Cap — Beautiful screen recordings, owned by you.

What it is

Cap is an open-source, cross-platform screen recording application designed as an alternative to Loom. It enables users to create high-quality, shareable screen recordings. It is built for professionals, teams, builders, and creators who need to communicate visually for purposes like quick feedback, bug reports, async collaboration, and tutorials.

Main Features

Recording Modes

• Instant Mode: Bypasses rendering with real-time uploading while recording, making videos shareable in seconds.
• Studio Mode: Prioritizes quality with local recording and provides full editing capabilities before sharing.

Performance & Quality

• Cross-platform native apps for macOS and Windows.
• 4K recording at 60fps with intelligent compression.
• Lightweight design, avoiding Electron apps or browser extensions.

Data Control & Storage

• Support for connecting a custom S3 bucket for storage.
• Option to use the provided cloud storage or keep everything local.
• No vendor lock-in, suitable for teams with compliance requirements.

Privacy & Sharing

• Local recording option.
• Ability to share publicly or privately.
• Password protection for sensitive recordings.
• Viewer analytics and engagement tracking (Pro feature).

Collaboration

• Async collaboration tools including comments and reactions on videos.
• Automatically generated captions, titles, summaries, and chapters for every recording.
• See who watched a recording and get notified on feedback.

Cap AI

• Auto-generates titles, summaries, and clickable chapters.
• Provides transcriptions for every recording.

Open Source

• Fully open-source code, allowing users to see how it works, contribute features, or self-host for complete control.

How it works

Quick Feedback and Bug Reports

Users select a recording mode (Instant for speed or Studio for quality), hit record, and capture their screen. In Instant Mode, a shareable link is generated seconds after stopping the recording, complete with auto-generated captions and a summary. This link can be immediately shared with colleagues or clients.

Async Team Collaboration

Teams use Cap Pro to create recordings for daily standups, project updates, or onboarding. Team members can watch the videos and use built-in comments and reactions to provide feedback without scheduling a meeting, turning recordings into actionable next steps.

Secure and Compliant Recordings

For organizations with strict data governance, users connect their own S3 bucket or use local-only recording. This ensures sensitive information never leaves a controlled environment, meeting requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, or other compliance frameworks.

Key Points

• It is a transparent, open-source alternative to proprietary screen recorders like Loom.
• The product emphasizes user control over data, privacy, and infrastructure.
• Early adopter pricing is available, offering lifetime access to certain plans.
• It is trusted by over 15,000 teams and individuals, including users from large enterprises.

Additional Details

Pricing

• Free Version: Available with basic features.
• Desktop License: A one-time purchase of $58 (or $29/year) for unlimited local recording, commercial usage, Studio Mode, and export features.
• Cap Pro: Subscription at $6/month per user (billed annually) or $9/month (billed monthly). Includes all Desktop features plus unlimited cloud storage, custom domains, team workspaces, S3 bucket support, and advanced AI features.

Availability

• Native desktop applications are available for macOS and Windows.
• The software can be downloaded directly from the official website.

Requirements

The specific system requirements are not listed in the provided content, but the application is described as lightweight and cross-platform.

Licensing

• The software is open-source, with its code available on GitHub.
• A commercial license is included with the Desktop and Pro plans.