The Best Screen Recording Tool for Web Agencies

Sometimes the fastest way to answer a client question isn’t a 12-paragraph email — it’s hitting record and showing them exactly what you mean. Screen recording has become one of those quiet workhorses in the agency toolkit: used daily for client walkthroughs, bug reports, tutorials, and the eternal “can you walk me through it again?” call that every agency owner knows too well.

Sherri Lavigne put it best: she started recording how-to videos for clients after realizing that even detailed written instructions with circles and arrows weren’t getting read. “Turns out people don’t like to read!”

This post is a summary of a Tuesday Toolbox discussion inside The Admin Bar community, where agency owners shared the screen recording tools they rely on — and why a certain pricing change has a lot of people shopping for alternatives.

The Most Mentioned Screen Recording Tools

These tools came up repeatedly in the discussion:

• Loom
• Cap.so
• Zight
• Komodo
• SnagIt / Camtasia
• CleanShot X
• Borumi
• OBS
• Descript

A number of other tools came up as well (we’ll get to those).

Why Agencies Choose These Screen Recording Tools

Loom

The tool everyone has used — and many are leaving.

Loom came up more than any other tool in this thread, which makes sense: it’s been the default screen recording tool for agencies for years. But the context around almost every mention was either past tense or qualified. The recurring theme: Loom keeps raising prices, and people are increasingly looking for alternatives.

“I really liked Loom but they kept raising prices so I switched to a LTD I had for Droplr.”

Melanie Barkdull Adcock

That said, plenty of members are still on Loom and happy with it. Erin Morris loves the editing, transcript, and auto how-to-guide features. Angela Bowman uses it daily. Jessica Appleby gave it a simple thumbs up. The product is genuinely good — the frustration is specifically with the pricing trajectory.

Angela Bowman also shared a clever workflow: record a walkthrough in Zoom, upload the audio to ChatGPT, and have it write accurate WordPress documentation. Then drop that into a Google Doc with a few short Looms for anything visual. A smart way to stretch screen recording into written documentation.

Best fit: agencies already on Loom who get value from its sharing, commenting, and AI features — or those whose clients specifically request Loom links.

Cap.so

The open-source Loom alternative gaining real momentum.

Cap was the most-mentioned alternative to Loom in the thread, and the enthusiasm around it was genuine. It’s open-source, allows self-hosting with Google Drive as storage, and lets you share recordings from your own domain — for free.

“Really easy to work with and the founder is always responsive to questions and feedback. Much better value than Loom and they now do managed migrations of your Loom library.”

Tom Heaton

Jordan Trask specifically called out the self-hosting angle — Cap v0.6 was just released and the project is actively developed. Dave Porter was investigating it at the time of the thread. Rachelle Wise switched from Loom after the price increase and is happy with the move.

Best fit: agencies looking for a capable, privacy-friendly Loom replacement with self-hosting options and no recurring subscription.

Zight

The cloud-based screenshot and recording tool with a loyal following.

Zight (formerly CloudApp) came up consistently from members who’ve been on it for a while — often via an AppSumo lifetime deal. It handles both screenshots and screen recordings, making it a two-in-one replacement for multiple tools.

“Zight is awesome both for screenshots and for quick videos.”

Vojkan Cvijanovic

Jonathan Gwyer moved from Loom to Zight specifically for better pricing and has been happy with the AI features. Andrew Adam uses it as his primary tool while keeping Loom for clients who specifically request it. Neha Ramesh Rau pairs it with Komodo.

Best fit: agencies who want a combined screenshot and screen recording tool with easy sharing — especially those who grabbed a lifetime deal.

Komodo

The SOP-builder that records and documents at the same time.

Komodo came up from multiple members, and it stood out for a specific use case: it doesn’t just record your screen — it simultaneously generates an editable step-by-step document from the recording, making it particularly powerful for creating SOPs and client documentation.

“With Komodo, I’m able to screen record and create an editable step-by-step document at the same time. Great for creating SOPs.”

Gerson El

Fagun Shah, John Catherall, Caroline Golden, and Elsie Gilmore all use it. Gen Herres noted she uses Komodo for most things but still reaches for QuickTime when she only needs to record herself without the screen. The £7 LTD that Paul mentioned has generated real loyalty.

Best fit: agencies who want to turn screen recordings into written SOPs or client documentation simultaneously — a meaningful upgrade over tools that only capture video.

SnagIt / Camtasia

The TechSmith duo for screenshots and serious video production.

SnagIt and Camtasia came up frequently, often from the same people — they’re both TechSmith products and work well together. SnagIt handles quick screenshots and short recordings; Camtasia is the full video editor for longer, more polished productions.

“SnagIt for quickies. Camtasia if I think I’ll need more bells and whistles.”

Tanya Cropper

Mark Borst uses SnagIt for both screenshots and recordings, finding it easier than writing out detailed steps. Thomas J. Raef, Adam Lowe, Kevin Roberts, and Philip John all use one or both TechSmith tools. Cay Lundén uses SnagIt for shorter content and Camtasia for detailed long-form.

Best fit: agencies who need both a quick screenshot tool and a full video editor in one ecosystem — particularly those producing polished client training or YouTube content.

CleanShot X

The Mac-native power tool for screenshots and recordings.

CleanShot X came up consistently from Mac users — primarily as a screenshot tool, but increasingly for screen recording after the recent Studio Mode launch in version 5.0.

“CleanShot recently released new screen recording tools that look similar to Screen Studio’s editing features with auto-zooms, backgrounds, etc. I love both Screen Studio and CleanShot.”

Jon Phillips

Marc Bijl, Alan Gardiner, Pete Fairclough, and Scott Macon (who compared it favorably to Cap.so) all use it. Jon Phillips pointed to the newly released Studio Mode as a promising development for recordings, though noted he hadn’t tried it yet at the time.

Best fit: Mac users who want a powerful screenshot tool with annotation, GIF export, and increasingly capable screen recording features in one app.

Borumi

The video-focused option for those who want editing built in.

Borumi came up from several members and earned some strong endorsements — particularly for its audio cleanup, auto-transcription, and editing features at a one-time price.

“Borumi is genuinely insane and has an MCP so Claude can do the editing.”

Emmett Cooke

Emmett’s note about the MCP integration — allowing Claude to handle video editing — is worth flagging for anyone building AI-assisted workflows. Melissa Breau uses it for longer recordings alongside Loom for short videos. Rory Austin pairs it with Screen Studio depending on the complexity of the project.

Best fit: agencies who want built-in editing, audio cleanup, and transcription without a subscription — particularly for longer content like tutorials or YouTube videos.

OBS

The free, open-source powerhouse for those who need full control.

OBS came up from a handful of members, always with an acknowledgment that it’s more powerful than most people need for quick client videos — but for those who want it, it does everything.

“I’m old school and still use OBS mainly, with a bit of Loom for quick direct-to-client videos.”

Chris Hunter

Gerald Hutchman recently started using Descript for shorter content while keeping OBS for more involved productions. Megan Garwood uses it alongside QuickTime. Peter Wise uses OBS for in-depth videos and Gifox for quick GIFs.

Best fit: agencies or developers who need full recording and streaming control, or those producing polished video content where OBS’s feature depth is worth the setup time.

Descript

The editor-first approach to screen recording.

Descript stands out in this thread because it approaches the problem differently: rather than recording first and editing later, it treats video editing like a text document. Delete a word from the transcript, and the video cut happens automatically.

“I’ve been an OBS user for years and still use it, but lately been trying out Descript for short and quick stuff. It works great and has all the editing tools you might need.”

Gerald Hutchman

Amber Hinds uses the Mac’s built-in recording shortcut (Command + Shift + 5) for most things, then Descript when she needs to be on camera. For agencies producing polished video content where editing time matters, Descript’s approach can dramatically speed up the process.

Best fit: agencies producing video content where editing efficiency matters — especially anyone who’s spent too long cutting out filler words and false starts in a traditional editor.

Notable Mentions

These also came up in the thread:

• Screen Studio — Yaser Alhosani and Elijah Mills both love it for the production quality and mouse smoothing; Mac-only; Elijah noted the “nice looking” aesthetic has become so common it’s almost a standard now
• NeetoRecord — Dennis Gram has used it for years; free up to 15 minutes per video and 200 per month; Bridget Willard and Christi Yarema are moving to it from Loom
• Google Vids — Luke Humble is testing it and impressed with the captions, styling, and editing; Stephanie Pleasants and Jean Werk use it because it’s included in Workspace
• Tella — Laurie Baines and Kristiyan Ivanov both moved to it; Kristiyan specifically called out recording, editing, and hosting on your own subdomain as a combined feature set
• Zoom Clips — came up from Rachel McFadden, Robert Scanlon (via ClickUp Clips), Angelita Mardiros, and Greg Schueler as a “why not use what I’m already paying for” solution
• ScreenPal — Nicola Tweed and Jette Drøger both use it; Matt Ryan has been on it for a while and finds the free plan sufficient
• Screenpresso — Asing De Naam uses it daily for screenshots and short videos with online link sharing
• Jumpshare — Charlotte Drew and Philip John both mention it; handles screenshots, video, and file sharing in one tool
• Vento — Marva Jackson Lord and Peder Lundström both use it via AppSumo LTD
• Awesome Screenshot — Joel McDonald and Lana Miro both use it for screenshots and recordings with cloud sharing
• Droplr — Melanie Barkdull Adcock’s landing spot after leaving Loom
• Screenium — David Churchill calls it “surprisingly powerful and easy to use” for Mac

The Loom Pricing Situation

It’s worth addressing directly, since it shaped so much of this thread.

Loom has raised its prices significantly over the past couple of years, and it’s pushed a meaningful number of agency owners to start looking around. Several members have already switched — to Cap.so, Zight, Tella, NeetoRecord, or whatever their AppSumo library offered. Others are still on Loom but watching their renewal date.

The tools gaining the most ground from Loom’s pricing changes appear to be Cap.so (for those who want a direct, open-source replacement) and Komodo (for those who want the added SOP documentation feature). Zoom Clips and Google Vids are also picking up users from people who’d rather consolidate than add another subscription.

The irony, as a few members noted, is that Loom is still genuinely good. The frustration isn’t with the product — it’s with the pricing trajectory on a tool that used to feel like a simple, affordable utility.

Patterns We Noticed

A few things stood out across the thread:

• Nobody is using just one tool. Almost everyone mentioned at least two — a quick screenshot or short-recording tool and something for longer or more polished content. SnagIt + Camtasia, CleanShot X + OBS, Loom + Zoom for different audiences. The use cases really do split into quick-and-shareable versus polished-and-produced.
• AppSumo LTDs are shaping this market. Zight, Komodo, Vento, Droplr, and several others in this thread came up specifically because someone bought a lifetime deal years ago and never had a reason to leave. The LTD economy has a real effect on which tools get entrenched in agency stacks.
• The “what am I already paying for” logic is strong. Zoom Clips, Google Vids, ClickUp Clips, and Apple’s built-in recording all came up as valid solutions from members who don’t want another subscription for something that’s already included in their stack.
• AI features are becoming a differentiator. Auto-transcription, step-by-step document generation (Komodo), audio cleanup (Borumi), and the MCP integration for Claude-assisted editing (Borumi again) all came up as meaningful reasons to prefer one tool over another. This category is evolving fast.
• Mac users have more options than Windows users. CleanShot X, Screen Studio, and Screenium are all Mac-only. Several members’ recommendations came with an implicit “if you’re on Mac.” Windows users are working with a shorter list of the best options.

How to Choose the Right Screen Recording Tool

These questions can help narrow it down:

• Are you recording quick client explainers, or producing polished tutorials and training content?
• Do you need to share recordings via link, or export files?
• Do you want editing built in, or are you comfortable exporting to a separate editor?
• Is SOP/documentation generation alongside the recording useful for your workflow?
• Are you on Mac or Windows? (Significantly affects your options)
• Are you already paying for Zoom, Google Workspace, or ClickUp — and is the built-in option good enough?

Frequently Asked Questions About Screen Recording Tools for Agencies

What is the best screen recording tool for web agencies? It depends on the use case. For quick client explainers and sharing, Loom, Cap.so, Zight, and Komodo all came up frequently. For polished tutorials and training content, Camtasia, Descript, and Borumi are stronger options. For Mac users who also need great screenshots, CleanShot X is a standout.

What are the best free screen recording tools? Cap.so is free and open-source with self-hosting support. OBS is free and extremely capable. NeetoRecord is free up to 15 minutes per video. ScreenPal has a free tier. Apple’s built-in recording (Command + Shift + 5) and Google Vids are free for Mac and Google Workspace users respectively.

What is Komodo and what makes it different from Loom? Komodo records your screen and simultaneously generates an editable step-by-step document from the recording — making it useful for creating SOPs and client documentation in one step, not just a shareable video. It’s available via a very affordable lifetime deal and came up frequently as a tool for agencies who need documentation alongside the video.

What’s the best Loom alternative? Cap.so is the most frequently mentioned direct alternative — open-source, self-hostable, and free. Zight is a strong paid alternative with a combined screenshot and recording feature set. NeetoRecord is a free option with a generous limit. Tella came up from multiple members who’ve specifically migrated from Loom.

Is OBS good for quick client screen recordings? OBS is powerful but overkill for quick client explainers — most members who use it do so for longer, more produced content or streaming. For quick client videos, tools like Loom, Cap.so, Zight, or Komodo are faster to start and easier to share. Several OBS users in this thread keep a second, lighter tool for day-to-day client communication.