Introduction

Learn what Cap is, how it works, and how to start recording — from instant share links to self-hosting.

Cap is the open source alternative to Loom. It is a lightweight, powerful screen recording tool that lets you capture your screen, camera, and microphone, then instantly share a link with anyone. No upload wait times, no file size limits, no friction.

Whether you are walking a teammate through a bug, recording a product demo, creating a tutorial, or sending async updates, Cap makes it fast and effortless.

Cap is built for AI agents too. Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, or any shell-capable agent can record, share, search, and manage Cap for you — one prompt sets it up.

Why Cap?

Open source and transparent. Cap is built in the open with a permissive license. You can inspect every line of code, contribute features, or self-host on your own infrastructure.

Instant sharing. Record and get a shareable link in seconds. No waiting for uploads to finish or files to process.

Professional editing built in. Studio Mode gives you a full editing suite with background customization, zoom effects, trimming, and more, right inside the app.

AI-powered captions. Cap automatically generates accurate captions for every recording, making your content accessible and searchable.

Cross-platform. Cap Desktop runs natively on macOS and Windows. The web app works in any modern browser for viewing, managing, and sharing your recordings.

Privacy-first. Self-host Cap on your own servers for complete control over your data, or use our managed cloud service at Cap.so.

Key Features

• Instant Mode - Click record, capture your screen, and get a shareable link the moment you stop. Perfect for quick walkthroughs and async communication.
• Studio Mode - Record locally, then edit with professional tools. Customize backgrounds, add zoom effects, trim footage, and export polished videos.
• Cap for Agents - Let your AI agent drive Cap through the CLI, skill, and local MCP. It can record your screen, share links, read transcripts and summaries, and organize your library, asking for confirmation before anything changes.
• AI Captions - Automatic transcription and captioning powered by AI. Every recording gets searchable, accessible captions.
• Camera Overlay - Include your webcam as a floating overlay to add a personal touch to any recording.
• Team Sharing - Share recordings with your team through workspaces. Viewers can leave timestamped comments and emoji reactions.
• Analytics - Track who is watching your recordings, how long they watch, and when they engage.
• Embeds - Embed your recordings in websites, documentation, and apps with a simple iframe snippet.
• REST API & Webhooks - Integrate Cap into your workflow programmatically with a full API and real-time webhook notifications.

Getting Started

The fastest way to get started with Cap:

1. Install Cap Desktop on macOS or Windows
2. Record your first Cap in under a minute
3. Share the link with anyone

Working with an AI agent instead? Cap for Agents sets up the whole integration with a single copy-paste prompt.

Desktop App

Cap Desktop is available for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows (10 and later). Download the latest version from Cap.so/download.

The desktop app handles recording, camera/microphone capture, and local editing through Studio Mode. Recordings can be shared instantly through the Cap cloud or your self-hosted instance.

Web App

The Cap web app at Cap.so is your dashboard for managing recordings, customizing share settings, viewing analytics, and collaborating with your team. It is also where viewers watch shared recordings.

Cap for Agents

Your AI agent can use Cap end to end: check capture readiness, record your screen, upload and return a share link, read transcripts and AI summaries, search your library, draft comments, and manage folders, spaces, and team settings. Reads are free-form; every mutation requires your explicit confirmation, and secrets never pass through chat.

Start at Cap for Agents — the one-prompt setup installs the CLI, the Cap skill, and the local MCP server into Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or OpenCode.

Self-Hosting

Cap can be fully self-hosted on your own infrastructure using Docker Compose. This gives you complete ownership of your data, recordings, and user accounts. See the self-hosting guide for detailed setup instructions.

Community and Contributing

Cap is open source and community-driven. You can find the source code, report issues, and contribute on GitHub. Join the Cap Discord to connect with other users and the development team.