Vovsoft Keystroke Visualizer: Show the Keys You Press During Demos and Recordings
Keystroke Visualizer is a $19 Windows program from Vovsoft that shows the keys and mouse buttons you press in a small box on top of everything else on screen, for tutorials, recordings and live demos. The $19 is a one-time lifetime license.
Your viewers can see the menu you opened, but not the Ctrl+Shift+P that got you there. This puts the shortcut on screen as you use it.
Quick facts
- Version: 3.4, released November 25, 2025
- Developer: Vovsoft, the software company of Fatih Ramazan Çıkan in Turkey
- Platform: Windows 11, 10, 8/8.1, 7, Vista and XP, 32-bit and 64-bit. No Mac or Linux version
- Shows: key combinations, optionally every letter and number, and left, right and middle mouse clicks
- Keyboard layouts listed: English (United States) and English (United Kingdom)
- Editions: installer (3.85 MB) and portable (2.87 MB), one license for both
- Price: $19, one-time payment, lifetime license with free updates
- Trial: free to try with the on-screen display included; commercial use isn't allowed
- Refunds: no money-back guarantee; refunds are at the vendor's discretion, mainly for accidental orders
- What we checked: installer file version 3.4.0.0 (4,037,840 bytes) with a valid digital signature, downloaded from the vendor and read without running it; checkout price $19.00 with no auto-renewal on the order page on November 9, 2026. We didn't record a test session
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Overview
Keystroke Visualizer lives in the system tray and shows a rounded box, by default in the bottom-right corner, whenever you press something. The box stays on top of your other windows and hides itself when the keyboard goes idle, so it stays out of the way between shortcuts.
Out of the box it only reacts to two or more keys pressed together, which suits shortcut demos and avoids displaying everything you type. Change Minimum Number of Pressed Buttons to 1 in Settings and it shows every keypress.
The overlay in sky blue showing CTRL + Left Click at the bottom right, on top of a text editor.
Features
Keys and mouse buttons together
Keystroke Visualizer shows keyboard combinations and, with Show Mouse Buttons on, left, right and middle clicks, so a combination like Ctrl+Left Click appears as one label.
You decide what appears
Keystroke Visualizer's Show Letters and Numbers setting decides whether ordinary characters appear or only special keys such as Ctrl, Shift, Space and Enter, and Minimum Number of Pressed Buttons sets how many keys must be held before anything shows.
A box you can restyle
Keystroke Visualizer lets you set the box's width and height, font, text color and background color, how long it stays visible in milliseconds, whether it fades out, and whether square brackets appear around key names.
Works on multiple monitors and in screen shares
Keystroke Visualizer supports multiple monitors, and Vovsoft says it works with Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype and TeamViewer as long as you share your entire screen rather than one application window.
Benefits
- Fewer "what did you just press?" questions in meetings and classes.
- No editing afterward. The overlay is on screen as you record, so there are no captions to add later.
- A very small footprint. Under 4 MB, and a portable edition is available.
Real-World Uses
- Software tutorials. Show every shortcut in a screen recording.
- Online teaching. Let students see which keys you use in a live class.
- Presentations. Make a live demo easy to follow at the back of the room.
- Testing a keyboard. Buyers have used it to find faulty keys, since a dead key shows nothing.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
Keystroke Visualizer suits teachers, presenters and tutorial makers on Windows who want a simple overlay they can start and forget.
Skip it if you only need this occasionally and a free open-source tool such as Keyviz or Carnac does the job. Skip it too if you need elaborate animated keycaps, or if you use a non-English keyboard layout and need characters shown exactly. There is no Mac version.
Usage Guide
- Install Keystroke Visualizer, or unzip the portable edition. The installer can start it at login.
- Find its icon in the system tray and open Settings.
- Set Minimum Number of Pressed Buttons, and turn on Show Letters and Numbers if you want every character.
- Adjust the box size, font and colors, then Save.
- Drag the box to a corner your content doesn't use.
- In Zoom or a similar app, share your entire screen so the box is visible.
- Use the Enabled menu item to turn it off for a moment when you type something private.
Before you buy
- Be careful with passwords. With Show Letters and Numbers on, whatever you type is displayed, so switch it off with its Enabled menu item before logging in during a recording.
- Share the whole screen. Sharing one application window won't include the box.
- The trial isn't for commercial use. A paid course or company presentation needs a license.
- No refund if you change your mind. Vovsoft's policy is no refunds in general because a trial is available, with exceptions at its discretion, and PayPro Global has the final say on orders placed there.
- One license, one person. It can go on several of your own PCs. A business with multiple users needs more licenses.
Where it falls short
- Single keys are hidden by default. TrishTech's review noted it "does not display single keyboard keys or single mouse clicks by default," which surprises new users until they change the setting.
- Only two layouts are listed. Vovsoft names US and UK English, though the changelog also mentions AltGr and the German STRG key.
- Plain look. It is one text box. There are no keycap graphics or animations beyond a fade.
What Users Say
Vovsoft's page for Keystroke Visualizer showed 4.2 out of 5 from 29 reviews. Across all its products, Vovsoft's Trustpilot profile showed 4.6 out of 5 from 410 reviews on November 9, 2026.
Customer reviews on the vendor's page
Anonymous User: "I’ve tried different keystrokes app, this one is the best for me. I’m teaching online and need to show keystrokes to demonstrate to students how fast your workflow will be if you use a program WITH shortcuts."
Anonymous User: "I like that it shows what combination of keys I make and that I can choose the size of the letters and the color."
Anonymous User: "Needed this program to work out if my keyboard was faulty (it was). Now I’ve replaced my keyboard and no random button presses are happening. It worked perfectly for what I needed it for. Thanks for helping me work out that my keyboard was faulty :-)"
Independent coverage
Trisha, TrishTech.com, May 2024: "It leaps into action only when you press keys on your keyboard or click using your mouse buttons."
Teachers and people checking a keyboard are the most satisfied, and the 4.2 average is lower than many of Vovsoft's other programs. The main independent criticism is simply the default of hiding single keys.
Comparisons
Keystroke Visualizer vs Keyviz and Carnac
Keyviz and Carnac are free open-source keystroke overlays for Windows. They cost nothing, so try one first if price matters most. Keystroke Visualizer's case is its simple Settings window and a developer you can contact.
Keystroke Visualizer vs a screen recorder's built-in option
Some screen recorders can already show keystrokes in the video. That is enough if you only record in that tool. Keystroke Visualizer works in any program, including live calls.
Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price | License | Size |
|---|
| Installer (autostart) | $19 at checkout | Lifetime, free updates | 3.85 MB |
| Portable | Same license | Lifetime, free updates | 2.87 MB |
FAQs
Why does Keystroke Visualizer show nothing when I press one key?
Keystroke Visualizer shows only combinations by default. Set Minimum Number of Pressed Buttons to 1 in Settings to see single keys.
Does Keystroke Visualizer work in Zoom?
Keystroke Visualizer appears in Zoom when you share your entire screen. Sharing a single window leaves the box out.
Can Keystroke Visualizer test whether a key is broken?
Keystroke Visualizer displays any key Windows registers, so a key that shows nothing isn't being recognized. Set the minimum to 1 first.
Does Keystroke Visualizer record what I type to a file?
Keystroke Visualizer is an on-screen display only: keys appear in the box and then it fades, and no log file feature is listed.
Can I use Keystroke Visualizer commercially?
Keystroke Visualizer's license allows commercial use, while the trial does not.
Is Keystroke Visualizer a subscription?
Keystroke Visualizer is a one-time $19 purchase. The license doesn't expire and includes future updates.
System Requirements
- Windows 11, 10, 8/8.1, 7, Vista or XP, 32-bit or 64-bit
- 3.85 MB for the installer or 2.87 MB for the portable edition
Conclusion
Keystroke Visualizer is worth $19 if you teach or demo software on Windows and want a dependable, plain overlay. The one reason to buy it is a simple box you can set up in a minute that works over any program. The main reason not to is that free open-source alternatives do the same job. It is free to try for personal use, so check that it suits your setup first.
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