Loom built the async video category and deserves credit for it. But since Atlassian acquired it in October 2023 for approximately $975 million, the free tier has tightened, the Business plan now runs $15 per user per month, and the product roadmap is increasingly built around the Atlassian ecosystem — not the broader market of teams who just need to record and share video without friction.
If you’re on the Loom free plan, you’re capped at 25 videos, 5 minutes per recording, and your external recipients get prompted to sign up before they can watch. If you’re paying, you’re paying more than most comparable tools cost. Either way, it’s worth knowing what else exists.
The most useful frame for evaluating Loom alternatives isn’t features — it’s who receives your videos. Tools that are great for internal teams often create friction for external recipients. The best alternative for your workflow depends on whether your videos mostly stay inside your organization or go out to clients, prospects, and people who’ve never heard of the tool you’re using.
TL;DR: The best Loom alternative for most small teams in 2026 is Portell — no forced viewer signup, no watermark, $9/month Pro plan (40% less than Loom). For open-source local recording, Cap. For longer free recordings, ScreenPal. For polished presenter-style video, Tella. According to WinSavvy, 48% of hybrid companies are increasing async communication — your tool choice matters more than it did two years ago.
[INTERNAL-LINK: Portell vs Loom direct comparison → full feature and pricing breakdown]
What Makes a Good Loom Alternative?
48% of hybrid companies are increasing async video communication beyond 2025 (WinSavvy, 2025). As adoption grows, the differences between tools matter more. Here’s what to evaluate before switching:
Viewer experience. Does the person receiving your link need an account to watch? For internal teams, that’s fine. For clients, prospects, or contractors — it’s friction that kills engagement. This is Loom’s weakest point and the biggest differentiator between alternatives.
Recording time and storage limits. Loom’s free plan caps at 5 minutes per clip and 25 videos per person. Some alternatives are more generous; some are equally restrictive but cheaper on paid plans.
Browser-based vs. download. Browser-based tools (no install required) are faster to start and work on any machine. Download-based tools often offer more power but more setup.
Price at scale. Loom Business runs $15/user/month. For a 5-person team, that’s $75/month. Knowing what the equivalent paid plan costs at each alternative is the most important number in this comparison.
[INTERNAL-LINK: free screen recorder roundup → full comparison of free screen recording tools in 2026]
1. Portell — Best Overall for Client-Facing Teams
Free plan: 25 videos, 5-minute recordings, unlimited viewers Paid plan: $9/month (or $7/month billed annually) Best for: Small teams regularly sharing video with external recipients
Our finding: The most common reason teams switch to Portell from Loom isn’t the price — it’s what happens on the other end. When a client clicks a Loom link and hits a signup prompt, some just don’t watch. Portell viewers click and play, no account required.
Portell is a browser-based screen recorder built specifically for teams who send video outside their organization. Record your screen, camera, or both — no download, no install, no setup. The moment you stop recording you get a shareable link. Anyone with the link can watch as a guest without creating an account. Signing in is optional and only unlocks extras like timestamp comments.
The free plan stores 25 videos with a 5-minute recording limit per clip — matching Loom’s free tier on storage and time, but with no watermark on any plan and no viewer signup friction ever. The Pro plan at $9/month removes both limits entirely, adds analytics, removes Portell branding, and supports up to 5 workspaces.
Key features:
- Browser-based — no download or install
- No watermark on any plan, including free
- Guest viewing — external recipients watch without an account
- Screen, camera, or picture-in-picture recording
- Shareable link immediately after recording stops
- Pro: unlimited videos + recording length, analytics, no branding, download videos
Pricing: Free (25 videos, 5 min). Pro from $9/month. Start recording free →
2. Cap — Best Open-Source Alternative
Free plan: Unlimited local recording, 5-min cloud sharing Paid plan: Desktop License $58 one-time ($29/year), Pro from $8.16/month annually Best for: Developers and privacy-conscious users who want local recording without limits
Cap is an open-source screen recorder built as a privacy-first Loom alternative. Local recording is excellent — up to 4K, no watermark, no time limits, clean output. If you mostly record locally and occasionally need to share, the Desktop License ($58 one-time) is worth considering.
The tradeoff: cloud sharing is capped at 5 minutes on the free plan, and getting the full cloud-hosted workflow requires a paid plan. It also requires a download — there’s no browser-based recording option. For developers who own their recording workflow and want to avoid SaaS subscription lock-in, Cap is actively developed and genuinely improving.
Key features:
- Open-source (Windows, Mac)
- 4K local recording, no watermark, no time limits locally
- 5-minute cap on free cloud-hosted links
- Clean viewer experience for shared clips
- Requires download to use
Pricing: Free (local, 5-min cloud). Desktop License $58 one-time. Pro from $8.16/month. cap.so
3. ScreenPal — Best for Longer Free Recordings
Free plan: 15-minute recordings, no watermark, unlimited hosting Paid plan: Solo plans from $4/month Best for: Solo users who need longer recordings without paying
ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) has one of the most generous free tiers in the space: 15-minute recording limit per clip, no watermark, and videos hosted on ScreenPal’s servers with a public URL. If Loom’s 5-minute free cap is the core frustration, ScreenPal triples it at no cost.
The limitations show up in the viewer experience — the viewer page feels dated and collaboration features (comments, engagement, team workspaces) are behind paid plans. For a solo user who needs to record a longer walkthrough and share it with a link, it works. For anything client-facing where presentation matters, it falls short.
Key features:
- Browser-based — no download required
- 15-minute recording limit on free (3x Loom’s free cap)
- No watermark on free recordings
- Unlimited cloud hosting on free plan
- Basic viewer experience
Pricing: Free (15-min limit). Solo from $4/month. screenpal.com
4. Tella — Best for Polished Presenter-Style Video
Free plan: 7-day trial Paid plan: $13/month (standard), $19/month premium Best for: Creators, educators, and anyone who wants a slicker presenter experience
Tella focuses on the visual quality of the recording itself — camera framing, backgrounds, layout, and the overall presenter experience. Videos are automatically hosted and generate a shareable link immediately after recording, with no viewer account required for guests to watch. Downloads up to 4K are supported.
It’s a more design-forward tool than most on this list. If you care about how your camera looks, how your slides are framed, and how the viewing experience is branded — Tella is worth the premium. The starting price of $13/month is higher than Portell’s $9/month, and the 7-day trial means there’s no free-forever option.
Key features:
- Polished camera and background controls
- Automatic hosting, shareable link on recording stop
- Guest viewing (no account required)
- Downloads up to 4K
- No free plan — 7-day trial only
Pricing: 7-day trial, then from $13/month. tella.tv
5. OBS Studio — Best for Unlimited Local Recording
Free plan: Unlimited everything (local only) Paid plan: None — free always Best for: Power users recording long-form content they’ll edit afterward
OBS is the gold standard for local screen recording. No watermark, no time limit, no storage cap, no subscription — and it records directly to your hard drive at up to 4K in any format you need. It’s been free and open-source for over a decade with an active developer community.
The tradeoff is setup complexity. Configuring scenes, sources, audio inputs, and output formats takes time. For a 90-second async update to a teammate, it’s overkill. For course content, tutorials, or long recordings you’ll edit in a video editor afterward, it’s the most capable free tool available. Sharing is entirely manual — record, find the file, upload it somewhere, paste a link.
Key features:
- Unlimited recording time, no watermark, no account
- Up to 4K resolution, fully configurable
- Free and open-source (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Local file output only — no built-in hosting or sharing
Pricing: Free. Always. obsproject.com
6. Screencastify — Best for Google Workspace Teams
Free plan: 10 videos lifetime, up to 30 minutes each (watermarked) Paid plan: Starter from $7/month (annual) Best for: Teachers and teams already living in Google Drive
Screencastify is a Chrome extension with deep Google Drive integration. The free plan gives you 10 recordings total — a lifetime cap, not monthly — but each can run up to 30 minutes, which is the most generous time limit on any free plan in this list. If your workflow is entirely inside Google Drive, the native integration is seamless.
The friction points: the free plan watermarks every recording, viewers outside your Google Workspace need a Google account to access Drive-hosted videos, and once you hit the 10-video lifetime limit you’re paying or deleting. The $7/month Starter plan removes the watermark and cap. For internal Google Workspace teams only, it’s one of the more affordable paid options.
Key features:
- Chrome extension — no separate app required
- Up to 30 minutes per recording (most generous time limit on free)
- Google Drive integration built in
- Free recordings are watermarked (removed on paid plans)
- 10-video lifetime cap on free — viewers need Google account
Pricing: Free (10-video lifetime, watermarked). Starter from $7/month. screencastify.com
How Do the Prices Compare?
Full Comparison at a Glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Viewer signup | Watermark-free | Browser-based |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portell | 25 videos, 5 min | $9/mo | Optional (guest view) | ✅ Always | ✅ |
| Cap | 5-min cloud | $8/mo | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (download) |
| ScreenPal | 15 min/clip | $4/mo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tella | 7-day trial | $13/mo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| OBS Studio | Unlimited local | Free only | ✅ (no hosting) | ✅ | ❌ (download) |
| Screencastify | 10 videos lifetime | $7/mo | ❌ (Google acct) | ❌ (free plan) | ❌ (extension) |
| Loom | 25 videos, 5 min | $15/mo | ❌ (prompted) | ✅ | ✅ |
How to Choose the Right Loom Alternative
Most “best alternatives” guides list tools by features. The more useful question is: who receives your videos and what will they experience? That single variable eliminates most tools from consideration immediately.
If you send video to external recipients (clients, prospects, contractors): Portell or Tella. Both let viewers watch without an account. Portell is 40% cheaper than Tella’s starting price and has a real free plan.
If you mostly record internally and need longer recordings for free: ScreenPal’s 15-minute free tier is the most generous available. No watermark, no cap on stored videos.
If you want to own your recordings locally with no subscription: OBS Studio (complex, powerful, totally free) or Cap (simpler, open-source, requires a paid plan for cloud sharing beyond 5 minutes).
If your entire workflow is Google Workspace: Screencastify’s Drive integration makes it the path of least resistance — but note the free plan watermark and 10-video lifetime cap.
If you care about how you look on camera: Tella is the most design-forward option on this list, with better presenter controls than any of the others.
[INTERNAL-LINK: Portell vs Loom detailed comparison → full head-to-head comparison with pricing breakdown]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free Loom alternative in 2026?
Portell for external sharing (25 videos, 5-minute limit, guest viewing, no watermark). ScreenPal for longer recordings (15-minute free limit, no watermark, unlimited stored videos). OBS Studio for unlimited local recording with no cloud dependency. The right choice depends on whether you need cloud hosting and who your viewers are.
Which Loom alternative has the longest free recording time?
ScreenPal offers 15 minutes per clip on the free plan — the most generous free time limit of any tool in this comparison. Screencastify allows up to 30 minutes per clip on the free plan, but caps total recordings at 10 videos for life and watermarks everything.
Is there a Loom alternative that doesn’t require viewer signup?
Yes — Portell and Tella both let viewers watch recordings as guests with no account required. Loom prompts external viewers to sign up before watching, which creates friction for anyone outside your organization. OBS Studio and Cap also have no viewer signup, but they require you to host the video yourself.
How much cheaper is Portell than Loom?
Portell Pro costs $9/month (or $7/month billed annually). Loom Business costs $15/month. For a 5-person team on paid plans, that’s $45/month vs $75/month — a $360/year difference for comparable core functionality.
Do I need to download anything to use Portell or ScreenPal?
No. Both Portell and ScreenPal record directly in the browser — open a tab and start recording. Cap, OBS Studio, and Screencastify all require a download or browser extension before you can record.
The Bottom Line
The async video space has more options in 2026 than it did when Loom was the only real answer. The right tool depends less on features and more on who watches your videos.
For most small teams — especially those sharing externally with clients, prospects, or contractors — Portell hits the right combination: no forced viewer signup, no watermark, $9/month Pro, and a real free plan with 25 videos to start.
For unlimited local recording at zero cost, OBS. For longer free recordings, ScreenPal. For polished presenter-style video, Tella. For open-source, Cap.
The best move is to try one on your actual workflow. Record a video. Send it to someone outside your team. See what they experience. That tells you everything a features list can’t.
[INTERNAL-LINK: Portell vs Loom comparison → detailed side-by-side comparison with pricing table]