Is there a free teleprompter for Windows? 6 honest options

Is there a free teleprompter for Windows? Yes, and a few of them are good. The best free options are QPrompt, an open source desktop app, and CuePrompter, which runs in your browser with no sign up. Speakflow's free plan adds voice scrolling, and free Microsoft Store apps such as Virtual Teleprompter float over your other windows. For a short recording, a Notepad window under your webcam works too.

Each one has a catch, though. Some put your text far from the camera. Some show up when you share your whole screen. Most scroll at a fixed speed, so you either chase the text or wait for it. Below is what each free option does well, what it lacks, and how to set it up on a PC or laptop.

Full disclosure: I make Lenslines, a paid teleprompter for Windows. I put the free tools first because, for a lot of people, they're enough. I checked each tool's own website or Microsoft Store page on 2 November 2026. Prices and features change, so check again before you rely on one.

Free teleprompter for PC: quick comparison

The 6 free teleprompters for Windows, one by one

1. QPrompt: the best free desktop app

QPrompt is a free, open source teleprompter. Its site says it costs nothing for any use, including commercial work. The current Windows installer supports Windows 10 and later.

• What it does well: a semi-transparent background for video calls, an adjustable reading area that keeps your eyes near the camera, and markers that jump to any spot in the script. Keyboard shortcuts can be mapped to presentation clickers, and you can paste formatted text from office apps.
• What it lacks: its site doesn't list voice scrolling, so you set a speed or control it by hand. It also doesn't say whether it stays hidden from screen shares. Test it with a full screen share before a live call.
• Best for: recording to camera, and setups with more than one display, since it can prompt to several connected screens.

2. CuePrompter: free in your browser

CuePrompter runs in a browser tab, so there's nothing to install and no account to make. Its site says it's free for commercial and non-commercial use, with no watermarks and no limits. It's made by Teleprompter.com.

• What it does well: you paste your script and start in seconds. You can change the speed, pick big or small text, and mirror the text for teleprompter glass. It works on any PC with a browser, including a work laptop where you can't install software.
• What it lacks: no voice scrolling. Its own page lists that as a feature of the paid Teleprompter.com app. It's a browser tab, so it shows up if you share your whole screen. The text sits wherever your browser window is, so shrink the window and move it to the top of the screen.
• Best for: quick, one-off reads.

3. Speakflow free plan: free voice scrolling

Speakflow's pricing page lists a free plan with no credit card needed. It includes auto scrolling and unlimited Flow, which is Speakflow's voice-activated scrolling. It runs in a browser, and Speakflow also has apps for Windows and Mac.

• What it does well: voice scrolling at no cost, which is rare among free tools. Writing, editing and organizing scripts are included.
• What it lacks: you need an account, and the free plan keeps 7 days of script history. Overlay, the mode that floats the prompter over other windows, is part of the paid Plus plan at $15 a month, billed yearly. Without it, the prompter is a normal page, so it appears if you share your whole screen.
• Best for: trying voice scrolling before you pay for anything.

4. Free Microsoft Store apps

Search the Microsoft Store for "teleprompter" and you'll find several free apps. These three are worth a look:

• Virtual Teleprompter (VTP Apps) is free and made for Windows 10 and 11. Its listing describes an overlay with adjustable transparency, speed, font size and colors, manual or auto scroll, and a timer. The same developer sells a separate PRO version for $8.99.
• EZ Teleprompter (Ape Apps) is free, with optional paid add-ons. You can write scripts in the app or import plain text files, and sync them with an Ape Apps account. The developer also makes versions for the web, Android, iPhone and Mac.
• SYS Teleprompter is free and scrolls with your voice. It shows your camera behind the script. Its transparent overlay for Zoom and its always-on-top pin are part of the paid PRO upgrade.

What they lack: none of these listings say the app stays hidden in a full screen share, so assume it shows and test it. Ratings are mixed. When I checked, Virtual Teleprompter had 3.5 stars from 30 ratings and EZ Teleprompter had 4.2 from 92. EZ Teleprompter's Store page doesn't say whether the free version shows ads, so check that too.

5. PowerPoint Teleprompter view: free if you already have PowerPoint

If you record slide presentations, look in PowerPoint first. Microsoft's guide to recording your presentation describes a Teleprompter view. It shows your notes for the current slide above the slide preview, near the top of the screen and close to the camera. Microsoft says it can auto scroll too.

• What it does well: your script and slides live in one file, and the recording comes out as a finished video.
• What it lacks: it only works inside PowerPoint's Record screen, so it won't help on a live Zoom or Teams call. Microsoft describes the new Record screen as a PowerPoint for Windows feature. The desktop app isn't free, so this option only costs nothing if you already have it.

6. DIY: a Notepad window right under your webcam

This needs no download at all, and it's fine for a short script.

1. Open your script in Notepad, or in Word if you have it.
2. Make the text big. Hold Ctrl and roll the mouse wheel up to zoom in.
3. Drag the window edges to make a narrow strip, about a third of the screen wide and a few lines tall.
4. Move the strip to the top center of the screen, right under your webcam.
5. Scroll with the mouse wheel or trackpad as you read.
6. To keep it on top while you click into Zoom, use Microsoft's free PowerToys app. Its Always On Top tool pins a window when you press Windows key + Ctrl + T.

What it lacks: no auto scroll and no voice scrolling, so you scroll by hand while you talk. It shows up in a full screen share. It works for a 1 minute clip, but it gets tiring in a 10 minute talk.

How to use a free teleprompter on a laptop and keep eye contact

Whichever free tool you pick, the setup matters more than the app. These tips work with all of them, and our step by step guide to using your laptop as a teleprompter goes further.

• Put the text at the top center. Laptop webcams sit in the middle of the top edge. The closer the text is to the lens, the less your eyes drop.
• Keep the column narrow. Short lines stop your eyes from sweeping left and right, which viewers notice.
• Sit a little further back. The further you are from the camera, the less small eye movements show.
• Share one window, not your whole screen. Zoom, Teams and Google Meet all let you share a single window or tab. Your prompter window then stays out of the share. This is the simplest free fix.
• Set the speed a little below your pace. It's easier to catch up than to chase the text. Our guide to teleprompter settings for webcam recording has starting numbers for speed, font size and line spacing.

For more on where to look and why it matters, see how to keep eye contact on video calls. If you're writing the script to fit a time slot, this chart of how many words are in a 5 minute speech helps.

Which free teleprompter should you pick?

• You want a proper desktop app: QPrompt.
• You can't install software, for example on a work laptop: CuePrompter.
• You want voice scrolling for free: the Speakflow free plan, or SYS Teleprompter from the Microsoft Store.
• You record slide presentations: PowerPoint's Teleprompter view, if you already have PowerPoint.
• You need a script for one short clip, right now: Notepad under your webcam.

If you're open to paid apps too, our comparison of the best teleprompter apps for Windows 11 puts free and paid options side by side.

When is a paid teleprompter worth $9.99?

A free tool is enough if you record alone and can redo a take. It's also enough if you're happy to share one window rather than your whole screen, and to scroll by hand or at a fixed speed. If you use a teleprompter glass rig, QPrompt or CuePrompter will do the job.

Paying makes sense when those gaps start costing you takes or confidence. That's the gap Lenslines fills. It costs $9.99 once on the Microsoft Store, with no subscription and free updates.

• Your script sits right under your webcam. It shows in a small black notch at the top center of the screen, and it picks the screen your webcam is on.
• Voice scrolling. The text moves while you speak and pauses when you pause, so it waits while you think.
• Hidden from screen shares and recordings in apps that use Windows' standard capture, including Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and OBS. You can share your whole screen and the notch stays out of it. Here's more on how the hidden teleprompter works.
• Works offline. No account, no sign in, and your scripts stay on your PC.
• Small. About a 2 MB download, for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 2004 or later).

The honest catch: there's no trial version, because the Store takes payment before the download. In India, the Store price is ₹449 until 24 November 2026. If you're not sure, use QPrompt or CuePrompter for a week. If you keep fighting the scroll speed, or worrying about what your audience can see, the $9.99 is probably worth it.

QPrompt, CuePrompter, Speakflow, Virtual Teleprompter, EZ Teleprompter, SYS Teleprompter and PowerPoint are trademarks of their owners. Lenslines is not affiliated with any of them.