Cap vs OBS Studio

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

OBS Studio

• Live streamers who want detailed control of scenes, sources and audio
• Recording gameplay, tutorials or presentations without paying for software
• Linux users: there is an official Flatpak and an Ubuntu PPA

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.

OBS Studio

• It captures and mixes video in real time; the feature list on its site does not include editing a recording afterwards.
• Downloads are offered for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13.0 or newer, and Linux; no mobile or browser version is listed.
• The Game Capture source is Windows only, according to the quick start guide.
• Help comes from a knowledge base, forums and a community Discord server rather than a vendor support desk.

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.

OBS Studio

Scenes and sources

Compose a scene from window and display captures, webcams, capture cards, images, text and browser windows, and set up as many scenes as you need.

Recording and live streaming

Record to a local file or stream to one of the included services or a custom server. A replay buffer can save recent footage with a hotkey.

Audio mixer with filters

Each audio source can take filters such as a noise gate, noise suppression and gain, and VST plugins are supported.

Studio Mode and Multiview

Studio Mode lets you preview and adjust a scene before it goes live. Multiview shows 8 scenes at once and cues any of them with a click.

Virtual camera

Sends an OBS scene, or a single source, to any app that accepts a webcam, such as Zoom or Discord.

Plugins and scripting

An API supports native plugins and scripts written in Lua or Python, and community-made plugins are shared in the site's Resources section.

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.

OBS Studio

• OBS Studio$0

  The complete program for Windows, macOS and Linux, including recording, live streaming, the virtual camera, plugins and scripting.

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.

OBS Studio

No public discounts listed.