Cap
Open-source Loom alternative — beautiful, shareable screen recordings with AI features
📋 Overview
Cap is an open-source screen recording platform that replaces Loom with full data ownership. It offers Instant Mode (upload while recording for instant share links) and Studio Mode (local recording with polished editing, backgrounds, zooms, trimming, and captions). Features include AI-generated titles/summaries/chapters, viewer analytics, team workspaces, custom domains, S3 storage support, and self-hosting via Docker. Built on Tauri (Rust), Next.js, and TypeScript with 20K+ stars.
✨ Key Features
- •Dual recording modes: Instant Mode (upload while recording) vs Studio Mode (local editing)
- •AI generates titles, summaries, clickable chapters, captions, and transcripts
- •20K+ stars — most popular open-source Loom alternative
- •Desktop apps for macOS and Windows built on Tauri + Rust
- •Full data ownership — use Cap Cloud, your own S3, or self-host entirely
- •Async collaboration: comments, reactions, transcripts, viewer analytics
- •Team workspaces, custom domains, and custom branding
- •Import existing Loom videos to consolidate your library
- •Self-hosting via Docker Compose with configurable AI providers
🎯 The Problem It Solves
Loom and similar tools lock your recordings behind their platform with opaque AI features and expensive pricing. Teams need async video communication but want data ownership, custom branding, and self-hosting options. Cap replaces Loom while keeping your data under your control.
🔧 How It Works
Cap provides Tauri-based desktop apps for macOS/Windows with two modes. Instant Mode uploads during recording — stop and immediately get a share link. Studio Mode records locally for polished editing with backgrounds, zooms, trimming, and captions. AI generates titles, summaries, clickable chapters, and transcripts. Share via links with comments, reactions, and analytics. Self-host with Docker Compose or use Cap Cloud.
🚀 Installation & Quick Start
Installation
git clone https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap && cd Cap && pnpm installQuick Start
- pnpm install
- pnpm dev
✅ Pros
- •Open-source (MIT code) — full transparency
- •20K+ stars with active development
- •Two recording modes cover quick updates AND polished production
- •AI features: auto titles, summaries, chapters, captions, transcripts
- •Self-hostable via Docker Compose — complete data control
- •Custom S3-compatible storage support (R2, B2, MinIO, Wasabi, S3)
- •Custom domain and branding support
- •Loom import — migrate your existing library
- •Viewer analytics with Tinybird integration
- •Async collaboration: comments, reactions, transcripts
❌ Cons
- •Self-hosting requires S3-compatible storage for production use
- •Some features (Cap AI) may require API keys or configuration
- •Desktop apps only for macOS and Windows (no Linux)
- •Self-hosted version lacks some team features from Cap Cloud
- •Setup complexity higher than pure SaaS alternatives
💬 Practitioner Verdict
“The best open-source Loom alternative. 20K+ stars with genuine polish — not a stripped-down clone. The dual-mode approach (instant vs studio) covers both quick updates and polished production. AI features add real value. Self-hosting via Docker Compose makes it viable for privacy-conscious teams.”
Self-Hosted (Free)
Open source, MIT/Apache licensed. Run it yourself.
⭐ Star & Clone on GitHubFree forever. Your infrastructure, your data.
Cap Cloud
Managed Cap hosting with AI features
- Managed hosting
- AI features
- Team workspaces
- Analytics
- Custom domains
Deployment Options
Ways to run Cap in production
📊 Specifications
- Language
- TypeScript
- License
- MIT
- Platform
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Supported Models
- REST API, CLI
💰 Pricing Reality
Free OSS (MIT for code). Cap Cloud: free tier with limited recordings, paid tiers for teams with advanced features. Self-hosting is free with your own S3-compatible storage.