Comparison · Updated August 2026

A Parrot Teleprompter alternative for recording at a computer

Parrot Teleprompter is a great free prompter for your phone. But if you record on a Mac or PC, you want the script to follow your voice, a recorder in the same app, and notes that stay off your screen shares. That's where Lumi fits.

Get Lumi for $27

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

Two good tools built for two different setups

Parrot Teleprompter, from Padcaster, is one of the most popular free teleprompter apps on iOS and Android. It does the mobile job well: unlimited scripts, a hundred scroll-speed presets, adjustable font and margins, mirror mode for beam-splitter rigs, Dropbox sync, and a Bluetooth remote when you add the hardware kit. If you shoot on a phone or tablet, it's a genuinely good pick — and free.

Lumi solves a different setup: recording at a computer. Instead of setting a scroll speed and chasing it, the script follows your voice; instead of pairing a separate camera, the recorder is built in; and on video calls your notes stay invisible to everyone else. It runs on macOS, Windows, and the web — not on phones. So this isn't “better than Parrot,” it's the right tool when your camera is a webcam, not a phone.

What you get with Lumi that a mobile prompter doesn't cover

  • FlowPrompt™ follows your voice. No speed preset to fight. The script scrolls at your natural pace, pauses when you stop, and resumes when you speak again.
  • Recorder built into the app. Script and take live in the same window — no separate camera app, no beam-splitter rig required to get a recording.
  • Meeting Mode for Zoom, Meet, and Teams. Your script is visible to you and absent from what you share on calls and recordings — not just nudged out of frame.
  • Made for desktop recording. On a laptop, the overlay sits right under the webcam at the top of the screen, so reading reads as eye contact.
  • Scripts stay on your device. The desktop app keeps your text local and works offline — no cloud account needed to prompt.

Lumi vs Parrot Teleprompter, side by side

Comparison of Lumi and Parrot Teleprompter, as of August 2026
LumiParrot Teleprompter
Voice-following scroll FlowPrompt Speed presets + Bluetooth remote
Records video in the same app Yes Prompter only; pair a camera
Invisible on Zoom/Meet/Teams shares Yes No
Runs on desktop (macOS/Windows) Native apps + web Mobile only
Native mobile app (iOS/Android) Web, not phone-optimized Yes
Price $9/mo or $27 lifetime Free

Parrot details are drawn from public information as of August 2026 and may change. If most of your recording happens on a computer, Lumi is the closer fit — start with the Mac app or the web version.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lumi an iPhone or Android app like Parrot Teleprompter?+
No — and that's the main difference. Parrot Teleprompter is a native mobile app for iOS and Android, made for prompting on a phone or tablet. Lumi is a desktop app for macOS and Windows plus a web version at app.getlumi.pro. If you film mostly on your phone, Parrot fits that; if you record at a computer, Lumi is built for that setup.
Does Lumi scroll with my voice? Parrot scrolls manually.+
Yes. Parrot Teleprompter scrolls with speed presets and a Bluetooth remote (from its hardware kit), so you set a pace or tap to move. Lumi's FlowPrompt listens to your voice and scrolls at your natural rhythm, pausing when you pause and resuming when you continue — no fixed speed to fight.
Is Parrot Teleprompter free, and how much is Lumi?+
Parrot Teleprompter is free on iOS and Android. Lumi is a paid tool — $9/month, or $27 once for a lifetime license — and that one purchase covers the macOS app, the Windows app, and the web version. Prices as listed in August 2026.
Can I record my video inside the app?+
In Lumi, yes — it's a teleprompter and a recorder in one window, so the script and the take live in the same place. Parrot Teleprompter is a prompter: you point a separate camera (or its hardware kit and beam-splitter glass) at the phone and record with your camera app. Two tools versus one.
Does either one stay hidden when I share my screen on a call?+
That's a Lumi feature: Meeting Mode keeps your script visible to you but out of what you share on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. Parrot is a mobile prompter and isn't built around video-call screen sharing, so it doesn't offer that.
I found Parrot searching for a phone teleprompter. Should I still look at Lumi?+
If your whole workflow is on your phone, Parrot is a solid free choice. Look at Lumi if any of your recording happens on a laptop or desktop — for computer recording you get voice-following scroll, a built-in recorder, and invisibility on video calls, which a mobile prompter doesn't cover.

Recording at a computer? Let the script follow your voice

Get Lumi — voice-following scroll, recorder built in, invisible on calls. $9/mo or $27 lifetime.

Get Lumi for $27Watch the demo

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