The short answer
- Recording a few videos a month? Loom's free Starter plan allows up to 25 videos per person, with a 5-minute limit per screen recording. Modeled first-year saving per seat: $204. loom.com
- Need unlimited share links: Cap Pro costs $12/user/mo and is modeled to save $22 per seat in year one. Its code is AGPL-3.0 and self-hostable. the math
- Recording to files you share yourself: OBS Studio is free (GPL) but has no instant share links. the math
- Download what you want to keep before you downgrade: creators on the free Starter plan can't download videos. support.atlassian.com
Who should switch, and who shouldn't
Switch if
Stay if
- You rely on viewer comments and reactions, editing, AI summaries or viewer analytics. recipe
- Your screen recordings run longer than the 5-minute Starter limit and must stay as share links. loom.com
- You keep a large library: on Starter you can still watch videos over the 25 limit but can't record new ones. support.atlassian.com
What Loom costs today
List prices from the vendor's pricing page, as stored in the Stackcut catalog. Each price links its source.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loom Business | $18/user/mo | not shown | Unlimited videos and recording time, basic editing, no Loom branding |
| Loom Business + AI | $24/user/mo | not shown | Business plus Loom AI (summaries, chapters, text-based editing, meeting notes); 14-day free trial |
The alternatives, ranked
3 ways out, ranked by modeled saving in the first year after setup and upkeep (3 priced). Modeled, not measured: each figure links the math on the recipe page.
- Paths are modeled per seat against Loom Business at $18/user/mo. recipe
What screen recording costs at 1, 5 and 20 users
Loom and Cap Pro charge per user. Loom Starter and OBS Studio are free; Starter caps videos per person.
| Option | List price | 1 user | 5 users | 20 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loom Business today | $18/user/mobilled monthly | $18 | $90 | $360 |
| Loom Business + AI today | $24/user/mobilled monthly | $24 | $120 | $480 |
| Loom Starter25 videos per person, 5-minute recordings | $0free plan | $0free tier | $0free tier | $0free tier |
| Cap Pro (cloud) | $12/user/mobilled monthly | $12 | $60 | $240 |
| Cap Pro (cloud), billed yearly | $8.16/user/mobilled yearly | $8.16 | $40.80 | $163.20 |
| OBS Studiolocal files, no share links | $0 licenseGPL-2.0-or-later | $0+ your server | $0+ your server | $0+ your server |
How to leave Loom
Export first, then cancel. Every step links the vendor's own help page, checked on the date shown.
How to leave Loom
Export first
- Videos: Library → the video → the menu above it → Download (MP4). Creators on the free Starter plan can't download. No bulk download is documented, so do it one video at a time before you downgrade. support.atlassian.com
What you lose
- Downloading your own videos, once you're on Starter
- Recording new videos while you're over the Starter limit
Cancel
- Download the videos you want to keep while you're still on a paid plan (see export).
- Atlassian Admin → Billing → Subscriptions → Loom → Manage → Deactivate, then choose Downgrade or Cancel subscription.
- Older Loom accounts: Workspace Settings → Plan & Billing → Manage Subscription → Downgrade to Starter.
- Takes effect
- At your next renewal date; you keep full access until then.
- Refunds
- No prorated refund for the rest of the billing period.
- After you cancel
- On Starter you keep access to all your videos, even over 25, but can't record new ones until you're back under the limit or upgrade.
Not covered by the paths above, per the recipe: Viewer comments and reactions, Video editing, AI summaries, Viewer analytics. If you rely on one of these, keep the incumbent or check the path closely.
Open-source and forkable options
- OBS Studio: Free desktop recorder (GPL); saves video files locally, so you share them through your own storage. No instant share links. License: GPL-2.0-or-later · source code
Open source means no license fee, not free to run: the server, backups and upgrades are yours. Read the license before you fork or resell; several of these are open-core or source-available.
FAQ
What happens to my Loom videos if I downgrade to Starter?
You keep access to all of them, even over 25, but you can't record new ones until you delete some or upgrade. support.atlassian.com
Can I download my Loom videos?
Yes, as MP4 from each video's menu, but only on a paid plan: creators on Starter can't download. There's no documented bulk download. support.atlassian.com
Does Loom refund the rest of my billing period?
No. Cancelling takes effect at your next renewal date and Loom doesn't issue a prorated refund for the remaining time. support.atlassian.com
Is Cap free?
Cap's desktop app is free for personal use with local recordings; commercial use needs a paid plan. Cap Pro adds unlimited cloud share links, and the code is AGPL-3.0. cap.so
Keep reading
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find_alternatives({"vendor": "Loom", "seats": 5,
"features_used": ["Screen and camera recording", "Instant share links"]})