Kap
Open-source screen recorder for macOS with GIF and video export.
Overview
Kap is a open-source screen recorder for macOS with GIF and video export. It handles open source, gif export, plugins, and lightweight, and it's best suited for macos developers wanting a simple open-source screen recorder. It has been around since 2016, giving it a 10-year head start in building out integrations and refining the product.
The core product is entirely free. Since it's open-source, you can self-host for free with no user limits. It's aimed at individual users, so it's fast to set up but may lack team-management features if you scale.
Strengths
- Open source and transparent
- Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
- Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
- The core product is free with no paywalled essentials
Weaknesses
- May lack some advanced features
- Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in screen recording
Quick info
- Category
- Screen Recording
- Starting price
- Free
- Free tier
- Fully free
- Open source
- Yes
- Best for
- Individuals
- Founded
- 2016
Last updated 2026-04-12
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