ReviewsCap

Cap review

Cap is an open-source screen recorder with instant share links and a local editor. It is free for personal use; teams pay for commercial use and cloud sharing.

By . Updated .

Works on
Windows, Mac, Linux
Free recording
No time limit
Price
From $12/mo
Max resolution
4K
Made by
Cap Software, Inc.
Last checked
October 2026

Free plan

Length per recording
No limit
Number of videos
No limit
Watermark
No
Export resolution
4K

Pricing

PlanMonthlyYearly
FreePersonal use only; share links up to 5 minFreeFree
Desktop LicenseCommercial use; or $58 one-time; 20 share links a month, 5 min eachn/a$29
Cap ProUnlimited cloud sharing, AI summaries, analytics$12$97.92
EnterpriseCap Pro price plus optional SAML SSO ($199/mo) and BAA ($99/mo)$12$97.92

Cap Pro, $8.16 per user per month billed yearly ($12 billed monthly); the only plan without the 5-minute share-link limit. Desktop License for commercial use: $29/yr. Prices from cap.so/pricing, 6 Oct 2026.

What we like

  • Open source, with self-hosting and your own S3 or Google Drive storage
  • Timeline editor with zooms, text, captions and masks
  • Records up to 4K with system audio on Mac and Windows

What to watch

  • Free version is for personal use only
  • Share links on the free version stop at 5 minutes
  • Instant Mode records in 720p on the free version

Best for: You want Loom-style share links and a real editor, and like open source or owning your storage.

Our verdict

Cap does two things well. Instant Mode uploads while you record and gives you a link when you stop, like Loom. Studio Mode saves a local project you can edit on a timeline with zooms, text, captions and masks, then export up to 4K. It is open source, runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, and can store videos in your own S3 bucket or Google Drive.

The free version is for personal use, and its share links stop at 5 minutes. For work you need the Desktop License at $29 a year, or Cap Pro at $97.92 a year for unlimited sharing, AI summaries and viewer analytics. Free recordings in Instant Mode stop at 5 minutes; Studio Mode recordings, saved locally, have no time limit.

If you need a mature tool with apps for phones, look at Loom. For a free recorder with full manual control, try OBS Studio, and for Mac demo videos, Screen Studio.

Visit the Cap website

Frequently asked questions

Is Cap free?
Yes, for personal use. Commercial use needs the Desktop License ($29 a year) or Cap Pro ($12 per user per month, or $8.16 per month billed yearly).
Is Cap open source?
Yes. Most of Cap’s code is licensed under AGPLv3, and you can self-host it.
Does Cap work on Linux?
Yes. Cap publishes a 64-bit Linux build as a .deb package for Debian-compatible distributions, next to the Mac and Windows apps.

Compare Cap

Sources

  1. https://cap.so/pricing
  2. https://cap.so/download
  3. https://cap.so/faq
  4. https://cap.so/llms.txt
  5. https://cap.so/llms-full.txt
  6. https://cap.so/docs/sharing/share-a-cap
  7. https://cap.so/google-chrome-screen-recorder
  8. https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/fefjaffcodfiogbbngmjkcjpbpclbdcp
  9. https://cap.so/best-screen-recorder
  10. https://cap.so/screen-recording
  11. https://cap.so/docs/installation
  12. https://cap.so/docs/recording/instant-mode