Cap vs Tella vs Loom: which screen recorder should you pick?
Tella is the best Cap alternative if you want polished async video with AI editing instead of assembling your own toolchain. Use Cap if open source and local-first recording are non-negotiable, and use Loom if you only need quick, unedited internal messages.
Cap vs Tella vs Loom at a glance
Pricing and limits checked September 2026.
| Tella | Cap | Loom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Polished async demos and team updates | Open-source, local-first recording | Quick internal video messages |
| AI editing | Auto Cut, Auto Zoom, Layouts, Studio Voice | Basic; transcription and chapters need Cap Pro | Filler/silence trims via paid AI add-on |
| Recording quality | 4K exports; 60fps exports up to 5 min on Pro, longer on Premium; clips up to 6 hours | High-quality local capture (Studio mode) | 4K on paid plans |
| Platforms | Windows + Mac + web | Mac + Windows | Mac, Windows, Chrome extension |
| Transcription | 106 languages | Cap Pro only | Included on paid plans |
| Free plan | 7-day trial, no forever-free plan | Free, open-source desktop app | Free tier with hard caps (25 videos, 5 min each) |
| Paid plan | Pro ~$13/mo billed annual | Cap Pro $8.16/mo billed annually | Business tier, plus AI add-on |
| Open source | No | Yes | No |
When Cap is the right choice
Cap is an open-source screen recorder for Mac and Windows with a genuinely free desktop app. Its Studio mode records high-quality local video, and instant sharing links cover the quick-message use case. If your priority is owning your stack — self-hosting, auditing the code, keeping recordings local — Cap is the strongest open-source Loom replacement, and its momentum (including cap.so/loom-alternative) is real.
The trade-off: the polish lives behind Cap Pro. Transcription, chapters, password-protected links, custom domains, and user management all require the paid cloud tier. Cap includes timeline trimming, studio-mode composition, and auto zoom, but not automatic filler-word removal or AI audio cleanup.
When Tella is better than Cap
Tella is an all-in-one screen recorder with AI video editing (Auto Cut, Auto Zoom, Layouts, Studio Voice). Auto Cut strips silences and filler words, Auto Zoom follows the action, Layouts restyle your camera and screen per clip, and Studio Voice cleans up your audio — so a single take turns into something you'd happily put in front of a customer. It supports 4K / 60fps and clips up to 6 hours, runs on Windows + Mac + web, and transcribes in 106 languages. On Pro, 60fps exports are limited to videos up to five minutes; longer 60fps exports require Premium.
For teams, every video gets a branded sharing page with analytics, and Loom folder import migrates an existing Loom library in a few clicks. Teams at JCDecaux, Pleo, and Hubstaff use Tella for product demos, onboarding, and async updates. Tella has a 7-day trial and no forever-free plan — you're paying for the finished result, not maintaining infrastructure.
Where Loom fits
Loom remains the default for quick internal video messages, especially inside Atlassian-centric teams. But its free tier caps you at 25 videos of 5 minutes each, editing stays minimal, and the fuller AI feature set sits on a paid add-on. If you've outgrown it, the real question is the one this page answers: open source (Cap) or AI-polished output (Tella). See our full Loom alternatives guide for the wider field.
FAQ
Is Cap really free?
Yes. Cap's desktop app is open source and free for local recording and editing. Cloud features — transcription, chapters, password protection, custom domains, user management — require Cap Pro at $8.16/month billed annually (checked September 2026).
Is Cap a good Loom alternative?
Cap is the best open-source Loom alternative if you're happy to run a leaner toolkit and pay for Pro when you need sharing polish. If you want your recordings to come out edited — cuts, zooms, layouts, studio-grade audio — without doing the editing, Tella is the stronger pick.
What's the best Cap alternative with AI editing?
Tella. It's an all-in-one screen recorder with AI video editing (Auto Cut, Auto Zoom, Layouts, Studio Voice), supports 4K / 60fps and clips up to 6 hours, and transcribes in 106 languages. Pro is ~$13/mo billed annual with a 7-day trial and supports 60fps exports up to five minutes; longer 60fps exports require Premium. There's no forever-free plan.