What is Cap used for?

Cap is an open-source screen recorder and Loom alternative with instant share links, local editing, team workspaces and self-hosting. It is a good fit for product demos and bug report videos, and async updates instead of scheduling meetings.

Yes. Cap is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at CapSoftware/Cap and is written mainly in Rust.

Yes. Cap is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from $12 per seat per month.

Yes. Cap can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Cap an alternative to?

Cap is an open-source alternative to Loom, Screencastify, Zight and CleanShot X. Other open-source alternatives to Loom include Screenity and BetterShot.

Is Cap actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Cap was on 2 October 2026. The project has 23k stars on GitHub.

Cap: open-source alternative to Loom, Screencastify, Zight

About Cap

Cap is an open-source alternative to Loom for recording and sharing screen videos. You can record the screen, camera and microphone, then send a link or export a finished video. It is built with Rust and Tauri for the desktop apps, plus a Next.js web dashboard, and runs on macOS and Windows. The repository metadata lists the license as Other.

There are two recording modes: Instant Mode uploads while you record so a share link is ready when you stop, and Studio Mode records locally and offers editing with backgrounds, zooms, trimming, captions and export controls. Sharing options include private links, passwords and custom domains, and comments, reactions, transcripts, viewer analytics and team workspaces support async feedback. Storage can be Cap Cloud, your own S3-compatible bucket, local files or a fully self-hosted platform. Cap AI generates titles, summaries, chapters and captions, and Loom videos can be imported.

Key features

Screen, camera and microphone recording
Instant Mode with immediate share links
Studio Mode with local editing and captions
Comments, transcripts and viewer analytics
Custom domains and S3-compatible storage
Import of existing Loom videos

Good fit for

→Product demos and bug report videos
→Async updates instead of scheduling meetings

Built with: Rust; React; Tauri; TypeScript; Next.js
Tags: screen-recorder; loom-alternative; screen-recording; video-sharing; tauri; rust; self-hosted; async-video

Cap: questions and answers

What is Cap used for?: Cap is an open-source screen recorder and Loom alternative with instant share links, local editing, team workspaces and self-hosting. It is a good fit for product demos and bug report videos, and async updates instead of scheduling meetings.
Is Cap open source?: Yes. Cap is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at CapSoftware/Cap and is written mainly in Rust.
Is Cap free?: Yes. Cap is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence. A managed cloud version is also available, with paid plans from $12 per seat per month.
Can I self-host Cap?: Yes. Cap can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Cap an alternative to?: Cap is an open-source alternative to Loom, Screencastify, Zight and CleanShot X. Other open-source alternatives to Loom include Screenity and BetterShot.
Is Cap actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Cap was on 2 October 2026. The project has 23k stars on GitHub.