If you're evaluating Cloakly to hide windows during screen shares, you've probably noticed the practical questions that decide the purchase: How much does it cost over a year? Do you need a credit card to try it? Does it handle your language's input method? This page compares Cloakly with HideMyShare on exactly those points — honestly, including where they are the same.

First, what they have in common

Cloakly and HideMyShare solve the same problem and use the same underlying technology: Windows' built-in window hiding, which makes a window invisible to screen recordings, screenshots, and live shares (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, OBS, Discord — anything that captures your screen) while it stays fully visible on your monitor.

So the core capability — "pick a window, it vanishes from the share, your meeting app never sees it" — works in both. You are not choosing between "works" and "doesn't work." You are choosing between two business models and two feature sets on top of the same OS mechanism.

Side-by-side comparison

Why the pricing model matters more than it looks

Both tools rest on the same Windows capability, so the deciding factor for most buyers is total cost of ownership. A one-time license is amortized to zero: after the first year, HideMyShare costs nothing further, while a subscription keeps invoicing for as long as you want the capability. For a utility you may use for years — remote work isn't going away — the one-time model usually wins on simple math.

The trial matters too. A 7-day trial without a card means you can test the actual behavior on your own machine, in your own meetings, with zero commitment. If it doesn't fit your workflow, you walk away with nothing to cancel.

Where HideMyShare adds capability

Two details that come up repeatedly in real usage:

• IME candidate windows. If you type Chinese, Japanese, or Korean during a shared session, the input method's candidate pop-up is a separate window — and it can appear in captures even when the app being typed into is hidden, exposing fragments of what you type. HideMyShare can hide the candidate window too. We explain the leak in detail in IME candidate-window privacy.
• Full interface in your language. HideMyShare ships in 20 languages; the experience isn't "translated later, partially."

Where Cloakly may fit you better

To be fair: if you prefer paying monthly for software, want to expense a small subscription rather than a one-time purchase, or already use and like Cloakly's specific workflow, there's nothing wrong with staying. Both tools enforce the same OS-level guarantee — your hidden windows will not leak into captures in either product.

Try the one-time-purchase route first

Download HideMyShare, run the 7-day trial without a card, and compare directly with whatever you're using today. If a single $59.96 payment beats a recurring subscription for the same Windows capability — which it usually does — you'll know before you've paid anything.

Get HideMyShare: Download the free trial · Buy once, own forever · How the technology works

FAQ

Is HideMyShare a good Cloakly alternative? Yes, if you prefer a one-time purchase over a subscription. Both use the same Windows-level hiding, so the core hiding behavior is equivalent; HideMyShare additionally offers a no-card 7-day trial, IME candidate-window hiding, and a 20-language interface.

How much does Cloakly cost compared with HideMyShare? Cloakly is subscription-based, so you pay every billing cycle. HideMyShare is $59.96 once (60% off the $149.90 list with coupon LAUNCH40), with no recurring charges ever.

Do I need a credit card to try HideMyShare? No. The 7-day trial requires no card and no account — download, run, and test in your real meetings.

Do both tools work in Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet? Yes. The exclusion happens at the OS capture layer, so it is independent of the meeting or recording app, including browser-based Meet and OBS.

Windows-only? Yes, both tools rely on a Windows system capability, so they are Windows-only by nature (Windows 10 2004+ / 11).