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Alternatives to Loom
2 open source alternatives to Loom
Quick screen and webcam video recordings for async updates. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.
What people don't love about Loom
- Free tier heavily gated.
- Videos live on Loom cloud — privacy-sensitive content exposed.
- Recording length limits on lower tiers.
Current Loom pricing (for reference): Free up to 25 videos; Business from $15/user/month.
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Quick comparison
| Alternative | Best for | License | Self-host | Hosted cloud? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
OBS Studio Professional open source screen and stream recorder. |
Professional recording with scenes, effects and streaming. | GPL-2.0 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Self-host only |
|
ShareX Windows-only screen capture and file sharing. |
Windows users wanting quick screen clips and GIFs. | GPL-3.0 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Self-host only |
1. OBS Studio — Professional recording with scenes, effects and streaming.
Professional open source screen and stream recorder.
Strengths
- Industry-standard for streamers and creators.
- Unlimited scenes, sources and effects.
- No subscription, no cloud dependency.
Weaknesses
- Heavier learning curve than Loom.
- Recording-only — no built-in async video sharing.
- Requires manual upload to share videos.
OBS Studio homepage · Source on GitHub · Loom vs OBS Studio →
2. ShareX — Windows users wanting quick screen clips and GIFs.
Windows-only screen capture and file sharing.
Strengths
- Huge feature set for screenshots, GIFs and recordings.
- Custom uploader destinations (including self-hosted).
- Free forever.
Weaknesses
- Windows only.
- UI is dense and intimidating for newcomers.
- No built-in cloud sharing service.
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