Google Meet
Video conferencing and collaboration platform
Cap
Open source video messaging with instant screen recording
Cap is a video messaging tool for recording, editing, and sharing screen captures in seconds. A privacy-focused alternative to Loom with self-hosting options.
Overview
Beautiful Screen Recording for Modern Teams
Cap is a video messaging platform built for developers, product teams, and creators who need fast, shareable screen recordings without vendor lock-in. Combining a native desktop application with a web-based sharing platform, Cap delivers professional-quality video capture with instant editing and distribution.
Self-Hosted or Cloud
Deploy Cap Web to your own infrastructure using Docker or Railway, maintaining full control over your video content and user data. The desktop client seamlessly connects to self-hosted instances, giving teams the flexibility to meet compliance requirements while preserving the user experience. Alternatively, use the hosted version at Cap.so for zero-configuration deployment.
Built on Modern Infrastructure
The platform leverages a Turborepo monorepo architecture with Tauri for native desktop performance, Next.js for the web experience, and Rust for core recording functionality. The tech stack includes Drizzle ORM with MySQL, SolidStart, and TailwindCSS, ensuring maintainability and extensibility for contributors and self-hosters alike.
Highlights
Native desktop apps for macOS and Windows with Tauri-powered performance
Self-hostable web platform via Docker or Railway with full data ownership
Instant video editing and shareable links for seamless collaboration
Modern monorepo architecture with Rust, TypeScript, and Next.js
Pros
- Complete self-hosting control with Docker and Railway deployment options
- Native desktop performance using Tauri and Rust for efficient recording
- Active development with strong community engagement (11,946+ stars)
- Flexible licensing with MIT for core camera components and AGPLv3 for application code
Considerations
- MySQL-only database support limits infrastructure flexibility
- Requires technical expertise for self-hosted deployment and maintenance
- Smaller ecosystem compared to established commercial alternatives
- Desktop client currently limited to macOS and Windows platforms
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Cap, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Development teams requiring self-hosted video messaging with data sovereignty
- Organizations with strict compliance requirements for video content storage
- Technical users comfortable deploying and managing containerized applications
- Teams seeking cost-effective Loom alternatives with full source access
Not ideal when
- Non-technical users needing zero-configuration cloud solutions
- Teams requiring Linux desktop client support
- Organizations dependent on MariaDB or PostgreSQL infrastructure
- Users seeking extensive third-party integrations and enterprise SSO
How teams use it
Internal Product Demos
Engineering teams record feature walkthroughs and deploy videos to internal infrastructure, maintaining IP confidentiality while enabling async collaboration.
Customer Support Documentation
Support teams create shareable troubleshooting videos hosted on company servers, ensuring customer data never leaves organizational boundaries.
Educational Content Creation
Educators capture tutorials and lectures with instant editing, self-hosting content on institutional servers for FERPA compliance.
Remote Team Communication
Distributed teams replace synchronous meetings with recorded updates, reducing meeting overhead while preserving context and clarity.
Tech snapshot
TypeScript61%
Rust32%
JavaScript4%
MDX1%
WGSL1%
CSS1%
Frequently asked questions
Can I connect the desktop app to my self-hosted instance?
Yes, Cap Desktop can connect to any self-hosted Cap Web instance regardless of whether you download the official build or compile it yourself.
What databases are supported for self-hosting?
Cap officially supports MySQL only. MariaDB and other compatible databases may partially work but are not officially supported or tested.
What platforms does the desktop app support?
Cap Desktop is currently available for macOS and Windows. Linux support is not currently offered.
How is Cap licensed?
Core camera and capture components use the MIT License, while the main application code is licensed under AGPLv3. Third-party components retain their original licenses.
What deployment options exist for self-hosting?
Cap Web can be self-hosted using Docker containers or deployed directly to Railway using the one-click deployment button. Full documentation is available in the self-hosting docs.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 16,581
- Watchers
- 16,581
- Forks
- 1,189
Repo age2 years old
Last commit6 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 2 hours ago