Screen Recording vs. Loom
Loom is a cloud video-messaging platform. Every recording uploads to Loom's servers, and the subscription is what keeps your library accessible. Screen Recording is a native macOS app. Recordings are files on your Mac, sharing goes through your own iCloud, and you pay $29 once.
Note. Pricing and limit figures are as of August 2026. Check them again before publish.
| Screen Recording | Loom | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | Free tier; Business $18/user/mo; Business + AI $24/user/mo |
| Free tier limits | 7-day trial, all features | 25 videos total, 5 minutes each, 720p, Loom branding |
| Watermark | Never | On the free tier |
| Recording length | No limit | Capped on free |
| Where recordings live | Your Mac; your iCloud when shared | Loom's cloud |
| Download your own MP4 | Always | Paid plans only |
| Transcription and captions | On device, included | Cloud, AI features on the top self-serve tier |
| Viewer requirements | None. Link plays in the browser | Viewer accounts for some team features |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS, Windows, web, mobile |
The structural difference
Loom stores your recordings in its own cloud, which is what makes the free tier's 25-video lifetime cap possible, and why downloading your own MP4 requires a paid plan. The paid plans control access to your content.
Screen Recording has no server side. A recording is an ordinary file on your disk the moment you stop. Sharing uploads it to your iCloud account, which is storage you already own, and revoking the link removes it. Your access to your recordings does not depend on a plan.
AI on device or in a vendor cloud
Loom's AI features, such as summaries, chapters, and filler-word removal, run on Loom's servers and sit on the $24/user/month tier. Screen Recording's transcription runs on your Mac, is included in the $29 price, and your voice never leaves your computer. Filler-word removal is one click in the transcript editor.
When Loom is the better fit
Loom is the better choice if you need a managed team video library with view analytics, org-wide permissions, and Atlassian integration, or if your team is on Windows. If your workflow is to record your screen, tidy the recording, and send a link, you don't need a platform for that.
Switching
There is nothing to migrate into. Screen Recording recordings are MP4 files and plain-text transcripts on your Mac. Download your existing Loom videos while your plan still lets you.
Screen Recording is coming soon. It will start with a 7-day free trial and need no account.