ctrlhqctrlhq vs PresentifyScreen annotation, without another menu bar app.
ctrlhq vs Presentify: both let you draw on your Mac screen, spotlight and zoom. Presentify is a focused annotation app; ctrlhq adds recording, meeting notes and tasks.
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- ctrlhq
- Productivity app in the notch
- $24.99 launch price (then $29)₹1,499 launch price (then ₹1,999) · macOS 26 Tahoe+ · native, about 16 MB
- Presentify
- screen annotation app
- $14 once, or with Setapp
Presentify is a well-loved screen annotation app for Mac. It draws over anything, puts a halo around your cursor, and spotlights or zooms into parts of the screen, with a lot of styling options and a tiny download.
ctrlhq covers the core of that job too: pen, highlighter, arrows, shapes and text, auto-erase, a whiteboard, spotlight, a live zoom lens and a cursor halo with click ripples, all on global shortcuts. The difference is everything around it. The same app records your screen with the annotations in it, takes meeting notes on-device and runs your tasks from the notch. If annotation is all you need, Presentify is a great pick. If you'd also use the rest, ctrlhq saves you an app.
ctrlhq vs Presentify, side by side
| Feature | ctrlhq | Presentify |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 once (launch price, then $29) | $14 once, or with Setapp |
| Pen, highlighter, arrows, shapes and text | ||
| Auto-erase drawings | ||
| Whiteboard | ||
| Spotlight and zoom | ||
| Cursor highlight with click animations | ||
| Global shortcuts (Stream Deck) | ||
| Cursor highlight shapes | Ring | Ring, squircle, rhombus |
| Gradient ink | ||
| Download size | About 16 MB, with everything else | About 1 MB |
| Built-in screen recording | Yes, and it captures your drawings | |
| Meeting notes, tasks and time tracking | ||
| macOS | 26 Tahoe or later | See the developer's site |
Presentify details from its website, checked October 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Choose Presentify if
- You only want screen annotation, in the smallest possible app.
- You want more styling: cursor shapes, gradient ink and finer control over every tool.
- You're on an older macOS: ctrlhq needs 26 Tahoe or later.
Choose ctrlhq if
- You record tutorials or demos and want the annotations captured by the same app.
- You'd use the meeting notes, teleprompter, tasks or the other tools too.
Lightweight by design
ctrlhq is a native Swift app, about 16 MB to download, with no background daemons or helper apps. One app that's already in your notch replaces a shelf of single-purpose ones, and every menu bar icon that came with them.
The ctrlhq features that cover Presentify
Screen annotation
Annotate your Mac screen live: draw on anything, spotlight the pointer, zoom into small text and highlight your cursor, in meetings and recordings.
Screen recording
Record a screen or one window with your face in a bubble, your mic and your Mac's audio.
Teleprompter
Your notes scroll right under the camera, so you never glance away mid-sentence.
Questions
Can ctrlhq draw on my screen like Presentify?
Yes. Press ⌃⌥A to draw over any app with a pen, highlighter, arrows, shapes or text, in five colours. Auto-fade, a whiteboard, spotlight, zoom and a cursor halo are included.
Does it work in Zoom and Google Meet?
Yes, when you share a whole screen. Like Presentify, the drawings sit on top of your screen, so a single-window share won't show them.
What about ZoomIt for Mac?
Microsoft's ZoomIt for Mac is free and open source, with static and live zoom and drawing. It's a good pick if you want a free, single-purpose tool.
Run it next to Presentify.
Every feature for $24.99 launch price (then $29)₹1,499 launch price (then ₹1,999), no subscription.
One-time purchase, lifetime updates
Already bought? Download
Presentify is a trademark of its owner. ctrlhq isn't affiliated with it.