AGPL-3.0open-coreRuns locallyVideo & Audio
Cap: Open-Source Loom Alternative
Open-source Loom-class screen recorder. AGPLv3 app, MIT camera crates.
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Stars
- 23,459 (2026-10-21)
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux, Web
- First seen
- 2023-11-17
TL;DR. Cap is Open-source Loom-class screen recorder. AGPLv3 app, MIT camera crates. License: AGPL-3.0 (verified). Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, Web. Price: open-core. Runs locally: yes. It is an alternative to Loom.
| Name | Cap |
|---|---|
| Language | Rust |
| License | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | open-core |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web |
| Runs locally | Yes |
| Stats | 23,459 stars · 2,101 forks (as of 2026-10-21) |
| First seen | 2023-11-17 |
| Repository | https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap |
Cap is an open-source screen recorder. Official hosts we opened on 2026-10-21: CapSoftware/Cap, release cap-v0.6.1, and cap.so. It is listed on Loom alternatives as the async share-link option.
Key facts (2026-10-21)
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stars / forks | 23,459 / 2,101 | GitHub API |
| Created | 2023-11-17T20:31:46Z | same |
| Last push | 2026-10-21T01:32:59Z | same |
| License | AGPLv3 + MIT camera crates | LICENSE |
| GitHub license field | NOASSERTION | GitHub API |
| Language | Rust (Tauri desktop named in topics) | GitHub |
| Latest release | cap-v0.6.1, 2026-10-20T14:14:57Z | GitHub Releases |
README labels (copied, not tested): Instant Mode (upload while recording); Studio Mode (local edit, backgrounds, zooms, trim, captions); Cap Cloud, own S3, local, or full self-host.
Related
FAQ
Is Cap free and open source?
Most of the monorepo is AGPLv3; camera/screen-capture crates are MIT (LICENSE, 2026-10-21). Official .dmg/.exe builds have commercial-use terms on cap.so that the project says do not apply to versions you build from source.
What version did you check?
cap-v0.6.1 (GitHub, 2026-10-20T14:14:57Z). API 2026-10-21: 23,459 stars, last push 2026-10-21T01:32:59Z. Homepage cap.so.
Does it replace Loom?
The README positions Cap as an open-source Loom alternative (Instant Mode, Studio Mode, self-host, S3). That is vendor copy. We have no sourced bake-off. See Loom alternatives. OBS Studio is the live/local-record option on that hub.
Sources & verification
- https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap
- https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/LICENSE
- https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/releases/tag/cap-v0.6.1
- https://cap.so/
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CapSoftware/Cap/refs/heads/main/apps/web/public/landing-cover.png
License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.