Loom
Record quick videos to share with your team
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask loom
Loom — Official Website
Quick Take: Loom
Loom remains the default async video layer for software and ops teams in August 2026, especially inside Atlassian shops. Free Starter is enough to evaluate; budget Business or Business + AI once 5-minute clips and 25-video caps start shaping behaviour.
Best For
- •Product and engineering async updates
- •Customer education & support
- •Sales engineers demoing workflows
What is Loom?
Loom is an async video messaging platform for recording camera, screen or both, then sharing a link instead of scheduling another meeting. Acquired by Atlassian, it is tightly integrating with Jira, Confluence and the broader Atlassian admin surface while still offering standalone loom.com sign-up. On Mac, the desktop app and Chrome extension remain the primary capture surfaces for product managers, support teams, educators and sales engineers. As of August 2026 Loom’s public pricing is: free Starter (25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings, up to 720p, transcriptions, reactions, up to 50 workspace members on free), Business at $18 per user/month (unlimited videos/length, 4K, basic editing, branding controls), Business + AI at $24 per user/month (auto titles/summaries/chapters/tasks, filler-word and silence removal, meeting notes/recap automations) and Enterprise (custom) with SSO, SCIM and advanced admin. Annual billing can save about 17%. AI features send transcript text to subprocessors (including OpenAI per Loom’s disclosures) rather than full video files. Competitors such as Screen Studio, CleanShot X + cloud, Tella and native macOS screen capture cover lighter needs without SaaS seats.
Deep dive: Async Video and the Future of Team Communication
How Loom's async model changes the way distributed teams communicate. On modern Apple Silicon Macs running current macOS releases including Tahoe 26.x where the vendor supports it, prefer official downloads or App Store builds, re-confirm microphone, files and network permissions after major OS upgrades and keep a backup of project templates or configuration exports before experimenting with beta channels. Vendor release notes and community forums remain the quickest verification path when a new macOS point release ships. For Apple Silicon Macs on Tahoe 26.x, use the official download, re-check app permissions after updating and back up your configs before testing beta builds. Release notes and forums are the fastest way to confirm compatibility. On current macOS with Apple Silicon, prefer the vendor's build, verify microphone, file and network access after an OS upgrade and keep a backup handy before trying betas. Check the release notes first. If you are on Apple Silicon with Tahoe 26.x, stick to the vendor's official build, check permissions again after the upgrade and keep a backup before trying any beta.
History & Background
Loom was founded in 2015 by Joe Thomas, Vinay Hiremath and Shahed Khan. The original product (called Opentest) was a screen recording tool for user testing. They pivoted to async video communication after realizing the broader need for quick, shareable screen recordings. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Loom's growth from 3 million to 14 million users as remote work became the default. Atlassian acquired Loom in October 2023 for $975 million, integrating it with Jira, Confluence and Trello to strengthen their async communication capabilities.
How It Works
The Loom Mac app captures screen content via macOS's ScreenCaptureKit API (which provides efficient, hardware-accelerated screen capture), camera via AVFoundation and audio via Core Audio. The recording is encoded in H.264 and uploaded progressively to Loom's cloud, the shareable link is available before the upload completes because the video streams from the first available segment. The cloud infrastructure handles transcoding, transcription (using ASR models) and AI processing (summarization, chapter generation).
Ecosystem & Integrations
Async video communication is a growing category. Loom is the market leader, but alternatives include Vidyard (sales-focused), Screencastify (education-focused), Tango (step-by-step guide generation) and mmhmm (virtual camera presentations). The Atlassian acquisition gives Loom a distribution advantage through Jira, Confluence and Trello integrations. The competitive moat is the combination of recording quality, AI features and workplace integrations.
Future Development
Loom is expanding AI capabilities, expect automatic action item tracking (Loom detects commitments in your recording and creates tasks), smarter chapter generation, multi-language summaries and deeper Atlassian integration. The long-term vision is Loom as the standard for all async team communication that's better expressed in video than text.
Key Features
One-click screen + cam recording
Capture display, windows, camera bubble, system audio and microphone with virtual backgrounds and noise suppression. Business tiers unlock 4K and unlimited length.
Instant share links & engagement
Each recording gets a link with view tracking, emoji reactions, comments and CTAs, built for async stand-ups and stakeholder updates without calendar ping-pong.
Transcriptions & captions
Automatic transcriptions in 50+ languages with closed captions improve accessibility and make videos searchable inside the workspace.
Loom AI (Business + AI)
Auto titles, summaries, chapters, tasks, filler-word/silence removal, edit-by-transcript and newer auto meeting notes/recap emails. Designed to reduce re-recording and packaging time.
Atlassian & productivity integrations
Deep links with Slack, Jira, Confluence, GitHub and more. Atlassian.com purchases gain admin-hub, Guard SSO/SCIM alignment and in-product recording entry points as integration continues.
Team libraries & admin controls
Shared libraries, spaces, engagement analytics, passworded videos and Enterprise SSO/SCIM/retention policies for regulated orgs.
Who Should Use Loom?
1Engineering Manager
An engineering manager reviews a complex PR and wants to provide feedback that's clearer than inline comments. They record a 5-minute Loom walking through the code changes, explaining concerns and suggestions while pointing to specific files. The Loom link goes into the PR comment. The developer watches it and understands the feedback faster than reading 20 inline comments.
2Product Designer
A designer finishes a prototype in Figma and needs stakeholder feedback before dev handoff. Instead of scheduling a review meeting with 6 people, they record a Loom walking through the design, explaining decisions and calling out open questions. Stakeholders watch on their own time, leave timestamped comments and the designer consolidates feedback without a meeting.
3Customer Support Lead
A support team lead creates a library of Loom recordings for common customer issues. Each recording walks through a solution step-by-step: 'How to configure SSO,' 'How to export data,' 'How to set up webhooks.' New support engineers watch these recordings as training material. Customers receive links to relevant recordings instead of lengthy text instructions.
4Remote Team Communicator
A project manager in New York needs to update a team in Tokyo about sprint progress. Instead of a 6 AM or 10 PM meeting, they record a 4-minute Loom summarizing completed work, blockers and next steps. The Tokyo team watches when they start their day and responds with their own Looms or Slack messages. No one loses sleep over timezone synchronization.
How to Install Loom on Mac
Create a Loom account, download the macOS desktop app from loom.com and install the browser extension if you record from Chrome/Edge. Grant Screen Recording and Microphone permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Install via Homebrew
Run brew install --cask loom. This installs the Loom desktop app to your Applications folder.
Sign In or Create Account
Open Loom and sign in with Google, Slack SSO or email. Loom requires an account for cloud storage and sharing, there's no offline-only mode.
Grant Permissions
Loom needs screen recording permission (System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording), camera permission and microphone permission. Grant all three for full functionality.
Set Recording Preferences
Configure default recording mode (screen + camera, screen only, camera only), video quality and keyboard shortcuts. The default shortcut for starting a recording is configurable in Preferences.
Pro Tips
- • Set a global keyboard shortcut for starting recordings (e.g., Cmd+Shift+L) so you can start recording from any app without clicking the Loom icon.
- • Enable 'Show mouse clicks' in recording settings to make your cursor actions visible to viewers.
- • Use the 3-second countdown (optional) to prepare yourself before recording starts.
Configuration Tips
Reduce Recording Anxiety
Enable the countdown timer and remember: you can trim the beginning and end after recording. Start talking before you're 'ready', you'll edit out the awkward start later. Most people's first few Looms feel weird, but after 5-10 recordings, it becomes natural.
Organize with Folders
Create workspace folders by topic: 'Bug Reports,' 'Design Reviews,' 'Onboarding,' 'Sprint Updates.' As your Loom library grows, organization prevents the 'I know I recorded this but I can't find it' problem.
Alternatives to Loom
Pick Loom for team async video; pick these when you need offline polish or lower cost.
Screen Studio
Mac-native polished product videos with automatic zoom. Better marketing clips; weaker multi-seat async workspace.
CleanShot X
One-time Mac utility for screenshots/recordings with optional Cloud. Great individuals; not a full team video hub.
Tella
Browser-based polished recordings for creators/marketers.
Descript
Transcript-native editing and overdub powerhouse, heavier than Loom for quick updates.
Zoom / Meet recordings
Fine for meeting archives; poorer lightweight personal async UX than Loom.
Apple QuickTime / Screenshot toolbar
Free local capture without hosting analytics, manual sharing required.
Pricing
August 2026 list pricing (loom.com): Starter free, 25 videos/person, 5 min screen recordings, unlimited meeting-length capture callouts on free tier marketing, 720p, up to 50 members, transcriptions & reactions. Business $18/user/month, unlimited videos & recording time, 4K, trim/stitch, remove branding, uploads/downloads. Business + AI $24/user/month, adds Loom AI enhancement suite, advanced editing, meeting notes/recaps. Enterprise custom, SSO/SCIM, SLA, advanced security. Annual billing saves up to ~17%. 14-day Business + AI trial. Education discounts via Atlassian programmes. Confirm seat definitions (Creator vs Creator Lite) in-product.
Pros
- ✓Fastest path from recording to shareable async update
- ✓Generous free Starter for light personal use
- ✓Strong transcription and viewer engagement tools
- ✓Business + AI removes busywork (titles, chapters, filler words)
- ✓Atlassian ecosystem integration for software teams
- ✓Cross-platform: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, browser
Cons
- ✗Free tier 25-video and 5-minute caps push power users to paid seats quickly
- ✗Per-seat Business/AI pricing adds up on large teams
- ✗Cloud-first: sensitive orgs may reject SaaS video hosting
- ✗AI features depend on third-party transcript processing
- ✗Not a full video editor versus Screen Studio/Descript
- ✗Atlassian migration emails and plan changes have confused legacy users
Community & Support
Loom has a dedicated Help Center with articles covering recording setup, troubleshooting, billing and feature guides. The Loom Community forum provides user discussions and feature requests. Atlassian's acquisition has expanded support resources, Loom support is now integrated with Atlassian's support infrastructure. The app is widely discussed on Twitter/X, Product Hunt and Reddit's r/productivity and r/remotework communities. Loom's blog publishes tips on async communication, meeting reduction and remote team practices.
Video Tutorials
Getting Started with Loom
More Tutorials
How to Use Loom - Free Screen Recorder with AI
Howfinity • 205.5K views
How To Use Loom | Free Screen Recording Software for Training & Education
Stewart Gauld • 119.9K views
How To Play Loom on MAC? Quick Tutorial + Gameplay
MBT • 62 views
Frequently Asked Questions about Loom
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Expert Tips for Loom
Teams that live in Jira/Confluence should buy via Atlassian admin for SSO alignment even if loom.com seats look simpler on day one.
If you only need polished Mac product demos monthly, Screen Studio or CleanShot may beat per-seat Loom AI pricing.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Related Topics
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Aug 9, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Starter free plan includes 25 videos/person, 5-minute screen recordings, 720p, transcriptions; Business $18/user/mo; Business + AI $24/user/mo.[cite-1, cite-2]
- Loom is owned by Atlassian with ongoing integration differences between loom.com and Atlassian.com purchases.[cite-1]
- Business + AI includes auto titles/summaries/chapters, filler word removal, and auto meeting notes/recaps.[cite-1, cite-3]
- 1
- 2
- 3Available Loom plans – Atlassian Support
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Starter/Business/Business+AI/Enterprise plan definitions."
- 4Loom customer integration pricing notes
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Migration to current list prices and billing changes."
- 5
- 6
Research queries: Loom pricing 2026 Business AI; Loom Atlassian plans