ScreenBrush alternative for Mac: ScreenBrush vs JellyDraw
Both let you draw over anything on your Mac. They take different approaches, and each is the right choice for different people. Here's an honest side by side.
ScreenBrush is a long-running Mac App Store app with a lot of presenter extras and support for older Macs. JellyDraw is newer and narrower, built around one thing ScreenBrush doesn't describe: drawings that stick to the window they were drawn on.
Whole screen vs per window
Its App Store page says "Draw over the entire screen." Drawings sit on top of the screen as a whole.
Drawings attach to the app window under them. Move, switch or minimize the window and its drawings go with it.
ScreenBrush vs JellyDraw
| ScreenBrush | JellyDraw | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, ScreenBrush Plus $6.99 in-app (US), 7-day trial | Free, Pro $9.99 once |
| Where to get it | Mac App Store | Direct download, notarized by Apple |
| Runs on | macOS 10.11 or later | macOS 26.2 or later, Apple Silicon only |
| Paid upgrade adds | Freeze mode, arrow, line, rectangle, ellipse, text, undo and redo | Shapes, lines, text, export, accent colors |
| Whiteboard | Yes | Yes, free |
| Laser pointer, flashlight, magnifier | Yes | Not listed |
| Slide remote | ScreenBrush Remote for iOS | Not listed |
| Drawings follow windows | Not described | Yes |
| Last update | Version 1.9.3, November 13, 2024 | Version 1.0, October 22, 2026 |
ScreenBrush details from its Mac App Store page (US), checked October 27, 2026. Prices vary by country. "Not described" means its listing doesn't mention it. "Not listed" means it isn't one of JellyDraw's features.
Where ScreenBrush is the better pick
- You have an Intel Mac or an older version of macOS. JellyDraw won't run there.
- You want a laser pointer, flashlight spotlight, magnifier, lower thirds or an iPhone slide remote.
- You prefer installing through the Mac App Store.
Where JellyDraw fits better
- You switch between apps while you present, demo or record, and you're tired of drawings floating over the wrong thing.
- You want a free whiteboard and a simple tool that stays out of the way.
- You're on Apple Silicon with macOS 26.2 or later.
Try drawings that follow your windows
Free download, no account. Upgrade once for $9.99 only if you want shapes, text and export.
Free download from jellydraw.app · Notarized by Apple · macOS 26.2 or later on Apple Silicon
Questions
Is ScreenBrush free?
The base app is free on the Mac App Store. ScreenBrush Plus is an in-app purchase, $6.99 in the US, with a 7-day trial.
What's the difference between ScreenBrush and JellyDraw?
ScreenBrush draws over the entire screen and has more presenter extras, and it runs on older Macs. JellyDraw attaches each drawing to the window it was drawn on, so drawings move and minimize with their window. It needs Apple Silicon and macOS 26.2 or later.
Does JellyDraw have a laser pointer like ScreenBrush?
It isn't one of JellyDraw's features. Its tools are the pen, highlighter, eraser and whiteboard for free, with shapes, lines, text, export and accent colors in Pro.