Cap vs Loom

Cap

• Teams that want an open-source Loom alternative they can self-host
• Developers sending bug reports and async updates as video links
• Product demos and tutorials that need zooms, backgrounds and captions

Loom

• Teams sharing quick recorded walkthroughs instead of scheduling a call
• Jira and Confluence users who want video tied into Atlassian tools
• Occasional recorders who can work within 25 short videos on the free plan

Cap

• The free version is licensed for personal use only; commercial use needs a Desktop License or Cap Pro.
• Share links on the Free plan and the Desktop License are limited to recordings of up to 5 minutes; unlimited cloud sharing needs Cap Pro.
• AI titles, summaries and chapters, cloud transcriptions, the Loom importer and custom S3 or Google Drive storage are Cap Pro only.
• The Windows build is labeled beta on the download page, and no iOS or Android app is listed.

Loom

• The free Starter plan is capped at 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings and 720p quality.
• Auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal need Business + AI or Enterprise.
• Business plans are billed per Creator, and Enterprise is sold on annual subscriptions only.
• No Linux app is listed; recording is offered on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iOS and Android.

Cap

Instant Mode

Uploads in the background while you record, so a share link is on the clipboard the moment you stop. Viewers watch in a browser with no account or download.

Studio Mode and editor

Records locally at up to 4K and 60fps with separate screen, camera and microphone tracks, then opens an editor with backgrounds, automatic zoom, cursor effects, blur masks and scenes.

Screenshot Mode

A hotkey captures a window or an area, and the image can be given a background, padding and a shadow before it is copied to the clipboard or shared as a link.

Share pages

Each capture gets a page with comments, reactions, a transcript and chapters. Password protection, a custom domain and viewer analytics are part of Cap Pro.

Cap AI and captions

Cap Pro generates titles, summaries, clickable chapters and transcriptions for every recording with no usage limit. Studio Mode can also transcribe captions on the device in 19 languages.

Own storage, self-hosting and agents

Cap Pro can store recordings in a custom S3 bucket or Google Drive, and the whole platform can be self-hosted. A CLI and local MCP server let AI coding agents record and manage videos.

Loom

Screen and camera recording

Record the screen, the camera or both from the desktop app, the Chrome extension or the mobile apps, then share the video as a link.

Basic editing

Trim recordings, stitch clips together and add backgrounds, text, arrows and box overlays.

Transcripts and captions

Transcriptions and closed captions in more than 50 languages, included on the free Starter plan.

Comments and viewer insights

Viewers can respond with comments, emoji reactions and tasks, and creators can see who watched. Engagement insights and calls-to-action are paid features.

Loom AI

Business + AI and Enterprise add auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal. An AI bug report feature fills in Jira work items from a recording.

Meeting recordings

Meetings can be recorded without a length limit, including on the Starter plan.

Cap

• Free$0

  Personal use only: Studio Mode with the full editor, 4K 60fps export and share links for recordings of up to 5 minutes.

• Desktop License$29

  per license / year, or $58 once for a lifetime license

  Commercial use for one user, unlimited local recording and editing, and 20 cloud share links a month of up to 5 minutes each.

• Cap Pro$8.16

  per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)

  Unlimited cloud storage and sharing, AI titles, summaries, chapters and transcripts, custom domain, password protection and viewer analytics.

• EnterpriseCap Pro price + add-ons

  Cap Pro for large organizations, with optional SAML SSO at a flat $199 a month and a signed BAA at $99 a month per organization.

Loom

• Starter$0

  Up to 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings, 720p quality and up to 50 members.

• Business$18

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Unlimited storage, recordings up to 6 hours, HD recording, custom branding, engagement insights and calls-to-action.

• Business + AI$24

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Everything in Business plus Loom's AI features, including auto-summaries, auto-chapters and filler-word removal.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Annual contracts through sales with SSO, SCIM, custom data retention and advanced security controls.

Cap

• Annual discount

  Save 32% on Cap Pro with annual billing

  The pricing page lists Cap Pro at $8.16 per user a month when billed annually, against $12 per user billed monthly.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Desktop License for $58

  The Desktop License can be bought once for $58 as a license that never renews, instead of paying $29 per license each year.

• Education

  30% student discount

  Cap's student discount page offers students 30% off any premium plan, applied with a discount code at checkout.

Loom

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% with annual billing

  Loom's pricing page says you can be billed monthly but save 17% if you pay annually.

• Education

  Up to 75% off for education

  Verified teachers, professors and students at accredited institutions can get up to 50% off premium plans for general academic use, or 75% off for classroom use.