Overlay PenWhy people look for an alternative
The usual reasons are price (Video Pencil sells its features as separate add-ons), NDI (which many Zoom, Teams and Ecamm users have never needed), and simplicity. If you mainly want to point, circle and sketch on top of your camera or slides, a focused tool is enough.
Overlay Pen: the simple web-overlay route
Overlay Pen sends the ink as a web overlay with real transparency. Paste the link into Ecamm Live or OBS Studio and draw. A 16:9 capture area on the iPad matches what your audience sees, so nothing ends up outside the shot. There is also a USB route with a green or blue key, and a clean HDMI output. One price covers everything. Read the full comparison with Video Pencil.
Telestripe and Telestrator: for NDI studios
Both are built for broadcast workflows. Telestripe annotates NDI feeds and offers a REST API for automation. Telestrator by SwingCam works with NDI in and out, clips and stills, on a subscription. If you already run vMix or a switcher with NDI, they fit naturally.
BroadBoard: AirPlay and a one-time price
BroadBoard sends a drawing board over AirPlay to displays, switchers and capture devices that support it, and is designed for chroma or luma keying. It is a one-time purchase.
What about Doceri?
Doceri, a popular iPad whiteboard and screen-control app, was retired in August 2022 and is no longer supported. If you used it to draw over a presentation, Overlay Pen is a modern way to do the same thing on live video.
Questions
Which Video Pencil alternative works without NDI?
Overlay Pen (a web overlay link, plus USB and HDMI) and BroadBoard (AirPlay).
Is there a free alternative?
Overlay Pen is free to download and fully working with a small watermark. On a computer, the open-source OBS Draw plugin lets you draw with a mouse or tablet; see Overlay Pen vs the OBS Draw plugin.
Is Doceri still available?
No. Its developer retired Doceri in August 2022.
Which alternative is best for sports coaching?
It depends on the workflow. See the best telestrator apps for iPad.