Alternatives to Cap
Open source Loom alternative
Cap ranks #3 of 11 in Screen recording, with an Alt Score of 80. It is licensed under AGPL-3.0, freemium from $29/year and available on Windows and macOS. 8 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Individuals, remote teams, and organizations who need to record and share screen videos quickly, including those with data-ownership or self-hosting requirements.
A cross-platform screen recorder (macOS, Windows, Linux, Chrome) with Instant Mode for quick recordings that upload and share automatically, and Studio Mode for high-quality local recording with editing tools like backgrounds and cursor effects. Recordings can hit up to 4K/60fps, and shares support password protection, custom domains, and viewer analytics. It's fully open source, so you can self-host with your own S3 or Google Drive storage instead of using Cap's cloud.
Record your screen in Instant or Studio mode, optionally trim or edit the capture, then share it via an auto-generated link — recordings in Instant Mode upload as you record so the link is ready as soon as you stop.
Why people leave Cap
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How Cap compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Screen recording checklist | Cap | Tella | Camtasia | Screen Studio | ScreenFlow | Bandicam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Max resolution & fps | ||||||
| Webcam overlay | ||||||
| System + mic audio | ||||||
| Editing included | ||||||
| Instant share link | ||||||
| Watermark on free | ||||||
| Annotation during recording | ||||||
| GIF export | ||||||
| Cursor effects |
Every fact and feature listed for Cap is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Freemium verified 2026-07-11
Free forever
https://cap.so/pricing -
Starts at $29/year verified 2026-07-11
$29/ license billed yearly
https://cap.so/pricing -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
Free forever
https://cap.so/pricing -
License AGPL-3.0 verified 2026-07-11
All other content not mentioned above is available under the AGPLv3 license
https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/LICENSE -
Platforms Windows, macOS verified 2026-07-11
Cap runs on macOS and Windows, with a web dashboard for viewing, sharing, and managing recordings.
https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/README.md -
Max resolution & fps Yes verified 2026-07-11
Crystal-clear recordings at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second
https://cap.so/features -
Webcam overlay Yes verified 2026-07-11
Camera and screen recorded separately and rendered as one video in real-time
https://cap.so/features -
System + mic audio Yes verified 2026-07-11
Cap records your microphone and system audio at the same time in a single recording.
https://cap.so/mac-screen-recording-with-audio -
Editing included Yes verified 2026-07-11
Professional timeline editing with frame-perfect precision
https://cap.so/features -
Instant share link Yes verified 2026-07-11
Cap uploads while you record, then gives you a share link as soon as recording stops.
https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/README.md -
Watermark on free No verified 2026-07-11
Your recordings are yours - no Cap watermarks ever
https://cap.so/features -
GIF export Yes verified 2026-07-11
Export to MP4, WebM, MOV, GIF and more formats
https://cap.so/features -
Cursor effects Yes verified 2026-07-11
Customize cursor size, style, animations, and motion blur effects
https://cap.so/features
FAQ
Yes. Streamlabs, Kap and Loom have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Streamlabs, Kap and OBS Studio — every license claim links its source.