If you’ve hit Loom’s 5-minute cap mid-recording, you already know why people search for an alternative. The good news: in 2026 there are at least seven serious free options for screen recording with shareable links. The bad news: most of them quietly trade your data, watermark your clips, or limit exports in ways that don’t show up until you try to actually use the video.
This guide picks them apart. We’ve used each one for a real workweek of bug repros, async demos, and customer-support replies. Below: a quick comparison table, then a deep dive on each tool — the actual limits, what it’s good at, and where it falls down.
What to actually look for in a Loom alternative {#what-to-look-for}
Before we get to the list, three filters matter. If a tool fails any of these, you’ll abandon it within a week:
- No watermark on the free plan. A watermark means you can’t send a clip to a customer or post it to LinkedIn without looking like you’re freeloading.
- Shareable links, not just files. Sending a 40 MB MP4 over Slack defeats the purpose. You want a link the recipient can open and play, ideally with a thumbnail.
- A reasonable export. GIF for Slack, MP4 for everywhere else. If exports are paywalled, the tool is a trial, not a free product.
Most of the tools below clear those bars. A few don’t — we say so when they don’t.
Quick comparison: 7 free tools at a glance {#comparison}
| Tool | Length cap | Watermark | Share links | GIF export | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenguy | Unlimited | None | 10 active, 72h | Yes | macOS |
| Screen Studio Lite | 5 min | Subtle | Export only | Yes | macOS |
| Tella Free | 5 min | None | Unlimited | Yes | Web |
| CleanShot X | Unlimited (paid app) | None | Cloud (paid) | Yes | macOS |
| Vidyard Free | 1 hour | None | Unlimited | No | Chrome / Web |
| Screencastify | 30 min | Yes | Via Drive | Yes | Chrome |
| OBS Studio | Unlimited | None | No (file only) | No (file only) | Mac · Win · Linux |
Now the deep dive. Tools are ordered roughly by how good the free experience is — not by how famous the brand is.
1. Zenguy
Yes, it's our app. We're listing it first because the free plan is genuinely the most generous one on this list for the most common use case: recording a clip on your Mac and sending someone a link before they forget what they asked you.
You record unlimited videos at any length, drop the clip on one of 24 hand-tuned backgrounds, then trim and share. The free plan gives you 10 active share links at a time, each living for 72 hours — plenty for async standups, bug repros, and "here, watch this for 30 seconds" replies. If you need links that never expire, Pro is $29/year. That's it. No per-seat math, no AI minutes upsell.
What's good
- Truly unlimited recording length
- No watermark, ever, on any plan
- Built-in beautiful backgrounds
- One-click GIF, MP4, WebM export
- 14 MB native Mac app, Apple Silicon
What's not
- Mac only (Windows on roadmap)
- 10-link / 72h sharing cap on free
- No team workspaces yet
2. Screen Studio Lite
Screen Studio is the gold standard for "make my recording look like a marketing video." Smooth zoom-on-click, polished mouse cursor, automatic background. The Lite tier gives you that — capped at 5-minute clips. If your clip is short and you're producing it for a website or social post, this is the most polished output on the list.
What's good
- Cinematic auto-zoom on clicks
- Beautiful default cursor styling
- Strong export quality
What's not
- 5-minute cap on free clips
- Free tier exports add a small mark
- Mac only
3. Tella (Free plan)
Tella runs in the browser and treats a video as a sequence of scenes — record a few, splice them together, never relaunch a recorder. Free clips are limited to 5 minutes each, but you can stitch multiple scenes and the share links are unlimited. Excellent if you collaborate with a Windows team or want a recorder that doesn't require an app install.
What's good
- Cross-platform (browser)
- Scene-based editing without re-record
- Pretty backgrounds and layouts included
What's not
- 5-minute per-scene cap on free
- Browser recording can drop frames
- No native macOS integration
4. CleanShot X
Strictly speaking CleanShot is a paid app, but it's bundled with Setapp (free with most software bundles) and many people already have it. The screen recording feature is fully unlimited and watermark-free; the cloud share layer costs extra. If you already pay for Setapp, you essentially have a free Loom alternative built into your Mac.
What's good
- Unlimited length, no watermark
- Excellent annotation tools
- Bundled with Setapp
What's not
- Not actually free standalone
- Cloud sharing is paid add-on
- UI dense for first-time users
Most "free" plans on this list are permanently free — not 14-day trials. We've flagged the few that aren't. Always read the export limits before recording a 90-minute screencast you won't be able to download.
5. Vidyard Free
Vidyard's free plan goes up to one hour per recording with no watermark and unlimited shareable links — generous compared to Loom. The catch is the platform is built for sales teams, so the share page nudges viewers toward CTAs and analytics. If you don't need that, it can feel like overkill. If you do, it's perfect.
What's good
- 1-hour clips on free plan
- Unlimited links, no watermark
- Good viewer analytics included
What's not
- No GIF export
- Sales-y share page UI
- Browser/Chrome extension only
6. Screencastify
Popular in classrooms and education. The free plan caps clips at 30 minutes and stamps a small Screencastify watermark. Recordings save straight to Google Drive, which is its real superpower — no separate share infrastructure to set up. Limited if you want a polished output but excellent if you live in Google's ecosystem.
What's good
- Native Drive integration
- Generous 30-min length
- Built-in trim & basic annotations
What's not
- Watermark on free plan
- Chrome only
- Quality drops vs native apps
7. OBS Studio
OBS is free, open source, and infinitely capable. It's also a flight simulator. There's no built-in sharing — you record to a file and figure out the rest. If you want unlimited everything and don't mind learning a tool, OBS is the best deal on the internet. If you want to send a link in 30 seconds, look elsewhere.
What's good
- Truly unlimited everything, free forever
- Cross-platform (Mac, Windows, Linux)
- Used by streamers — proven engine
What's not
- Steep learning curve
- No native share links
- No editing or backgrounds
So, which one should you pick?
If you’re on a Mac and want the simplest path from “I need to send a clip” to “I sent the clip” — try Zenguy. If you produce marketing-quality short videos, Screen Studio Lite. If you live in Chrome, Vidyard Free. If you want infinite control and are willing to read a manual, OBS.
Most people stop searching after one tool clicks. The whole point of switching from Loom is to stop thinking about the tool. Pick the one whose friction you can ignore the longest.
Want to try the editor's pick?
Zenguy is free forever, no account required to start recording. 14 MB, runs natively on Apple Silicon, and your first clip can be on a backdrop in under a minute.
Frequently asked questions {#faq}
What is the best free alternative to Loom in 2026?
For Mac users, Zenguy is our pick — unlimited recording length, no watermark, beautiful backgrounds, and link sharing on the free plan. For browser-based teams, Tella or Vidyard Free are strong choices. For unlimited control, OBS Studio.
Is there a free Loom alternative without a watermark?
Yes — Zenguy, Tella, Vidyard, CleanShot X, and OBS Studio are all watermark-free on their free plans. Loom and Screencastify add subtle marks unless you upgrade.
Can I export a Loom-style recording to GIF?
Most modern alternatives (Zenguy, Screen Studio, Tella, CleanShot, Screencastify) export to GIF directly. Loom itself does not — you'd need a third-party converter. This is one of the most common reasons people switch.
Are there free Loom alternatives that work on Windows?
Yes. Tella, Vidyard, Screencastify, and OBS Studio all support Windows. Zenguy, Screen Studio, and CleanShot X are macOS-only at the time of writing.
How long can I record for free?
Zenguy, CleanShot X, and OBS offer unlimited length on free plans. Vidyard caps at one hour. Tella, Screen Studio Lite, and Loom cap at 5 minutes per clip. Screencastify caps at 30 minutes.