Loom vs OBS Studio

Compare these two screen recording tools to find the best option for creating training videos and onboarding content.

Loom logo

Loom

4.5/5

The async video tool that replaced 'can we hop on a quick call' for an entire generation of SaaS teams

From $0/month
OBS Studio logo

OBS Studio

4.7/5

Open source screen recorder and live streamer, the one Twitch built itself on

From $0 forever

Feature Comparison

FeatureLoomOBS Studio
Free Available
Windows Support
macOS Support
Linux Support
Zoom Effects
Auto Captions
Team Collaboration
Audio Recording
Enterprise Security
Script Generation
AI Voiceovers
Auto Article Generation

Loom AI Features

  • Auto titles, summaries, and chapters
  • Filler word and silence removal
  • Edit by transcript
  • Auto meeting recaps and notes
  • Variables and auto CTAs
  • Transcriptions in 50+ languages

OBS Studio AI Features

No AI features

Loom - Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Lowest friction recorder we've tested. One click, you're rolling.
  • Sharing is just a link. No upload, no rendering.
  • Works on every desktop OS and as a Chrome extension
Cons
  • Free plan caps each video at 5 minutes and 25 videos total
  • Editing is intentionally minimal. No timeline, no overlays.
  • Atlassian migration and workspace billing can still be confusing for larger teams

OBS Studio - Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Free forever, no watermarks, no caps, no SaaS subscription
  • Plugin ecosystem covers virtual cameras, NDI, capture cards, audio routing
  • Multi source recording (screen, webcam, mic, capture card, browser) in one go
Cons
  • First hour of learning is painful, the interface assumes you know what Scenes and Sources are
  • No built-in editor, you'll need DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, or similar for post
  • Configuration is on you, not on a wizard