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Cap

✓ Verified FOSSAGPL-3.0
Top open-source alternative to Loom

Cap is an open-source screen recording tool that lets you capture, edit, and share videos in seconds. Store videos on your own S3 bucket or MinIO cluster without 5-minute video limits.

Tech StackTypeScript, Rust, Next.js
Self-Host DifficultyEasy
License ModelAGPL-3.0
GitHub RepositoryCapSoftware/Cap

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean)
Min RAM:1 GB
Rec RAM:2 GB
Compute:1 vCPU
Disk Space:10 GB SSD

Cap vs Loom Comparison Matrix

Evaluation CriteriaCap (Open Source)Loom (Proprietary)
Video Duration LimitUnlimited Length5 min on Free plan
Video StorageYour own S3 (Pennies/GB)Expensive Loom Cloud
Per-seat Cost$0 / Server Only$12.50 - $20 / user / mo
INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $16/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from Loom to Self-Hosted Cap

Detailed Stack Calculator →
5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)
Loom (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax
$4,800per year ($400/mo)
3-Year Spend:$14,400

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

Cap (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee
$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)
3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$14,040Net savings across 36 months (98% reduction)
Annual Free Cash:+$4,680/yr
Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

Core Capabilities & Features

✓Unlimited Length Videos
✓Custom S3 / MinIO Storage
✓Instant Share Links
✓Desktop Audio & Cam Overlay

Self-Host Cap with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

CapAGPL-3.0

Open-source Loom alternative for seamless, async screen recording

Difficulty: Easy23,242 ⭐
Configure Parameters
docker-compose.cap.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
  cap:
    image: ghcr.io/capsoftware/cap:latest
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-3000}:3000"
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://cap:${DB_PASSWORD:-cap_pwd}@postgres:5432/cap
      NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL: "${APP_URL:-http://localhost:3000}"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
  postgres:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: cap
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-cap_pwd}
      POSTGRES_DB: cap
    volumes:
      - cap_db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  cap_db_data:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting Cap

How do I self-host Cap using Docker Compose?

You can deploy Cap (CapSoftware/Cap) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does Cap compare to Loom?

Cap is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Loom built with TypeScript, Rust, Next.js. Unlike Loom ($12.50 - $20 / user / month), Cap has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for Cap?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Is Cap free for commercial business use under the AGPL-3.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the AGPL-3.0 license, Cap can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

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