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Kap vs LICEcap (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Kap and LICEcap share a 3.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

They get the same grade on all five counts.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Kap

Open-source Mac screen recorder that exports GIF, MP4, WebM and APNG

Free
Full detailsgetkap.co

LICEcap

Lightweight free tool that records a screen area to an animated GIF

Free
Full detailscockos.com

Which one is for you

Pick Kap if

  • Fits if you record short Mac screen clips and share them as GIFs
  • Works for people comfortable getting help from a GitHub issue tracker

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
  • Not for you if your Mac is older than macOS 12
  • Too light for you if you want to edit video beyond trimming
  • Watch out: support goes through GitHub issues, not a paid channel

Pick LICEcap if

  • Fits if you only need short GIFs of your screen with no extras
  • Works for people who want a tiny download

Look elsewhere if

  • Too light for you if you want MP4 or audio, since neither is mentioned
  • Skip it if you run a new Mac, as support is named only up to macOS 12.x
  • Watch out: the latest release listed is v1.32 from June 2022
  • Not for you if you want to edit the capture, as editing is limited to a title frame and text messages

How we grade them

3.0GPAKapVery good3.0GPALICEcapVery good
Value for money
AFree and open source. No paid plan is listed.
AFree software under the GPL. No paid edition is listed.
Free plan and trial
AThe whole app is free, with no limit or trial.
AThe whole program is free, with the source included in each download.
Features
CRecording with audio, click highlights, trimming and four export formats, plus share plugins. It does the recording job, but the site describes no full video editing.
CRecords to GIF or LCF, with pause, text messages and mouse press display. It does that one job, a smaller one: no MP4 export or audio.
Ease of use
BInstall, pick an area and record. Nothing to set up, though no store rating is on record.
BMove the frame over the area and record. Nothing to set up, though no store rating is on record.
Platforms and integrations
CMac only, Apple silicon and Intel. No Windows, Linux or phone version.
CWindows and macOS, computers only. No Linux, phone or web version.
Best fora free Mac screen recorder that exports GIFsquick screen-to-GIF recording

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kap and LICEcap. How we grade

Price against what you get

Kap has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LICEcap has no paid plan and scores 2.3.

On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Kap for less, and none scores higher than LICEcap for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessKapLICEcap

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of desktop utilities, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceWorks offlineScreen recording

    At a glance

    KapLICEcap
    PricingFreeFree
    Starts atFreeFree
    Free planNoneNone
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    macOS
    Windows
    Made byWulkanoCockos Incorporated
    Price read fromgetkap.cocockos.com
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Kap

    • Mac only; there are no Windows, Linux or mobile versions.
    • Requires macOS 12 or later.
    • The site describes recording, trimming and export, not full video editing.
    • Free and open source, so support runs through the GitHub project's issue tracker rather than a paid channel.

    LICEcap

    • The page lists only GIF and LCF output; MP4 export and audio recording are not mentioned.
    • The latest release listed is v1.32 from June 2022.
    • The macOS build is listed for macOS 10.7 through 12.x; newer versions are not named.
    • Editing is limited to a title frame and inserted text messages.

    Key features

    Kap

    Several export formats
    Export a recording as GIF, MP4, WebM or APNG, with optional audio.
    Click highlights and trimming
    Highlight mouse clicks while recording and trim the clip before exporting.
    Plugin sharing
    Plugins send recordings to Giphy, Streamable and Vercel; the site links the plugin projects on GitHub.
    Open source
    The code is public on GitHub under the MIT license, so anyone can read it, report issues or contribute.
    Apple silicon and Intel builds
    Separate downloads are offered for M1-class and Intel Macs; macOS 12 or later is required.

    LICEcap

    Record to GIF or LCF
    Save directly to an animated GIF, or to the native LCF format, which allows higher compression and more than 256 colors per frame.
    Movable capture frame
    Move the capture frame while recording, so the recorded area can follow what you are showing.
    Pause and text messages
    Pause and restart a recording with a global hotkey, and insert text messages or a basic title frame.
    Mouse presses and elapsed time
    Optionally show mouse button presses and the elapsed time in the recording.
    Frame-rate limit
    Set a maximum recording frame rate to throttle CPU use on slower machines.

    Plans

    Kap

    • Free$0

      Open-source under the MIT license, with downloads for Apple silicon and Intel Macs and no paid tier.

    LICEcap

    • Free$0

      GPL free software for Windows and macOS; each download package includes the source.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Kap or LICEcap?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kap and LICEcap are free to use.

    Which has a free plan, Kap or LICEcap?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kap and LICEcap have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Kap and LICEcap run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only LICEcap lists a Windows app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade