Tape vs Cap: browser vs open source desktop

Cap keeps coming up next to Tape in "Loom alternative" lists, and fair enough. Both are trying to give you the record → share loop without Atlassian pricing. Cap is open source and ships a proper desktop app. Tape stays in the browser on purpose. Those are different products pretending to answer the same search query.

I build Tape, so this isn't neutral. I'm still going to say where Cap is the better pick, because a comparison that only flatters my own tool is useless to you and embarrassing for me.

What they both do

You hit record, you get a video, you send a link (or a file). Screen, camera, mic. The person on the other end watches instead of booking another call. Cap and Tape both aim at that Loom-shaped job for people who don't want to pay US$18 to US$24 a seat.

If you've used Loom, neither tool will feel alien. The interesting bit is how they get you from "I need to show you this" to "here's the link."

Where Cap is better

Open source and self-hosting. Cap's code is public. You can inspect it, contribute, or run it on your own kit. If "I want to see the guts" or "this has to live on our infra" is non-negotiable, Cap wins and Tape doesn't even enter the race. Tape is a hosted product. Full stop.

A real desktop app. Cap has native macOS and Windows apps, Studio Mode with a proper editor, exports, and offline recording. If you care about polish in the timeline, 4K/60fps exports, or working without a browser tab babysitting the capture, Cap's desktop path is stronger.

Storage on your terms. Cap Pro can point at your own S3 bucket or Google Drive. Tape lets you download and export to Drive/OneDrive, but Cap's "bring your own bucket" story is more hardcore ownership, which some people correctly want.

Chrome Instant Mode. Cap also has a Chrome extension for quick tab/window capture with upload-as-you-go. So it's not only a desktop app anymore. Still, the product centre of gravity is the native app and the open-source stack.

Where Tape wins

Zero install. Open use-tape.com/record, grant the browser permission, go. No DMG, no .exe, no "please update the app", no "works great on my MacBook and weirdly on this Windows laptop." For solo builders demos, bug reports, and client updates, that friction gap is the whole product.

Pricing without seats. Tape Pro is A$8/month (about US$5 to US$6 depending on the exchange rate) or A$79/year, flat, AI included. Cap's cloud AI / unlimited sharing tier is Cap Pro at about US$12/month or US$8.16/month billed annually, per user. Cap also sells a Desktop License (about US$29/year or US$58 lifetime) for commercial local use without the full cloud plan. Different shapes. For "I just want a cheap share link and AI without thinking about seats," Tape is simpler money.

No five-minute share wall on the free path you actually care about. Cap's free tier is for personal use, and shareable cloud links are capped at five minutes until you pay for Pro. That is the same shape of wall Loom free users are already fleeing. Tape's free plan hosts a handful of videos (five at a time) with no length cap, and local recording plus download stay unlimited. Fewer hosted slots, full-length recordings. I've written about Loom's walls here; Cap free sharing hits a related length limit even though the philosophy is friendlier.

Browser-only on purpose. Cap added browser capture. Tape is browser capture. If the job is "show this UI in the tab I'm already in" without installing anything, Tape is the shorter path.

The boring feature table

	Tape	Cap
Primary surface	Browser	Desktop app (+ Chrome Instant Mode)
Open source / self-host	No	Yes
Free commercial use	Yes on the free hosted plan (with limits)	Free is personal use; commercial needs a paid license
Free share length	No per-video minute cap; 5 hosted videos at a time	Share links up to 5 minutes on free
Paid cloud / AI	Pro ~A$8/mo or A$79/yr, AI included	Cap Pro ~US$8.16/user/mo annual (US$12 monthly)
Local-only commercial license	N/A (web product)	Desktop License ~US$29/yr or US$58 lifetime
Own storage	Download + Drive/OneDrive export	Custom S3 / Drive on Pro, self-host option
Teams / seats	No (individuals)	Team features on Cap Pro

Prices move. Check Cap's pricing and Tape's pricing if you're reading this months later.

Who should pick which

Pick Cap if open source matters, you want a desktop editor, you need self-host or your own S3, or you're fine installing an app for better offline and export control.

Pick Tape if you want record-and-share with no install, you're an individual not a team admin, and you care more about "link in the chat in under a minute" than owning the recording stack.

Pick neither if you need Loom's Atlassian integrations, big team workspaces, or SSO. Neither Cap nor Tape is trying to be that product today, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.

The honest middle

A lot of people bouncing off Loom free limits will be happy on either tool. Cap is the better answer when "own the software" is the point. Tape is the better answer when "don't make me install anything" is the point. Those aren't the same sentence, even when the landing pages both say "Loom alternative."

If you want the browser path, record something in Tape and decide from the actual click, not from another listicle. If Cap's open-source desktop story fits you better, go there with a clear conscience. I built Tape for the first group. Cap exists for the second. The market is allowed to have both.