Best Teleprompters in 2023 (Top 5 Picks For Phones, Tablets & Laptops)

Perhaps you’re attempting to read a script but always make a mistake and look away from the camera, which screams, “Hey, I’m reading a script.”

Using a teleprompter, which places the script immediately in front of your camera, is the most straightforward approach to appear as if you are not looking at a hand.

If you’re unfamiliar with them, don’t worry; I’ve researched and compiled a list of the best portable teleprompters.

A Quick Look at My Favorite Teleprompters

Image	Product	Features	Price
Best Budget	AMBITFUL Teleprompter	8.6	Check Price On Amazon
Best Portable	The Padcaster Parrot	8.5	Check Price On Amazon
Best for Phones	Glide Gear TMP 50	9.1	Check Price On Amazon
Best For Laptops	Glide Gear 3 in 1 TMP 75	8.8	Check Price On Amazon
Best For Professionals	Proaim P-TP300	8.6	Check Price On Amazon

The Top 5 Best Teleprompters

5. AMBITFUL Teleprompter – Best Budget

So you’re hoping to make it big on YouTube, and you’ve just opened your channel, but you’re having trouble with the script, so you decide to get a teleprompter.

Another difficulty appears: you are cash-strapped for obvious reasons. Don’t worry, there’s a solution for that as well, and it’s this teleprompter that promises not to break the bank.

This is a well-made and tiny teleprompter that works with both DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Unfortunately, it does not function with iPads or tablets in general, but it can work with almost any smartphone.

You also get a Bluetooth remote to control your teleprompter source, and as I already stated, it’s the cheapest option.

Note: This teleprompter is also known by various other names, such as KEAYISOFINE Teleprompter, although they are all essentially the same and cost the same.

4. The Padcaster Parrot – Best Portable

If you are someone who moves from place to place, so let’s say a vlogger who is all around, this portable teleprompter is your friend.

However, it should be noted that it may be a little too portable.

It’s quite small and that’s why you will be using it on your smartphone, also you will need to keep the phone close to you at all times because reading the text from it may be difficult.

On the plus side, it is quite affordable and can be used in practically any DSLR camera.

If you’re looking for a compact and portable teleprompter, this teleprompter checks all the requirements.

3. Glide Gear TMP 50 – Best for Phones

This teleprompter is pretty much the same as the last one, a teleprompter designed mostly for phones, but this one comes from a well-known manufacturer, Glide Gear.

In comparison to the teleprompter mentioned before, it is also designed differently. It allows you to video on your phone while projecting your script onto the window using another phone or tablet, with a reading range of up to 10 feet.

Moreover, It can also be used with a DSLR camera that has a small lens. However, I wouldn’t encourage purchasing it for that purpose.

You’ll find the Glide Gear TMP 50 to be highly flexible to any recording circumstance, whether you’re using it in the classroom, the boardroom, or at home filming how-to videos.

2. Glide Gear 3 in 1 TMP 75 – Best For Laptops

Glide Gear makes an appearance yet again, this time with a unique teleprompter designed specifically for laptops.

This teleprompter is incredibly adaptable, and the term “3 in 1” isn’t for nothing. This teleprompter will deliver the text you need to speak, whether it’s from your DSLR, phone, or, of course, laptop.

It’s a well-made teleprompter that’s simple to set up and operate. What I appreciate about it is that it comes with a carrying case.

For easy storage when you are on the go, simply put it into the padded Glide Gear traveling case, it provides protection as well as a flawless fit.

You will be hard-pressed to find a more versatile solution that is also portable.

1. Proaim P-TP300 – Best For Professionals

We’ll finish up the list with a serious teleprompter designed for experts.

This is a teleprompter that is a little more advanced than the usual teleprompter but yeah, also a little more pricey; that’s come from being designed for businesses and the like.

It has a frame and high-quality 60/40 prompter glass while also including a sturdy case for safely carrying or say transporting your teleprompter with beam splitter glass. It’s lightweight and easy to assemble and move despite its huge screen. It can be viewed from up to 15 feet away and the tablet tray is large enough to fit any iPad.

This teleprompter is the way to go if your job primarily comprises commercials, meetings, or simply important things in general.

What’s a Teleprompter?

While most people have a general understanding of what a teleprompter accomplishes, they might wonder how it actually works.

A teleprompter, often known as an autocue, is a display device that provides an electronic visual text of a speech or script to the person speaking. The screen is in front of, and usually below, the lens of a professional video camera and the words on the screen are mirrored to the presenter’s eyes via a sheet of clear glass. This allows the speaker to read while looking directly at the lens position, and the good thing about it is that the text is not reflected on the lens.

The Benefit of Using a Teleprompter

It doesn’t matter if you’re experienced or if you learned the entire script overnight; as soon as the camera is turned on, you start to feel a shiver down your spine.

Don’t worry, though; it’s normal to feel nervous in front of a large audience and sometimes in front of a camera. I bet it happens to all of us to forget a script, and no, I am not talking only about it in front of the camera. That sucks, right?

Imagine how bad it is to happen while being recorded, or even worse, trying to find the script while not looking at the lens.

This is one of the main reasons that make the teleprompter a great tool.

You always want to appear confident and well-prepared in front of the camera; simply put, you want the audience to listen to your remarks and pay attention to you. However, if you are uncomfortable and show strange body language, they will lose interest and perceive you as unprofessional.

With that being said, we come to the conclusion that a teleprompter is the best tool for providing that extra boost of confidence and professionalism.

Things You Need To Consider When Buying a Teleprompter

Prior to purchasing a teleprompter, there are a few things you to consider.

Camera Type

The first step is to choose the type of camera you want to use, whether it’s a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, or even your smartphone.

As you may have noticed, I divided the teleprompters from one another, implying that they are not the same. Depending on the size of the camera, a smaller or less expensive teleprompter may be required and vice versa.

The Distance

Once you are done with the camera you need to measure the distance.

As I mentioned above, the teleprompters come in different sizes and shapes failing to read your script goes against the idea of a teleprompter.

While this is largely dependent on the circumstances, you can choose between a small one for a short distance and a larger one for a longer distance.

Portability

If you’re “nailed” to your desk, you should be fine with this part. However, if you travel frequently, it becomes necessary. You want your teleprompter to be as portable as possible so that you can take it with you everywhere you go.

Yet, some of them may be extremely “portable,” resulting in a small and fragile device that is difficult to read until brought up very close.

Price

As you may already know or need to know, avoid buying very cheap products because they may appear to be “excellent,” but will eventually cost you more in the long run.

Most high-quality teleprompters don’t even come cheap a wrong buy might seriously hurt your wallet.

If it’s good and you’ve got the cash, go for it, especially if you’re a YouTuber who reads scripts in front of the camera.

Text

You should highly pay attention to the text the teleprompter is showing, this is a really crucial part.

You want it to have flexibility, your content will most likely have changes so you want the text on the teleprompter to also give you freedom in choosing the settings.

For example, font size, mirroring, font color, etc. Also finding the ideal balance of text size and text speed is key. The faster the text scrolls, the larger the text is. The smaller the writing, the less scrolling, but not that it will become difficult to read after a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

All of the teleprompters listed above are decent and will do the job they are set out to do.

I’ve had the opportunity to use a teleprompter, and they really do work, so if your job requires a lot of scripting, get one.

Just a friendly tip: although a teleprompter makes things easier it also makes things more “robotic” try to act natural and always show a friendly body language in front of the camera.

Fun Fact: On January 4, 1954, Dwight Eisenhower was the first President to use a teleprompter for a State of the Union address.

Further Reading

If you enjoyed what you’ve read thus far, you can continue reading to learn more.

If you don’t want to get a teleprompter but want to just use a tablet instead, i’d recommend getting a photo editing tablet, so you can use it for editing, prompting and more.

If you’re looking for a camera to use for Vlogging, I’ve put up a list of some excellent cameras for YouTube. If you need a camera for your Google meetings, don’t worry; I’ve included some good Google Meet cams as well.

If you already own a camera, you’ll probably need a tripod, and I’ve got some amazing under $100 tripods for you. Oh, so you got a tripod also, well checking some lenses is what comes next.

I listed some decent lenses for streaming, you might like some, or if you prefer lenses for vlogging.

If you want to read something interesting you can read about why do you look bad in photos or what makes a person photogenic.

This concludes this article; hopefully, everything was clear and you were able to benefit from it.