Free alternatives to Screenity

Screenity is one of the best free recorders going, so the reasons to look around are narrow and specific. It is a Chrome extension, so Firefox and Safari users are out, and the free version records to your own disk but does not give you a share link, that needs Screenity Pro at $10 per month (as of July 2026). If you want a share link for free, a proper desktop app, or recording outside Chrome, here is where to look.

Facts checked as of July 2026Read our Screenity review

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Cap

Best Free Alternative ToScreenity

Open source like Screenity, but a real desktop app with a share link built in

Cap keeps Screenity's open-source, own-your-recordings philosophy but moves it out of the browser. The desktop app on macOS and Windows records at higher quality than a Chrome extension can, adds a Studio Mode editor with auto-zoom and 4K export, and gives you a share link Screenity's free tier does not. The free tier caps recordings at 5 minutes (as of July 2026), though self-hosting with Docker Compose removes that limit entirely.

Free plan, paid from $29/year (as of July 2026)
Open source (AGPL-3.0 (parts of the codebase are MIT))

Best for:: Screenity users who want a native desktop recorder with a built-in share link and are not tied to Chrome
The catch:: The free share link caps recordings at 5 minutes, and there is no live drawing while recording the way Screenity has.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Adds a share link, which Screenity's free tier does not include
Advantage: Native desktop app on macOS and Windows, not locked to Chrome
Advantage: Studio Mode editor with auto-zoom and 4K export beyond Screenity's trimming
Advantage: Open source and self-hostable, matching Screenity's ownership pitch
Tradeoff: Free share link caps recordings at 5 minutes, where Screenity's local recording is unlimited
Tradeoff: No live drawing or blur while recording, which is Screenity's signature
Tradeoff: No Linux desktop app, and Screenity runs anywhere Chrome does

Read our Cap review Where Cap's free plan stops

Kommodo

The free hosted share link Screenity charges Pro for

Kommodo (formerly Komodo Decks) gives you for free the one thing Screenity puts behind Pro: a hosted share link. Its free tier advertises unlimited videos of unlimited length with no watermark (as of July 2026), plus transcription, AI summaries, and step-by-step guides. If the only reason you were eyeing Screenity Pro's $10 per month was to send links, Kommodo does that at no cost.

Free plan (as of July 2026)
United States

Best for:: Screenity users who want a free hosted share link without paying for Pro
The catch:: It is closed source and cloud-only, so it lacks Screenity's local-only privacy and its live annotation tools.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Free hosted share links, which Screenity gates behind $10-per-month Pro
Advantage: Unlimited free recording length, matching Screenity's local recording
Advantage: Transcription and AI summaries included free
Tradeoff: Closed source and cloud-only, unlike Screenity's local GPL-3.0 extension
Tradeoff: No live drawing, blur, or cursor spotlight while recording
Tradeoff: Your recordings live on their servers, not your disk

Read our Kommodo review What Kommodo's free plan includes

OBS Studio

Completely free and unlimited, and it runs well outside Chrome

OBS Studio is completely free with no account, no watermark, and no length limit, on Windows, macOS, and Linux. For a Screenity user hitting the Chrome-only wall, OBS records anything on your machine at far higher quality than a browser extension can reach. The cost is complexity: OBS is broadcasting software, so you set up scenes and encoders first, and it produces a file with no link and no annotation.

Completely free (as of July 2026)
Open source (GPL-2.0-or-later)

Best for:: People who need recording beyond Chrome, plus streaming or long high-quality captures Screenity cannot do
The catch:: The learning curve is steep and there is no share link, no transcript, and no live drawing like Screenity's.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Records the whole system at high quality, beyond what a Chrome extension can
Advantage: Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, not just Chrome
Advantage: Live streaming, which Screenity does not offer
Advantage: Completely free with no Pro tier for sharing
Tradeoff: No share link, transcript, or live annotation
Tradeoff: Setup takes about an hour before your first recording

Read our OBS Studio review What OBS Studio's free plan includes

ShareX

Free Windows capture with annotation and automatic upload to your own storage

ShareX is completely free under GPL-3.0 and, like Screenity, leans on annotation and ownership, but as a Windows desktop tool. It records screen video and GIFs, has a strong annotation editor with blur and pixelation, and uploads finished captures to your own S3, GCS, or R2 bucket with the link on your clipboard instantly. That is the free share link Screenity's free tier lacks, served from storage you control.

Completely free (as of July 2026)
Open source (GPL-3.0)

Best for:: Windows users who want Screenity-style annotation plus automatic share links from their own storage
The catch:: It is Windows only and dense to set up, and its annotation happens after capture rather than live like Screenity's.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Automatic share links from your own storage, free, unlike Screenity
Advantage: Strong annotation editor with blur and pixelation, like Screenity's markup
Advantage: GIF export, OCR, and scrolling capture Screenity lacks
Tradeoff: Windows only, where Screenity runs anywhere Chrome does
Tradeoff: Annotation is after capture, not live on screen while recording
Tradeoff: Upload destinations need a one-time setup

Read our ShareX review What ShareX's free plan includes

Loom

The most polished share-link workflow, with a real if limited free tier

Loom hands you the hosted share link Screenity's free tier does not, wrapped in the smoothest async-video experience there is. Record your screen and camera and the link is transcribed and ready before you close the app, with viewer comments and watch tracking. The free Starter plan stops at 25 videos of 5 minutes each per person (as of July 2026), so it is more limited than Screenity's unlimited local recording, but every recording ships as a link.

Free plan, paid from $18/month (as of July 2026)
United States

Best for:: Teams who want a polished hosted share link and can live within the 25-video free cap
The catch:: The free plan caps you at 25 videos of 5 minutes each, and it is closed source and cloud-only, unlike Screenity.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Free hosted share links with transcription, which Screenity's free tier lacks
Advantage: Viewer comments, reactions, and watch tracking
Advantage: Records outside Chrome, on desktop and mobile apps
Tradeoff: Free plan caps you at 25 videos of 5 minutes each, versus Screenity's unlimited local recording
Tradeoff: Closed source and cloud-only, unlike Screenity's local extension
Tradeoff: No live drawing or blur while recording

Read our Loom review Is Loom really free?

Kap

Free Mac recorder for quick clips and GIFs, no browser required

Kap is a small MIT-licensed macOS recorder that covers the quick-clip job without a browser extension. Drag a box, record, trim, export as video or GIF. It is completely free and asks for no account, which suits the same zero-friction instinct Screenity users have, just outside Chrome and native to the Mac. GIF export is its main draw.

Completely free (as of July 2026)
Open source (MIT)

Best for:: Mac users who want quick free clips and GIFs outside the browser
The catch:: The last tagged release is v3.6.0 from October 2022, so check macOS compatibility before you depend on it.

Compared to Screenity

Advantage: Native macOS app, not tied to Chrome like Screenity
Advantage: GIF export, which Screenity does not focus on
Advantage: Completely free and open source under MIT, with no account
Tradeoff: macOS only, where Screenity runs anywhere Chrome does
Tradeoff: No live annotation, blur, or cursor spotlight like Screenity's
Tradeoff: Last release was October 2022, so maintenance is uncertain

Read our Kap review Where Kap's free plan stops

How to choose

If you want Screenity's open-source, own-your-files approach as a proper desktop app with a share link, start with Cap. Pick Kommodo when the free share link matters most, since it hosts unlimited recordings for nothing, or OBS Studio when you need streaming, Linux, or long high-quality captures. ShareX is the Windows pick for links from your own storage, Loom is the option if you want the most polished async experience and can live with its 25-video free cap, and Kap covers quick Mac GIFs.