Cap: Open Source Screen Recorder Alternative to Loom

Cap is an open-source screen recorder for creating, editing, and sharing async video messages. It is a native alternative to Loom for teams, creators, developers, and educators who want source code access, self-hosting, and more control over their video sharing workflow.

Cap lets you record your screen, webcam, or both, then share instant links or polish recordings with Studio Mode before exporting.

What is Cap?

Cap is a native open-source screen recording app built with Tauri and Rust. It helps users record screen videos, product demos, tutorials, bug reports, onboarding videos, and async team updates.

Unlike fully proprietary screen recording tools, Cap gives teams more control over the software, hosting, data, and sharing infrastructure. You can use Cap Cloud for convenience or self-host Cap Web for more ownership.

Cap is especially useful for:

• async team updates
• product demos
• bug reports
• customer support videos
• onboarding tutorials
• developer documentation
• course and educational videos
• creator workflows

Key features

Screen recording

• Record your screen, webcam, or both
• Native desktop app performance
• Instant Mode for fast Loom-style recording and sharing
• Studio Mode for editing before publishing
• Local-first recording before upload
• macOS and Windows desktop apps

Editing and production

• Timeline-based editing
• Trim recordings
• Add captions
• Add chapters
• Export polished videos
• Support for high-quality exports, including 4K workflows
• Create quick async updates or more polished tutorials

Sharing and collaboration

• Share recordings with instant links
• Viewer comments
• Custom domains on supported plans
• Self-host Cap Web for more control
• Point the desktop app to your own Cap Server URL
• Store recordings on your own infrastructure when self-hosted

Self-hosting and infrastructure

• Self-host Cap Web with Docker Compose
• MySQL database support
• S3-compatible storage through MinIO
• FFmpeg for video processing
• Control over storage, hosting, and deployment
• Useful for teams with privacy, compliance, or data ownership requirements

Cap vs Loom

Feature	Cap	Loom
Main use case	Open-source screen recording and async video sharing	Managed async video messaging platform
License	Open source, with MIT and AGPL-3.0 components	Proprietary SaaS
Deployment	Cap Cloud or self-hosted Cap Web	Managed cloud SaaS
Screen recording	Native desktop app for screen and webcam recording	Desktop and browser-based recording
Editing	Studio Mode, trimming, captions, chapters, exports	Built-in editing and sharing tools
Sharing	Instant links, comments, custom domains, self-hosting options	Instant links, comments, team sharing, managed hosting
Data control	High control when self-hosted	Hosted on Loom infrastructure
Best for	Teams wanting open-source code, self-hosting, and ownership	Teams wanting a polished managed video messaging product
Cost model	Open-source software; infrastructure or optional cloud costs apply	Subscription-based SaaS pricing

Choose Cap if you want an open-source Loom alternative with native recording, self-hosting, data ownership, and more control over your video infrastructure.

Choose Loom if you want a fully managed proprietary product with minimal setup, mature team workflows, and hosted video sharing out of the box.

Cap vs Tella

Cap and Tella are both useful for recording and sharing polished videos, but they have different strengths.

Tella is a managed video recording and editing platform focused on creators, tutorials, product videos, and polished presentations. Cap is a better fit if you want an open-source screen recorder with self-hosting options and more control over your video stack.

Feature	Cap	Tella
Main use case	Open-source screen recording and async sharing	Polished video recording and editing
Deployment	Cloud or self-hosted	Managed SaaS
Source code	Open source	Proprietary
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Editing	Studio Mode, trims, captions, chapters	Strong managed editing experience
Best for	Teams wanting ownership and self-hosting	Creators wanting polished video workflows with less setup

Cap vs Screen Studio

Screen Studio is known for polished screen recordings, especially for product demos and creator videos. Cap overlaps with this use case but adds open-source code and self-hosting.

Choose Screen Studio if you want a highly polished managed desktop recording experience.

Choose Cap if you want an open-source alternative with instant sharing, Studio Mode, and control over hosting.

Cap vs Descript

Descript is not a direct Loom replacement. It is broader: video editing, audio editing, transcription, podcast editing, and content production.

Cap is more focused on screen recording, async video messages, instant sharing, and self-hostable video infrastructure.

Choose Descript if your main need is editing, transcription, and content production.

Choose Cap if your main need is open-source screen recording and Loom-style async sharing.

At a glance

Attribute	Details
License	MIT for the desktop app; AGPL-3.0 for Cap Web
Category	Screen recording / Async video
Main users	Teams, creators, developers, educators, support teams
Platforms	macOS and Windows
Deployment	Cap Cloud or self-hosted Cap Web
Self-hosted	Yes
Stack	Rust, Tauri, TypeScript, Next.js, SolidStart, MySQL
Video infrastructure	MySQL, MinIO, FFmpeg, S3-compatible storage
Alternatives	Loom, Tella, Screen Studio, Descript

Self-hosting

Cap can be self-hosted by teams that want more control over video hosting, storage, data ownership, and sharing infrastructure.

A typical self-hosted Cap setup includes:

• Docker Compose
• Cap Web
• MySQL
• MinIO or S3-compatible storage
• FFmpeg for video processing
• Custom Cap Server URL
• Optional custom domain
• Reverse proxy and HTTPS
• Monitoring and backups for production deployments

Self-hosting Cap is a good fit for teams that need privacy, ownership, internal video sharing, or control over where recordings are stored.

For simpler usage, Cap Cloud is better if you want managed hosting and less operational work.

FAQ

Is Cap a Loom alternative?

Yes. Cap is an open-source alternative to Loom for screen recording, async video messages, instant sharing, and team communication. Cap is especially relevant if you want self-hosting and more control over your video infrastructure.

Is Cap open source?

Yes. Cap is open source. The project includes MIT and AGPL-3.0 licensed components, depending on the part of the product.

Can Cap be self-hosted?

Yes. Cap Web can be self-hosted with Docker Compose. Self-hosting lets teams control video storage, hosting, server configuration, and data ownership.

What is the difference between Cap and Loom?

Cap is open source and can be self-hosted, while Loom is a proprietary managed SaaS product. Cap is better for teams that want ownership and control. Loom is better for teams that want a fully managed async video platform with minimal setup.

Is Cap a Tella alternative?

Yes. Cap can be used as an alternative to Tella for screen recording and polished video sharing. Tella is a managed product focused on creator-friendly video production, while Cap is open source and self-hostable.

Is Cap a Screen Studio alternative?

Yes. Cap can be used as an alternative to Screen Studio, especially if you want open-source code, self-hosting, instant sharing links, and a cross-platform roadmap. Screen Studio is especially strong for polished Mac-based recordings.

Is Cap a Descript alternative?

Only partially. Descript is mainly an audio and video editing platform with transcription and content production features. Cap is primarily a screen recorder and async video sharing tool.

Is Cap suitable for production?

Yes, Cap can be used in production. For production self-hosting, teams should plan for MySQL, object storage, FFmpeg, custom domain configuration, HTTPS, monitoring, backups, and storage costs.

Who should use Cap?

Cap is useful for teams, creators, developers, educators, and support teams that need screen recording, async video messages, product demos, onboarding videos, bug reports, or internal knowledge sharing.

What are the best alternatives to Cap?

The closest alternatives are Loom, Tella, Screen Studio, and Descript. Loom is the main managed async video platform. Tella and Screen Studio are strong for polished recording workflows. Descript is stronger for editing, transcription, and content production.