Cap vs Loom: which screen recorder is right for you?

Last updated October 2026

Loom defined the modern screen recording category. It made it dead simple to record your screen, get a shareable link, and move on with your day. But the landscape has changed. Cap, an open-source screen recorder with a one-time desktop license and an affordable cloud plan, has emerged as a serious alternative for individuals and teams who want more control over their recordings and their costs.

This comparison breaks down how Cap and Loom differ on pricing, features, privacy, and workflow so you can pick the tool that fits how you actually work.

How the two tools compare at a glance

Cap: the open-source option that lets you own your recordings

Cap positions itself as the open-source alternative to Loom, and it delivers on that promise in ways that matter. The entire codebase is on GitHub, which means you can inspect exactly what the software does with your data, contribute to the project, or self-host the whole platform on your own infrastructure.

The desktop app supports three recording modes. Instant mode uploads your recording in real time and copies a shareable link as soon as you stop, which is the closest experience to Loom's core workflow. Studio mode records locally at up to 4K/60fps and gives you a built-in editor for trimming and polishing before you share. Screenshot mode captures windows and lets you annotate and beautify them before sharing.

Cap's free tier is generous for local work. There's no time limit on recordings and no cap on the number of videos you can save to your machine. The constraint is on cloud sharing: free users get shareable links limited to five minutes each. One important detail is that the free plan is restricted to personal use. If you're using Cap for work, you need at least the Desktop License.

The Desktop License costs $29 per year or $58 as a one-time purchase that never renews. That gets you commercial usage rights and 20 cloud shareable links per month (up to five minutes each). For users who mainly record locally and share occasionally, this is a remarkably affordable option with no recurring cost.

Cap Pro at $12 per user per month (or $8.16 billed annually) unlocks unlimited cloud storage and bandwidth, AI-powered titles, summaries, chapters, and transcriptions, team workspaces, viewer analytics, password-protected shares, and the ability to bring your own storage via S3 or Google Drive. The Loom library importer and a 20% discount code (MIGRATE20) make it clear who Cap is targeting.

For enterprises, Cap takes a modular approach. SSO via SAML is a flat $199 per month regardless of user count, and a signed BAA for HIPAA compliance is $99 per month per organization. These are self-serve add-ons, so there's no mandatory sales call.

Cap runs on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 13.1+), Windows 10+, and Linux (Debian and Ubuntu). Linux support is a genuine differentiator since Loom doesn't offer a native Linux app at all. There's also a Chrome extension, a CLI, and an MCP server for developers and AI agents.

Loom: the established platform for async video at work

Loom is the tool most people think of when they think of screen recording for work. It's been around longer, it's backed by Atlassian, and it has a polished experience that prioritizes simplicity and speed. You open the app, hit record, stop, and your video is ready to share. That workflow is hard to beat for teams that just want to communicate faster.

Loom's free Starter plan gives you 25 videos at up to five minutes each, which is enough to evaluate the tool but tight for daily use. Recordings are capped at 720p on the free tier. You do get transcriptions in 50+ languages, comments, emoji reactions, and basic viewer insights, so the collaboration features are present even at the free level.

The Business plan at $18 per user per month removes the video and time limits, bumps quality up to 4K, and adds trim and stitch editing, custom thumbnails, branding removal, password protection, and engagement insights. This is where Loom becomes viable for teams that use video as a core part of their communication.

Business + AI at $24 per user per month layers on Loom's AI capabilities. Auto-generated titles, summaries, and chapters help viewers find what they need. Filler word and silence removal clean up recordings without manual editing. Edit by transcript lets you cut sections by deleting text. Auto-meeting notes and recap emails turn meeting recordings into actionable summaries. There's a free 14-day trial of the AI tier, which is worth taking for a spin.

Loom's Enterprise plan adds SSO via SAML, SCIM provisioning, a 99.95% uptime SLA, unlimited spaces, advanced admin controls, activity logs, custom data retention, and a dedicated account manager. Pricing is custom and requires contacting sales.

One area where Loom has a clear advantage is meeting recording. All Loom plans support unlimited-length meeting recordings, making it a two-in-one tool for async screen recordings and meeting capture. Cap doesn't offer meeting recording at all, so teams that need both would need a separate tool alongside Cap.

Loom is available on macOS and Windows with a Chrome extension. There's no Linux support and no self-hosting option.

Pricing breakdown

Cap's pricing model is fundamentally different from Loom's. The one-time Desktop License at $58 has no equivalent in Loom's lineup. For a solo user who records a few videos a week and shares them via their own hosting or downloads, Cap can cost literally nothing after that initial purchase.

For teams using cloud features heavily, the comparison gets more interesting. Cap Pro at $12 per user per month undercuts Loom Business at $18 per user per month by a third, and it includes AI features that Loom charges an additional $6 per user per month for. A ten-person team on Cap Pro (billed annually) would pay about $82 per month. The same team on Loom Business + AI would pay $240 per month. Over a year, that's a difference of roughly $1,900.

Cap's enterprise add-ons are also priced transparently. SSO at a flat $199 per month regardless of team size is meaningfully cheaper than most enterprise tiers that charge per seat. Loom's Enterprise pricing is opaque by comparison.

Students get a 30% discount on Cap. Loom offers discounted pricing for students and teachers through Atlassian's education program.

Privacy and data ownership

This is where the philosophical difference between the two products is starkest. Cap is open source, which means the code that touches your recordings is auditable. You can self-host the entire platform, which means your recordings never leave infrastructure you control. Even on Cap's cloud, Pro users can bring their own S3 bucket or Google Drive, keeping recordings in storage they own.

Loom is a closed-source SaaS product. Your recordings live on Loom's servers, and you trust Loom's security practices and privacy policies. Loom is SOC 2 Type II certified, which provides a baseline of assurance, but you can't inspect the code or host it yourself.

For teams in regulated industries, healthcare, finance, legal, Cap's HIPAA-ready BAA and self-hosting option can simplify compliance in ways that Loom's Enterprise tier may not match without a custom agreement.

Editing and production quality

Both tools offer basic editing, but they approach it differently. Cap's Studio mode is designed for polished output. You record locally at 4K/60fps and edit in a built-in editor before sharing. This workflow suits creators and educators who want control over the final product.

Loom's editing is lighter by design. Trim and stitch on the Business plan let you clean up recordings, and the AI tier adds filler word removal and transcript-based editing. These features are optimized for speed rather than polish, which is the right trade-off for async team communication where a quick, clear video beats a perfectly produced one.

Loom's AI editing features, particularly filler and silence removal, are genuinely useful for people who record a lot of ad-hoc videos and don't want to re-record to sound polished. Cap's AI features focus more on post-recording metadata (titles, summaries, chapters, transcripts) rather than editing the recording itself.

Platform support and integrations

Cap wins on platform breadth. Native apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux mean it works wherever your team works. The CLI and MCP server are unusual additions that appeal to developers and teams building automated workflows.

Loom wins on meeting integrations. Its meeting recording capability and Atlassian ecosystem integration (Loom is an Atlassian product) make it a natural fit for teams already using Jira, Confluence, or Trello. The Salesforce integration on the Enterprise plan adds value for sales teams.

Both offer Chrome extensions for browser-based recording.

Who should pick Cap

Cap makes the most sense if you value open source and data ownership, if you want to self-host your screen recording infrastructure, if you're on Linux, if you want a one-time purchase option instead of a recurring subscription, if you're cost-conscious and want AI features included at a lower price point, or if you're in a regulated industry and need HIPAA compliance with transparent, self-serve pricing.

The trade-off is that Cap is newer and less proven at scale. It doesn't record meetings, and its ecosystem of integrations is smaller than Loom's.

Who should pick Loom

Loom is the better choice if you want a mature, polished product with years of refinement, if meeting recording is important to your workflow, if your team is already in the Atlassian ecosystem, if you want AI-powered editing features like filler removal and transcript-based editing, or if you prioritize simplicity and don't need to own your infrastructure.

The trade-off is higher cost, no Linux support, no self-hosting, and no way to bring your own storage.

Related comparisons

If you're evaluating screen recording tools more broadly, these comparisons might help narrow things down:

• Cap vs ScreenFlow looks at Cap against another desktop-focused recorder popular with Mac users.

• Tella vs Loom compares Loom with a presentation-style recording tool.

• Cap vs Tella puts the open-source option against another Loom alternative.

• CleanShot vs Snagit covers screenshot and short recording tools for Mac and Windows.

• Best screen recording tool is a broader roundup if you want to see more options.

• Best open-source screen recorder focuses specifically on open-source alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cap really free?

Cap's desktop app is free for personal use with no time limits on local recordings. Cloud sharing on the free plan is limited to links of five minutes or less. Commercial use requires at least the Desktop License, which starts at $29 per year or $58 as a one-time payment.

Is Cap open source?

Yes. Cap's source code is publicly available on GitHub. You can inspect it, contribute to it, fork it, or self-host the entire platform on your own servers. This level of transparency is rare among screen recording tools.

Can I self-host Cap?

Yes. Cap supports full self-hosting, which means your recordings, metadata, and user data stay on infrastructure you control. This is particularly valuable for organizations with strict data residency or compliance requirements.

Does Loom have a free plan?

Loom's Starter plan is free and includes 25 videos per person at up to five minutes each, recorded at 720p. It includes transcriptions, comments, and basic viewer insights, but the video and time limits make it more of a trial than a daily-use tier.

How does Cap's pricing compare to Loom's?

Cap is significantly cheaper at every tier. The Desktop License at $58 one-time has no Loom equivalent. Cap Pro at $12 per user per month includes AI features that Loom charges $24 per user per month for (Business + AI). A team of ten would save roughly $1,900 per year choosing Cap Pro over Loom Business + AI, both billed annually.

Does Cap support Linux?

Yes. Cap offers a native Linux app as a .deb package for Debian and Ubuntu. Loom does not have a Linux app, so Cap is one of the few polished screen recording tools available on that platform.

Can I record meetings with Cap?

No. Cap is focused on screen recording and does not offer meeting recording. Loom supports unlimited-length meeting recording on all plans, including the free tier. If meeting capture is essential, you'd need a separate tool alongside Cap.

Does Cap have AI features?

Cap Pro includes AI-generated titles, summaries, chapters, and transcripts at no extra cost. Loom's AI features, which also include filler removal and transcript-based editing, require the Business + AI plan at $24 per user per month. Cap's AI is focused on metadata and navigation, while Loom's extends into editing the recording itself.

Can I use my own storage with Cap?

Yes. Cap Pro lets you connect your own Amazon S3 bucket or Google Drive for recording storage. This means your files live in infrastructure you control, even if you use Cap's cloud for sharing links and collaboration. Loom doesn't offer this option.

Is Loom owned by Atlassian?

Yes. Atlassian acquired Loom, and the product integrates with the Atlassian ecosystem including Jira, Confluence, and Trello. This is an advantage for teams already using those tools, but it also means Loom's roadmap is influenced by Atlassian's broader product strategy.

What video quality does each tool support?

Both Cap and Loom support up to 4K recording, but with different access. Cap records at 4K/60fps on the free tier for local recordings. Loom limits free recordings to 720p and reserves 4K for the Business plan and above.

Does Cap offer HIPAA compliance?

Cap offers a signed BAA as a self-serve add-on for $99 per month per organization, alongside SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. Loom's compliance options at the Enterprise level require a custom sales conversation, making Cap's approach more transparent and accessible for smaller healthcare or regulated organizations.