StepshotsFree Interactive Demo Software: What Each Free Tier Actually Includes (2026)
Six interactive demo tools with real free tiers compared: demo limits, watermarks, and where they cap — plus one option whose recorder is fully open source.
The Short Answer
Every major interactive demo tool has a free plan, but they differ a lot in what you can actually ship with one. Most cap you at 1–5 published demos, keep their watermark or branding on the player, and lock analytics or export behind paid tiers. Here's what each free tier includes as of July 2026, checked against each vendor's own pricing page — plus one structural exception: the Stepshots recorder is open source, so local recording is free without any limit.
Free Tiers Compared
| Free demos | Seats | Branding on free | Where it caps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stepshots | 1 hosted demo + unlimited local recording (open-source CLI) | 1 | Stepshots branding (custom branding is Pro) | Analytics and unlimited hosted demos are Pro |
| Storylane | 1 published demo | 1 | Storylane logo (removal starts at Starter) | 1 demo live at a time |
| Arcade | 1 published demo + 1 video | 1 | Watermark, not removable on free | Editing capped at 3 Arcades; export is paid |
| Supademo | 5 guided demos + 50 video recordings | 1 | Watermark, not removable on free | Capped at 5 demos |
| Navattic | 1 demo (HTML or media) | 1 | Default theme only (branded theme is paid) | Basic analytics only |
| Guideflow | 5 guideflows | 1 | Watermark on free | 7-day analytics; screenshot/mobile capture only |
All six offer unlimited demo views on free — the caps are on creation, branding, and analytics, not distribution.
What Each Free Tier Is Really For
- Stepshots (that's us). One hosted demo you can record, edit, and publish — plus unlimited local recording, because the CLI recorder is open source. The free hosted demo includes the visual editor, the interactive player, and public share links.
- Storylane. A generous single-demo tier with AI voiceovers included; the Storylane logo stays until the $50/mo Starter plan ($40/mo billed yearly).
- Arcade. One published demo and one video with monthly AI credits; the watermark can't be removed on free, and paid starts at $50 per seat per month ($42.50 yearly).
- Supademo. The biggest free demo count (5), watermarked; paid starts at $38 per creator per month, billed annually.
- Navattic. One free demo with HTML capture included, no watermark mentioned — but the default theme only. Paid pricing isn't published; it's contact-sales, billed annually.
- Guideflow. Five screenshot-based guideflows with a watermark and 7-day analytics; paid starts at $40/mo ($35 yearly).
Prices and limits change — always check the vendor's pricing page before deciding.
The Open-Source Exception
Free tiers are marketing funnels: they exist to run out. The one thing on this list that can't run out is open source. The Stepshots recorder — CLI, browser extension, and React SDK — is open source on GitHub. Recording .stepshot demos locally is free, unlimited, and yours forever; you only touch a paid plan when you want more than one demo hosted on stepshots.com, with per-step analytics and custom branding at a flat €19/mo — not per seat.
That also unlocks a workflow the others don't have: demos as config-as-code, re-recorded automatically in CI so they never go stale.
Honest caveat: on the free tier, Stepshots hosts exactly one demo — same as Storylane, Arcade, and Navattic. If you need five free hosted demos today and don't care about watermarks, Supademo's free tier is the most generous. The open-source CLI is what changes the math if you record often or want automation.
Which Should You Pick?
If you want the most free hosted demos, Supademo (5, watermarked). If you want HTML capture on a free plan, Navattic (1 demo). If you want a free tier that leads into flat — not per-seat — pricing, plus an open-source recorder and CI automation, start with Stepshots.
The free tier includes one hosted demo and unlimited local recording. Try Stepshots free, or see the full landscape in our best interactive demo software roundup.
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