Cap: An Open Source Loom Alternative for Developers
Screen recording tools like Loom are great for async communication, but what if you want full control over your recordings—without vendor lock-in or privacy concerns? Enter Cap, an open source alternative that lets you capture, share, and manage screen recordings on your own terms.
What It Does
Cap is a self-hostable screen recording tool designed for developers and teams who want a privacy-focused, customizable way to share videos. It records your screen (and optionally your camera), lets you trim clips, and generates shareable links—just like Loom—but with the freedom to run it on your own infrastructure.
Why It’s Cool
- Open Source & Self-Hostable – No SaaS restrictions. Deploy it on your own servers, tweak the UI, or add features.
- Clean, Minimal UI – No bloat, just a straightforward recording experience.
- Privacy-First – Since you control the data, you don’t have to worry about third-party access.
- Active Development – With over 10K GitHub stars and frequent updates, Cap is clearly resonating with devs.
How to Try It
- Check out the GitHub repo – Clone it, run locally, or deploy to your cloud.
- Use the hosted demo – Visit cap.so to see it in action.
- Self-host – The project provides Docker support, making deployment straightforward.
Final Thoughts
If you’re tired of proprietary screen recording tools or just want more control over your workflow, Cap is worth a look. It’s especially useful for devs who need to share quick demos, bug reports, or tutorials without relying on yet another SaaS. Plus, being AGPL-licensed means you can modify it freely—always a win for open source.
What do you think? Would you self-host Cap, or stick with Loom? Let us know @githubprojects.