If you want a narrated product demo made from your product’s screens and scripted actions, explainroo offers an alternative to Screen Studio. A coding agent, software that writes and runs code from text instructions, uses explainroo to create scenes, narration, timing, and an MP4 on your computer.
A screen recording captures real activity on your screen. explainroo rebuilds screens from your product’s code or website and moves a pointer through them. Choose explainroo for a guided walkthrough you can repeat if you are comfortable directing an AI coding agent.
Start with the video you need
Start by deciding whether the viewer needs to see real footage of you using the product or a planned walkthrough of its screens. A screen recording shows the live interface in use. In a scripted walkthrough, you choose which screens appear, what the pointer does, and when the narration explains each step.
For example, a demo introducing a new feature could show the relevant screens in sequence, with a pointer clicking a button and entering text as the voice explains the result. explainroo fits that format: the agent rebuilds screens from your code or website, using the product’s colors, fonts, and button labels. If your video depends on existing camera footage, explainroo does not edit that footage.
Choose a video shape based on where you will post it. explainroo supports wide videos for YouTube and tall videos for Shorts, TikTok, and Reels. It also supports portrait videos for Instagram and LinkedIn posts, plus square videos. Tall, portrait, and square versions include captions that highlight each spoken word.
Screen recording vs. explainroo workflow
A screen recording starts with live activity on the screen. explainroo starts with a description of the demo and the location of the product’s code or website. The agent writes the narration in script.md and creates scenes.js, the JavaScript file that draws each scene. A scene can appear when a chosen word is spoken.
How explainroo makes a product demo
Give your coding agent the product name and where it can find the product’s code or website. Then paste this prompt, replacing the bracketed text with your topic:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo for it: clone https://github.com/vincentsch/explainroo, read its AGENTS.md and follow the steps.The agent sets up explainroo, creates the video, checks it, and gives you an MP4. For a product demo, describe the feature or task to show and point the agent to the product. The resulting walkthrough can include screens reconstructed from the product, a mouse pointer that clicks and types, and narration explaining what happens.
Kokoro, an open voice model, reads the script in a selected American or British English voice. Whisper marks when each word is spoken so scenes can appear on cue. Chrome draws frames on an HTML canvas. For visuals, explainroo can use hand-drawn lines, icons, and charts. It can also use code and your screenshots. It also creates background music and sound effects, lowers the music while the voice speaks, and uses FFmpeg to assemble the MP4.
To revise a demo after a product change, ask the agent to update the script or scenes and make the video again. This works well for planned walkthroughs, but it differs from editing existing footage in a visual timeline. Because an agent cannot watch the finished video, explainroo provides scene stills and a contact sheet for review. It also provides a layout check for overlapping or cut-off text and a speech check for misread words.
explainroo features, limits, and costs
explainroo is a free, open-source kit under the MIT license. There is no per-video charge for its features. Optional AI illustrations through OpenRouter cost money per image, and the coding agent is a separate service with its own pricing.
The workflow depends on a coding agent that can run shell commands. explainroo works with Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, and other coding agents. It works best with Claude Code. You give the agent text instructions and request changes. explainroo does not have a drag-and-drop editor.
You can choose among five visual looks: paper, clean, chalk, blueprint, and midnight. One setting in video.json controls the look. Another controls the pace of the narration, pauses, and animation. No graphics card is needed. Narration is English only, and explainroo does not make talking avatars or AI-generated live-action footage.
For local setup, you need a recent Node.js, FFmpeg, and Chrome or Chromium. During setup, explainroo downloads the voice and timing models once. The project was developed and tested on Linux. It is expected to work on macOS and Windows, but those platforms have had less testing. The finished video goes to videos/<name>/out/video.mp4.
Choose explainroo for the right product demo
Choose explainroo when you want a narrated, scripted walkthrough assembled from product screens, especially when you need different aspect ratios or want to regenerate a demo after changing its script or scenes. It is also a good fit if you prefer an open-source kit and can work through a coding agent.
Before adopting explainroo, make sure its workflow fits your production needs. If you need to edit existing camera footage, create a talking avatar, or make live-action scenes, explainroo does not cover those jobs. If your decision depends on Screen Studio’s current platform support, export options, or price, check those details directly before comparing cost or compatibility.
To test explainroo, choose one short product task, such as showing how a user completes a key action. Ask explainroo to build the demo, then review the scene stills, layout check, and speech check before sharing the MP4.
Key Takeaways
- Use explainroo for scripted product walkthroughs: It rebuilds screens from product code or a website and adds narrated, timed pointer actions.
- Match the format to the destination: Choose wide, tall, portrait, or square output; tall, portrait, and square videos receive word-by-word captions.
- Expect an agent-led workflow: A coding agent creates and revises the script and scenes, while explainroo renders and checks the video.
- Check the limitations first: explainroo does not edit existing camera footage or create talking avatars, and its narration is English only.
- Separate kit cost from service costs: explainroo is free and MIT-licensed; optional AI illustrations and the coding agent cost extra.
Conclusion
For product demos built from planned screens, narration, and scripted pointer actions, explainroo offers an alternative to Screen Studio. It creates MP4 files locally and checks scene layout and spoken words. Revisions stay in the script and scene files.
Choose another workflow for existing footage or a drag-and-drop editor. For a short guided walkthrough, start with one product task to see whether explainroo’s agent-led approach fits your demo workflow.
