Open source Loom alternatives: Cap, OBS Studio, ShareX, Screenity and Kap

Loom made the quick screen recording a normal way to explain a bug, review a design or skip a meeting. Its free plan limits video length and library size, though, and every recording lives on Loom’s servers. The open source options split into two groups: Cap, which copies Loom’s record-and-share-a-link workflow, and desktop recorders that save a file you share however you like. We checked each license and latest release on November 5, 2026.

Quick comparison

Recorder	License	Platforms	Share link built in	Best for
Cap	AGPL-3.0 (some crates MIT)	macOS, Windows, Linux	Yes, hosted or self-hosted	A direct Loom replacement for teams
OBS Studio	GPL-2.0	Windows, macOS, Linux	No	Polished recordings and live streams
ShareX	GPL-3.0	Windows	Uploads to services you choose	Screenshots, GIFs and quick clips
Screenity	GPL-3.0	Chrome and Chromium browsers	Optional paid hosting	Browser-based recordings with annotations
Kap	MIT	macOS	Through plugins	Quick, lightweight recordings on a Mac

Cap: record, stop, paste the link

Cap is the project that set out to be an open source Loom. Its Instant Mode uploads while you record and gives you a share link the moment you stop. Studio Mode records locally and opens an editor with backgrounds, zooms, trimming, captions and export controls. Viewers can comment and react, and Cap can generate titles, summaries, chapters and transcripts. It can even import your existing Loom videos.

You can use Cap’s hosted service, connect your own S3-compatible bucket, keep recordings local, or self-host the whole platform. The app is AGPL-3.0, with some camera and capture crates under MIT. Version 0.6.1 shipped on October 20, 2026. Choose Cap when your team wants Loom’s workflow without Loom’s storage.

OBS Studio: the most capable recorder

OBS Studio is the standard tool for recording and streaming. You build scenes from screens, windows, webcams, images and text, mix several audio sources, add filters such as noise suppression and chroma key, and switch between scenes while recording. It records to a local file or streams to any platform. It does not upload anything or create share links, so you share the file yourself.

OBS is GPL-2.0 and version 33.0.0 shipped on October 23, 2026. It takes a few minutes to set up a good scene, but once done it produces the most professional result here. Choose it for tutorials, demos and courses.

ShareX: screenshots and short clips on Windows

ShareX is a Windows productivity tool that happens to record the screen. It captures regions, windows and scrolling pages, records video and GIFs, lets you annotate and blur sensitive details, runs OCR on images, and can upload the result to dozens of services, including your own server, then copy the link to your clipboard. Hotkeys tie the whole workflow together.

ShareX is GPL-3.0 and version 21.0.0 shipped on July 3, 2026. Choose it if you are on Windows and mostly need quick clips and annotated screenshots for bug reports.

Screenity: a recorder in your browser

Screenity is a Chrome extension that records a tab, an area, the desktop, an app window or the camera, with microphone and system audio. While recording you can draw on the screen, add arrows and text, highlight clicks, zoom smoothly and blur private content, and afterwards trim, cut and crop in a built-in editor. There are no recording limits and no account is needed for local recording.

Screenity is GPL-3.0 from version 3 onward, and version 4.7.2 shipped on October 25, 2026. Its developer sells Screenity Pro, a separate hosted service with share links; that code is only active in the official store version. Choose Screenity when you want a Loom-like experience without installing a desktop app.

Kap: quick recordings on a Mac

Kap is a small macOS menu-bar recorder. Click the icon, choose an area, record, and export to MP4, WebM, GIF or APNG. Plugins add uploads to services and other export targets. It is MIT licensed and version 3.6.0 shipped on October 27, 2026, with builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Choose it when you want something faster to open than OBS for short clips.

How to choose

• You want Loom’s share-a-link workflow, self-hosted: Cap.
• You need high-quality tutorials, multiple sources or streaming: OBS Studio.
• You are on Windows and want screenshots, GIFs and uploads in one tool: ShareX.
• You prefer a browser extension: Screenity.
• You are on a Mac and want the quickest possible recorder: Kap.

Whichever you pick, decide where recordings will be stored and who can see the links before your team starts recording customer data. Editing the result into something longer? See our open source video editors. You can browse every project in the directory.