of your camera and mirrors any app onto the glass, controlled through Elgato's Camera Hub app on Mac or PC. It's genuinely nice hardware — and it's priced like hardware, around $279.99 for the Prompter and $599.99 for the Prompter XL.

Lumi takes the software route. Your script becomes an overlay at the top of your screen, right under the webcam, so there's nothing to buy or bolt to a tripod. That trade means Lumi is portable (any Mac, PC, or browser) and adds things a display can't: voice-following scroll, a built-in recorder, and invisibility on video calls. Different tools for different budgets and setups.

What the software approach gives you

  • Nothing to buy or mount. Lumi runs on the Mac, PC, or browser you already use — no $280+ device, no desk real estate, no travel case.
  • FlowPrompt™ follows your voice. The script scrolls at your pace and pauses when you do, instead of you chasing a preset scroll speed.
  • Recorder in the same app. Elgato's prompter is a screen; you record separately. Lumi records your take in the same window as the script.
  • Meeting Mode for Zoom, Meet, and Teams. Your notes stay visible to you and out of what you share — something a hardware prompter never touches.
  • Goes wherever you do. Same account and scripts on a studio desktop or a laptop in a hotel room.

Lumi vs Elgato Prompter, side by side

Comparison of Lumi and the Elgato Prompter, as of August 2026
LumiElgato Prompter
No hardware required Software only $279.99 device / XL $599.99
Voice-following scroll FlowPrompt Camera Hub speed; Voice Sync on XL
Text directly over the lens Overlay just below the webcam Beam-splitter glass
Records video in the same app Yes Display only; record separately
Invisible on Zoom/Meet/Teams shares Yes No
Cost $9/mo or $27 lifetime Hardware purchase

Elgato details are drawn from public information as of August 2026 and may change. Want the reading help without the gear? Start on Mac, Windows, or the web.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to buy hardware to use Lumi like I do with Elgato Prompter?+
No. The Elgato Prompter is a physical device with a built-in screen that mounts in front of your camera (around $279.99, or $599.99 for the Prompter XL). Lumi is software — an overlay on the screen you already have. Nothing to buy, mount, or find desk space for.
Does Lumi scroll with my voice?+
Yes. Lumi's FlowPrompt follows your voice and scrolls at your natural pace, pausing when you stop. Elgato's script scrolling is driven through its Camera Hub app (speed-based), with Voice Sync highlighted on the Prompter XL model.
The Elgato puts text right over the lens. Can software match that?+
Not exactly, and it's worth being clear: a beam-splitter device like Elgato's places text directly over the lens, so your eyeline is dead-center. Lumi's overlay sits just below your webcam — a few degrees off, which viewers still read as eye contact. If pixel-perfect on-lens eyeline in a fixed studio is the priority, hardware wins; if you want a portable setup with no gear, Lumi does that.
Can I record inside Lumi? The Elgato is just a display.+
Yes. Lumi is a teleprompter and a recorder in one app. The Elgato Prompter is a screen — you still record with your own camera, webcam, or software like OBS. With Lumi the prompter and the recorder are the same window.
Does Lumi stay hidden when I share my screen on a call?+
Yes — Meeting Mode keeps your script visible to you and absent from what you share on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. A hardware prompter isn't part of a screen share at all, so it doesn't cover this case.
How does the cost compare?+
The Elgato Prompter is a one-time hardware purchase around $279.99 (Prompter XL $599.99), plus the free Camera Hub app. Lumi is $9/month or $27 once, and runs on macOS, Windows, and the web — no device. Prices as listed in August 2026.

A prompter at the camera line — without the hardware

Get Lumi. Voice-following scroll, recorder built in, invisible on calls. $9/mo or $27 once.

Get Lumi for $27Watch the demo

One-time payment, yours forever · or $9/mo subscription