Teleprompter app vs hardware teleprompter vs cue cards: which to choose

By the Telepromptia team · Updated November 3, 2026 · 6 min read

There are three common ways to read a script while you talk to a camera: an app on a phone or tablet, a hardware teleprompter with a sheet of glass in front of the lens, and plain cue cards. Each one solves the same problem differently and costs a different amount of money, space and setup time. This guide compares them on the points that matter and says when each one is the right choice.

Key takeaways

• An app turns a phone or tablet you already own into a prompter, so it is the cheapest screen-based option.
• A hardware teleprompter reflects the text onto glass in front of the lens. It gives the most natural eye line and is the biggest and most expensive.
• Cue cards need no power and no software, but your eyes travel the farthest and long scripts become a pile of cards.
• Decide with four questions: which camera, how long the script is, where you record and what you can spend.

How does each option work?

A teleprompter app scrolls your script on the screen of a phone or tablet. When you record with the same phone, the text sits beside the front camera, so the best you can do is keep the reading area close to the lens. The app also handles the recording and the timer.

A hardware teleprompter holds a screen and a sheet of angled glass in front of the lens. The glass is a beam splitter: a plate with a partially reflective surface, so part of the light is reflected and the rest passes through. The speaker sees the reflected text, the camera sees through the glass, and the text is mirrored so that the reflection reads correctly.

Cue cards are sheets of card with the script or key points in large letters, held next to the camera or shown by a helper. Nothing scrolls unless someone turns the card.

How do they compare?

Prices change by country and over time, so check before you buy. The cost classes describe relative size, not a quote.

What is the eye line, and why does it differ?

The eye line is the angle between the lens and the spot where your eyes rest. The smaller it is, the more the viewer feels you are looking at them. A glass rig makes the angle almost zero. A phone app has a larger angle, because the text is next to the camera. With cue cards it is the largest, and each glance away is visible.

You can shrink the angle with any tool: use a narrow column of text, put the reading area right under the front camera and sit a little farther away. Telepromptia's EyeLock layout shows a few words at a time directly under the front camera. Our guide on looking at the camera while reading has more.

When does each one win?

• An app wins when you record with the phone or tablet itself, travel, record often or have a small budget. It also suits vertical video.
• A hardware teleprompter wins when you shoot with a separate camera, record long scripts in a fixed place and want the lens to stand in for the audience's eyes.
• Cue cards win for short remarks, a toast, an introduction or a live event where a screen would be awkward. They are also a backup when a battery dies. A university learning center advises large print, space between paragraphs and eye contact or the illusion of it, which fits cards as well as a screen.

Can you combine them?

Yes. A phone app can be the prompter screen inside a glass rig: show the script in mirror mode and record with the rig's camera, as in our guide to mirror mode for glass rigs. Cue cards are a backup for any setup, because they cannot crash.

How do you decide quickly?

1. Which camera? A phone points to an app. A separate camera makes a rig or a second screen worth considering.
2. How long is the script? Under a minute, cue cards are fine. Over three minutes, you want scrolling.
3. Where do you record? Moving between places favors an app or cards. A fixed studio favors a rig.
4. How often and how much? Try the cheapest option first, and upgrade only if you still look away.

Where Telepromptia fits

Telepromptia is the app option for iPhone and iPad. It scrolls your script, records you and exports a clean video with no watermark, and it has a mirror mode for glass rigs. The free plan covers three saved scripts and sessions of up to three minutes. It is coming soon to the App Store. See the features and the pricing page.

Common questions

Is a teleprompter app as good as a hardware teleprompter?

For eye line, a glass rig is better, because the text is in front of the lens. For cost, size and setup time, an app is better, and it is often enough once the text sits close to the camera.

Do I need a glass teleprompter to look natural?

No. Natural delivery comes mostly from writing for the ear, rehearsing once and keeping your eye movement small. A rig helps only with the last part.

Are cue cards still worth using?

Yes, for short talks and as a backup. They cost almost nothing, but they are a poor fit for long scripts.

Can I use an iPad as the prompter screen in a rig?

Yes, if the rig holds a tablet. Use mirror mode and record with the rig's camera.

Sources

• Giving Effective Presentations (UNC Learning Center): format scripts and notecards for easy reference with a font of 14 points or larger, and keep eye contact or the illusion of eye contact.
• A Brief History of the Teleprompter (Smithsonian Magazine): the history of the teleprompter, from a motorized roll of cue text in the late 1940s to text reflected on angled glass.
• Michelson Interferometer (Florida International University, Modern Lab Experiments): a beam splitter is a glass plate with a partially reflective surface, so part of the light is reflected and the rest passes through.