Open-Source Screen Recorders Compared: Cap vs Screenize vs ScreenKite
An objective look at three open-source screen recording tools for macOS — what each does well, where they fall short, and which one suits your workflow.
The open-source screen recording space is heating up. Where macOS users once had only OBS or QuickTime as free options, there are now purpose-built tools designed specifically for product demos, tutorials, and walkthroughs.
Three of the most promising projects are Cap, Screenize, and ScreenKite. Each takes a different approach to the same problem: making screen recordings look polished without the overhead of a full video editor.
Here's an honest look at where each stands today.
At a glance
| Cap | Screenize | ScreenKite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | macOS, Windows | macOS only | macOS only |
| Tech stack | Tauri (Rust + SolidStart) | Native Swift + SwiftUI | Native Swift + ScreenCaptureKit |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache 2.0 | Proprietary (free during beta) |
| Latest version | v0.4.x (71 releases) | v0.3.1 (6 releases) | Public beta |
| Primary focus | Video messaging (Loom alternative) | Post-processing editor (Screen Studio alternative) | Fast record-edit-export (Screen Studio alternative) |
| Cloud sharing | Built-in (self-hostable) | None | None (local only) |
| macOS minimum | macOS 13+ | macOS 13+ | macOS 14+ |
Cap — the Loom alternative
Cap positions itself as an open-source Loom replacement. Record your screen, optionally include your camera, and share a link — that's the core loop.
What Cap does well:
- Cross-platform support (macOS and Windows)
- Cloud sharing with instant links, including self-hosting via Docker
- AI-generated titles, summaries, and transcripts
- Active community with 58 contributors and 71 releases
- "Instant mode" for quick record-and-share workflows
Where Cap falls short:
Cap's ambition is its challenge. Because it bundles recording, an editor ("Studio Mode"), cloud hosting, and a web app into one monorepo, stability has been an ongoing concern:
- Users report flickering artifacts and severe playback lagging in rendered videos (GitHub #1557)
- Audio-video desync is a documented open issue (GitHub #593)
- The app hangs on launch for some users (GitHub #1530)
- Reports of during recording