Overview

Cap is an open-source screen recorder and sharing platform for people who need both quick video links and locally recorded material they can edit. It suits individual creators and teams that value control over where recordings live; the main trade-off is that free sharing is limited to personal use and five-minute links.

Instant mode prioritizes speed: it uploads during recording and copies a share link when you stop. Studio instead records locally, keeping screen, camera, and microphone tracks separate for editing and export. That makes Cap more versatile than a basic capture tool, but its strongest workflows depend on choosing a paid plan when sharing commercially or at length.

Cap began in 2023 as an open-source alternative to Loom. Its code is available under the AGPL license, and users can choose Cap Cloud, their own S3-compatible storage or Google Drive, or self-hosting. For broader options, see our Screen Recording Software and Video Messaging Software lists.

Key features

Instant and Studio recording: Instant uploads as you record and puts the resulting link on the clipboard, a practical route for quick updates. Studio records locally in 4K at 60fps with separate screen, camera, and microphone tracks, a better fit when the recording needs refinement before it is shared.
Editor and exports: Privacy masks, automatic zoom, captions, animated text, scenes, color grades, and audio tracks give Studio users meaningful control over presentation. Cap supports MP4, WebM, MOV, GIF, SRT, and WebVTT exports, useful across video and caption workflows.
Browser sharing: Share pages support comments, reactions, transcripts, and chapters, and viewers do not need an account. That lowers friction for recipients, while the five-minute link cap on the free plan makes it a poor fit for longer demonstrations.
Storage and openness: Cap Pro supports custom S3 storage and Google Drive, and the platform can also be self-hosted. This flexibility is valuable for teams with storage or deployment preferences; it does require choosing and managing an appropriate destination rather than simply relying on Cap Cloud.
AI and compliance: Cap offers AI titles, summaries, chapters, and transcriptions on Pro plans. Cap states that Cap Cloud has SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 controls and is HIPAA compliant, with signed BAAs available for organizations handling PHI.

Pricing

The free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and is for personal use. It permits local recording without a time limit, but shareable links are capped at five minutes; commercial use requires a paid plan. It is a useful way to make local recordings, not a durable option for business sharing.

Desktop License costs 29.00 USD per year, billed at $29 per license, per year. It covers one user, unlimited local recordings and editing, and 20 cloud shareable links per month of up to five minutes each. The annual fee buys commercial usage rights and broader local use, but the monthly link quota and duration limit remain constraints for frequent sharing.

Desktop License Lifetime costs 58.00 USD per once, billed $58 once for a license that never renews. It includes one user, unlimited local recordings and editing, Studio Mode with the full editor, and export to any format. It is the clearest fit for a single user who wants commercial rights without renewal, but it does not include the unlimited cloud storage and bandwidth offered by Pro.

Cap Pro costs 12.00 USD per month, billed $12 per user, per month. It adds unlimited cloud storage and bandwidth, AI titles, summaries, chapters, and transcriptions, team workspaces, and priority support. Cap Pro Annual costs 8.16 USD per month, billed annually, with the same core package plus custom domains, password-protected shares, and viewer analytics. The annual option suits teams willing to commit annually; monthly billing costs more per user but avoids that billing term.

Enterprise has custom pricing and is aimed at large organizations. It offers Cap Pro, volume discounts, custom S3 and Google Drive storage, and add-ons including SAML SSO and signed BAAs; SCIM provisioning can be arranged. The SAML SSO add-on costs 199.00 USD per month at a flat rate for unlimited users, and the Signed BAA add-on costs 99.00 USD per month per organization.

Platforms

Cap supports API, extension, Linux, macOS, self-hosting, web, and Windows. Its browser-and-desktop reach gives teams several ways to fit recording into an existing setup, while self-hosting and storage choices offer additional control over deployment and data.

Who it's for

Cap is a strong fit for creators who want local multitrack recording and editing alongside quick browser sharing, and for teams that need shared workspaces or control of storage. Its free tier can serve personal, short-link sharing. Businesses should budget for a paid plan, and people whose main need is unrestricted free sharing or longer free links should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pro: Local 4K/60fps Studio recording with separate tracks and a substantial editor supports polished recordings without making cloud capture the only workflow.
Pro: Open-source code, self-hosting, and S3 or Google Drive options give technically capable teams meaningful deployment and storage choice.
Pro: Browser viewing without an account, plus comments, reactions, transcripts, and chapters, makes shared recordings easier to consume and discuss.
Con: The free plan is personal-use only and share links stop at five minutes, limiting its usefulness for commercial communication and longer walkthroughs.
Con: Desktop License limits cloud sharing to 20 links a month, while team workspaces and unlimited cloud storage require Pro.
Con: The lifetime license is a single-user purchase, so teams seeking shared workspaces still need a Pro or Enterprise arrangement.

Alternatives

Choose Bubbles if unlimited screen recordings and 30-minute recordings matter more than Cap's local Studio editing; its free Basic plan also limits meeting recordings to five per week and locks bubbles after two weeks. Dubb is another freemium option for teams that need its broader mobile platform coverage. BombBomb is a paid alternative with mobile apps, video privacy controls, and unlimited video messages on its Core annual plan. Consider RecRam for a paid workflow centered on video and audio responses, forms, and room messages.

Bonjoro offers a free plan for up to 50 videos. Dadan is a freemium screen-recording alternative with a free plan capped at 25 videos, 2 GB of storage, and 720p. Hippo Video is another freemium option, with a free plan that includes two Video Flows and 10 minutes of closed captions. Choose Loom if its free Starter plan's 25 videos and five-minute screen recordings better match your needs.

For options focused on AI-assisted capture, see our AI Screen Recorders list.

Verdict

Cap is best for individual creators and teams that want the choice of fast sharing or local, editable recordings, with open-source and storage-control options. Its strongest reason to choose it is that combination of a serious Studio workflow and flexible deployment. Look elsewhere if you need commercial sharing at no cost, or if the five-minute links and paid-plan step do not fit how you share video.

	Cap	MergeCam
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$2.42/mo	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, extension, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, Web, Windows	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$8.16/user/mo	—
Webcam recording	—	Yes
System audio	—	Yes
Microphone recording	—	Yes
Supported platforms	—	web

Cap vs MergeCam

Cap

MergeCam