Open-Source Loom Alternatives (2026, Free)
Identifying Loom · Mark source
People look for a Loom alternative when they want shareable screen recordings they can self-host or a local recorder with an OSI-style license. This hub lists tools we verified on 2026-10-21. Loom is named only to identify that product class.
- Cap — Open-source Loom-class screen recorder. AGPLv3 app, MIT camera crates.
- OBS Studio — Free GPL suite for capturing, compositing, recording, and live streaming.
How we pick
- Open-source license files we could open on an official host.
- Screen recording or live-capture jobs documented by the project.
- Documented platforms from the project’s own README or site.
- Honest job split: async share links vs live/local capture.
Comparison
| Name | License | Price | Platforms | Runs locally | Job | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | AGPL-3.0 | open-core | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | Yes | See page | cap-v0.6.1 |
| OBS Studio | GPL-2.0-or-later | free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | See page | 32.2.2 |
Why these two
The 2026-10-21 check covers Cap and OBS Studio.
Cap is an open-source screen recorder. CapSoftware/Cap: 23,459 stars / 2,101 forks, last push 2026-10-21T01:32:59Z, latest release cap-v0.6.1 (2026-10-20). Root LICENSE: AGPLv3 for most of the tree; cap-camera* and scap-* crates are MIT. GitHub’s license field is NOASSERTION. We copy the file. Homepage cap.so.
OBS Studio captures, composites, encodes, records, and streams. obsproject/obs-studio: GPL-2.0 (README: GPL v2 or later), 77,838 stars / 10,769 forks, last push 2026-10-20T23:09:59Z, latest release 32.2.2 (2026-08-14). Homepage obsproject.com.
Transcription-class tools hang off Descript alternatives (whisper.cpp). Talking-head video hangs off HeyGen alternatives.
Sourced snapshot (2026-10-21)
| Field | Cap | OBS Studio |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPLv3 + MIT camera crates | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Stars | 23,459 | 77,838 |
| Last release in this check | cap-v0.6.1 (2026-10-20) | 32.2.2 (2026-08-14) |
| Job | Async record / edit / share | Live + local capture |
| Official binaries | Separate commercial terms on cap.so | Project downloads |
| Quality vs Loom | Not independently tested | Not independently tested |
Who should switch
- Need Loom-class share links and accept AGPL / self-host: Cap 0.6.1.
- Need live streaming or a local recorder, not a share product: OBS Studio 32.2.2.
- Need local transcription of the take: Descript alternatives.
Limitations we actually sourced
Cap’s official desktop binaries have commercial-use terms on cap.so that do not apply to builds from source (project docs). AGPLv3 has network-copyleft conditions. OBS does not ship a hosted comment/transcript studio. We did not test upload speed, transcript quality, or viewer analytics.
Related
Listed options
Cap
Open-source Loom-class screen recorder. AGPLv3 app, MIT camera crates.
OBS Studio
Free GPL suite for capturing, compositing, recording, and live streaming.
FAQ
What is the best free Loom alternative right now?
Among options we sourced on 2026-10-21, Cap is the Loom-class recorder (most of the repo AGPLv3, camera crates MIT, cap-v0.6.1, 23,459 stars). OBS Studio is the live-stream and local-record suite (GPL-2.0-or-later, 32.2.2, 77,838 stars). “Best” depends on share links versus live capture. We have no bake-off.
Is Cap a drop-in Loom replacement?
Cap’s README calls it an open-source Loom alternative (Instant Mode, Studio Mode, self-host, S3). That is positioning, not a forkalt test. Official desktop binaries have separate commercial-use terms on cap.so; source you build yourself follows the repo LICENSE.
Does OBS give me Loom-style share links?
OBS Studio records and streams locally. Its README does not describe a hosted async-comment product. Use Cap if the job is shareable clips; use OBS if the job is capture/composite/stream.
Sources & verification
- https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap
- https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/LICENSE
- https://cap.so/
- https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio
- https://obsproject.com/
License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.