Freedom251 › Interactive Product Demo Software

Spotlane

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

What Spotlane is

Spotlane turns product screenshots into interactive demos with clickable hotspots and guided screen flows. Users can paste or upload screenshots at any resolution, add hotspot labels and descriptions, and connect each hotspot to a target screen. Connected screens form a walkthrough with contextual pop-ups. Hotspots can show tooltips on hover or remain displayed, and users can adjust their colors, shapes, ripple effects, and popup content. The site says a demo can be prepared in under five minutes by uploading a screenshot, adding hotspots, and linking screens. Demos export as JSON and can be embedded with the @spotlane/player React component without a backend. Exported files can be hosted on a CDN or S3 bucket, GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, another static host, or an app's public folder. The editor is free, open source under the MIT License, and does not require an account. Spotlane can also be self-hosted, forked, and extended; demo data is stored in a standard JSON file that users own and host. Running the editor locally and building the player library requires Node.js 18+ and npm 9+.

Who it suits

Spotlane suits people who want to build and embed interactive product demos from screenshots. It may also fit developers who want to self-host or extend an open-source tool.

What it does well

Free editor with no account required.
Accepts pasted or uploaded screenshots at any resolution.
Customizable hotspot appearance and popup content.
Exports demos as JSON.
Can embed demos without a backend.

What to know first

Running locally requires Node.js 18+ and npm 9+.
Embedding uses a React component.
Demo data is hosted by the user.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	Free forever · no account required · open source	Free

As spotlane.dev lists them, read 10 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Spotlane website editor
Paste or upload product screenshots
Add hotspots with labels, descriptions, and target screens
Connect screens into a walkthrough flow
Customize hotspot appearance and popup behavior
Export the demo as JSON
Embed it with @spotlane/player or host the JSON on a supported static host

Verdict

Spotlane offers a free way to turn screenshots into guided, clickable demos, with JSON export and an embeddable React player. Its self-hosted approach means users manage where exported demo data is hosted.

Questions

Is Spotlane free?

Yes. The Free plan costs nothing, is free forever, and requires no account.

What platforms does Spotlane support?

Spotlane is available as a web editor and can be self-hosted.

Is Spotlane open source?

Yes. It uses the MIT License and can be self-hosted, forked, and extended.

How can exported demos be used?

Demos export as JSON and can be embedded with the @spotlane/player React component without a backend. The JSON can be hosted on a CDN, S3 bucket, static host, or an app's public folder.

What is required for local development?

The maker lists Node.js 18+ and npm 9+ for running the editor locally and building the player library.

Facts from Spotlane's own pages

Access: The site says the editor is free, open source, and requires no account. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Customization: Hotspot colors, shapes, ripple effects, and popup content can be customized. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Data ownership: The maker says demo data is stored in a standard JSON file that users own and host. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Export and embed: Demos export as JSON and can be embedded with the @spotlane/player React component without a backend. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Hosting: The maker says exported JSON demos can be hosted on a CDN or S3 bucket, GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, another static host, or an app's public folder. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Hotspot fields: Hotspots can have a label, description, and target screen. · spotlane.dev, 9 Oct 2026
Images: Users can paste or upload product screenshots at any resolution. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Integrations: The maker documents an embeddable React player package named @spotlane/player. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Intended users: The site describes Spotlane as a tool for making product demos and guiding users through a product. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
License: Spotlane is open source under the MIT license, and the site says users can self-host, fork, and extend it. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Local use: The maker documents running the editor locally and building the player library; the listed prerequisites are Node.js 18+ and npm 9+. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
No account required: The site says users can start for free without an account. · spotlane.dev, 9 Oct 2026
Popup behavior: Tooltips can be set to appear on hover or remain always displayed for each hotspot. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Purpose: Spotlane creates interactive product demos from screenshots using clickable hotspots and guided walkthroughs. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Screenshots: The editor accepts pasted or uploaded product screenshots at any resolution. · spotlane.dev, 9 Oct 2026
Setup: The site says a demo can be ready in under five minutes by uploading a screenshot, adding hotspots, and linking screens. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
Walkthroughs: Screens can be connected into a flow that users click through with contextual pop-ups. · spotlane.dev, 10 Oct 2026
What it does: Spotlane creates interactive product demos from screenshots using clickable hotspots and guided walkthroughs. · spotlane.dev, 9 Oct 2026
Who it is for: The site describes Spotlane as a tool for building and embedding interactive product demos; it does not name a specific audience. · spotlane.dev, 9 Oct 2026

Where Spotlane stands on Freedom251

Interactive Product Demo Software#24 of 42