Tellscreen vs Cap (October 2026)
Checked and updated
Cap is an open-source desktop recorder (AGPL-3.0) for Mac, Windows and Linux, with a Chrome extension. Its free plan is for personal use, with cloud share links up to 5 minutes; AI summaries, custom domains and passwords come with Cap Pro at $12 per user per month. Tellscreen records in a browser tab with nothing to install, and its links, transcripts and summaries are free at any length up to 4 hours.
Tellscreen is ours. Cap's facts below come from cap.so, its pricing page, its self-hosting docs and its GitHub repository, checked on 14 October 2026.
Side by side
| Tellscreen | Cap Free | Cap Desktop License | Cap Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, personal use only | $29 a year or $58 once | $12 per user per month, or $8.16 billed annually |
| How you record | In the web page | Desktop app or Chrome extension | Same | Same |
| Share links | Any length up to 4 hours | Up to 5 minutes | 20 a month, up to 5 minutes each | Unlimited |
| AI titles, summaries, chapters | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Password-protected shares | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Viewer analytics | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Comments and reactions | Yes | Every Cap page has them | Same | Same |
| Local editing studio | No, trim only | Studio mode | Studio mode | Studio mode |
| Commercial use | Yes | Needs a paid plan | Yes | Yes |
| Run it on your own servers | No | Docker Compose with MySQL and MinIO | Same | Same |
| Licence | Hosted service | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
Where Cap is the better choice
- You want a real editor. Cap's Studio mode records locally and opens an editor; Tellscreen only trims.
- You want to host it yourself. Cap publishes its code under AGPL-3.0 and documents a Docker Compose deployment with MySQL and MinIO. You bring your own AssemblyAI and LLM keys for the AI, and Cap says it doesn't support self-hosted installs directly.
- You record outside the browser. Cap's desktop app records any window on Mac, Windows (in beta) and Linux, and has a screenshot mode and a CLI.
- You are moving a Loom library. Cap Pro includes a Loom video importer.
Where Tellscreen is the better choice
- Nothing to install. Tellscreen records from the page in Chrome or Edge, with floating controls on top of whatever you share.
- Long videos on the free plan. Cap's free and Desktop License links stop at 5 minutes; Tellscreen's run to 4 hours.
- AI without a subscription. Tellscreen writes the title, summary, key points and chapters for every video. On Cap that is Pro.
- Work use is free. Cap's FAQ says a paid plan is required for commercial use.
- AI agents can read the link. Every Tellscreen link has a version for Claude, ChatGPT and other agents, with the transcript and stills of any moment. See how to let an AI watch a screen recording.
Sources
- Cap pricing, plans and the commercial-use FAQ: https://cap.so/pricing
- Cap platforms and recording modes: https://cap.so and https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap
- Downloads and supported systems: https://cap.so/download
- Self-hosting: https://cap.so/docs/self-hosting
- Licence: https://github.com/CapSoftware/Cap/blob/main/LICENSE