Loom alternatives: 3 open-source picks
Loom costs $18/mo — $216 a year. These 3 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Cap, Screenity and OBS Studio. All 3 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Loom with your own storage and your own server chores.
Feature-packed screen recorder that runs entirely in your browser as an extension — annotations, zoom, no watermark.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
The industry-standard free software for live streaming and screen recording with scenes, filters, and plugins.
licenseGPL-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Cap · Screenity · OBS Studio
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
OBS StudioRecords anything beautifully; hosts, transcribes and organizes absolutely nothing.
how to choose a Loom alternative
Easiest to get running
Screenity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
OBS Studio, with 65,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 3, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Cap is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Loom
- instant reliable hosting
- permissions
- comments
- analytics
- workspace libraries
- browser extensions
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Loom alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | open source | self-host, real ops | web, macos, windows, self-hosted | 20,500 | 2026-07 |
| Screenity | GPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 15,000 | 2026-08 |
| OBS Studio | GPL-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 65,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Loom
They pay because a Loom link works everywhere and preserves context for the team. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $216 a year.
questions about switching from Loom
Is there an open-source alternative to Loom?
Yes: Cap, Screenity, OBS Studio. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Loom?
Our verdict is YES. OBS Studio (65k stars), Cap (21k stars), Screenity (15k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Loom — self-host in one command and stop paying $18/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/loom.
What is the easiest open-source Loom alternative to set up?
Screenity — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Loom alternative?
By GitHub stars, OBS Studio (65,000). Cap is next with 20,500.
