What is Loom used for?

Loom is a screen and camera recording tool for sharing asynchronous video messages, with editing, comments, transcripts and AI features. It is a good fit for async updates for remote teams, product walkthroughs for customers and bug reports with technical details.

Yes. Loom has a free plan, and paid plans start at $18 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.

No. Loom is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Loom include BetterShot, Cap and Screenity.

What are some alternatives to Loom?

Loom competes with Screencastify, Tella and Zight. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Loom alternatives.

Loom: features, pricing and alternatives

About Loom

Loom is a video messaging tool that records a screen, a camera or both so people can explain something once and share it as a link instead of holding a meeting. Recording works through a Chrome extension, a desktop app for Mac and PC, and a mobile app.

A built-in editor lets users trim and stitch clips, add backgrounds, and annotate with text, arrows and box overlays. Viewers can react with emojis, comments, tasks and calls to action, and transcripts and captions are available in more than 50 languages for teams across time zones. Videos can be shared or embedded in tools such as Google Workspace and Slack. A newer feature turns a recorded walkthrough into a Jira work item with technical details like device, browser, console errors and network activity.

Loom is a hosted commercial product that can be started for free, with paid plans on its pricing page and enterprise-grade security options for companies. It cannot be self-hosted.

Key features

Screen and camera recording
Chrome extension, desktop and mobile apps
Built-in video trimming and annotation
Comments, emojis, tasks and calls to action
Transcripts and captions in 50+ languages
AI-generated Jira bug reports
Sharing and embedding in work tools

Good fit for

→Async updates for remote teams
→Product walkthroughs for customers
→Bug reports with technical details

Tags: screen-recording; video-messaging; async-communication; remote-work; transcripts; collaboration

Loom: questions and answers

What is Loom used for?: Loom is a screen and camera recording tool for sharing asynchronous video messages, with editing, comments, transcripts and AI features. It is a good fit for async updates for remote teams, product walkthroughs for customers and bug reports with technical details.
Is Loom free?: Yes. Loom has a free plan, and paid plans start at $18 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.
Is Loom open source?: No. Loom is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Loom include BetterShot, Cap and Screenity.
What are some alternatives to Loom?: Loom competes with Screencastify, Tella and Zight. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Loom alternatives.