Cap

Cap is the open-source alternative to Loom — lightweight, beautifully designed, and built by indie maker Richie McIlroy. If you've ever paid for Loom and felt the pricing creep (Loom Business is $20/seat/month), or hit Loom's free-tier limits during a single product demo session, Cap is the indie answer that's getting better every release. Native Mac app (Windows + Linux coming, may be there by the time you read this), records your screen + camera + mic, and shares via a clean web link or local export — without Loom's bloat, mandatory accounts for viewers, or the upsell-everywhere UX that Loom has settled into. What you get: native Mac app for screen recording (window + display + area capture), webcam picture-in-picture with positioning + size controls, microphone + system audio, instant share links via Cap's hosted backend (free tier), local export to MP4 if you don't want anything uploaded, configurable hotkeys, decent quality at sensible file sizes, and an open-source codebase you can audit or self-host. Loom has more polish in places (better cursor smoothing + zoom + edit timeline) but Cap is closing the gap fast and has the values most makers want — open source, fair pricing, no enterprise-y dark patterns. Where Cap shines: async product demos, bug reports, code walkthroughs, customer support replies, and any 'I'll just record this real quick' workflow. The killer feature for indie makers is that you don't lock customers behind a Loom account to watch your video. For Loom Business at $20/seat/month that you're paying just to send 'here's how the feature works' videos, Cap's free tier or modest Pro is genuinely a better deal. Where it's not for you: if you need Screen Studio-quality cursor smoothing + auto-zoom + edit timeline for polished marketing videos, Screen Studio ($229 one-time) is still the right tool. If you need enterprise SSO + admin controls + retention policies for a 200-person company, Loom Business handles that. Cap is for indie makers, small teams, and anyone who values the open-source ethos. Pricing: free tier is generous. Pro is modest (sub-$10/mo last I checked). Verify current pricing at cap.so. Self-host is possible because the source is open. Honest take: Cap is the rare indie tool where the open-source ethos isn't just a marketing line — Richie ships, the codebase is real, the product feels intentional. If you record screencasts more than once a week and you've been paying Loom, just switch. The Mac app is fast, the share links work, and you'll save money plus support an indie maker doing good work.