Comparison · Loom · Extension vs Online
Vidora vs Cap.so: The Loom Downloader Showdown for 2026
Cap.so is an open-source screen recorder whose site offers a free Loom downloader for public links. Vidora is a Chrome extension that downloads the video playing in your tab, Loom share pages included. Both are free; the differences are in what each covers and what you get.
Quick answer
Cap.so's Loom downloader is a free page on cap.so: paste a public Loom link and it saves an MP4, with no signup. Vidora is a Chrome extension that finds the real Loom HLS recording from the share page and saves it as an MP4 with audio. Public share pages are verified end to end. Cap says its tool only works with public Looms, and Vidora's support for password-protected and workspace pages is not proven. If you only download public Loom links, either works.
1. What Cap.so actually is
Cap.so is an open-source screen recorder positioned as a Loom alternative for recording. It has desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, a Chrome extension for recording, and a set of free tools at cap.so/tools (video converters, a trim tool, a speed controller). Among those is a free Loom downloader at cap.so/tools/loom-downloader.
You paste a public Loom share link into the page and the MP4 starts downloading. According to Cap, the free downloader runs in your browser, resolves public Loom videos there and saves the MP4 to your device; it is free, with no signup and no limit on the number of videos. Cap also sells a separate bulk Loom importer in Cap Pro, which connects to your Loom workspace and uses Cap's server-side pipeline.
Cap states the limit plainly: the tool only works with publicly accessible Loom videos, and for a private or password-protected video it suggests asking the creator to make it public or to share the download directly.
2. Loom coverage compared
Loom hosts videos in several visibility tiers, each behaves differently with downloaders.
| Loom content type | Cap.so | Vidora |
|---|---|---|
| Public share link (anyone with link) | Yes | Yes |
| Password-protected Loom | No (public Looms only, per Cap) | Not proven; usually fails in the current build |
| Workspace-only Loom | No (public Looms only, per Cap) | Not proven; usually fails in the current build |
| Private Loom (specific viewers) | No (public Looms only, per Cap) | Not proven; usually fails in the current build |
| Audio kept (HLS playlist, not the muted preview MP4) | See vendor | Yes |
| Embedded Loom on a third-party page | Paste the public share link | Open the underlying loom.com/share/ URL in its own tab |
| Loom with custom branding domain | See vendor | Not supported (resolver keys on loom.com/share) |
On public share links the two are at parity, and Vidora's added value is the audio: it takes the HLS recording, not the muted preview file. For workspace and password-protected Looms, neither tool is a dependable answer today; the DevTools method in our Loom guide works whenever the video plays for you (see the scenarios below).
If you want the dedicated install page for the Loom downloader extension, see our Loom Downloader page. For the step-by-step tutorial across methods, see How to Download Loom Videos.
3. Privacy: where the URL goes
Cap says its free downloader resolves public Loom videos in your browser and saves the MP4 to your device, so by Cap's own description the video is not stored on their side. Loading the tool is still a visit to cap.so, governed by Cap's privacy policy. Only the paid bulk importer uses Cap's server-side pipeline.
For internal team Looms, sales call recordings or training videos that should not leave your organisation, the question to ask of any tool is where the link and the file go.
Vidora processes everything in your browser: the segments go directly from Loom's servers to your disk, and no video passes through a Vidora server. It sends anonymous usage statistics, never URLs or titles; error reports can include the name of the site where a download failed. You can turn statistics off in Settings.
4. Pricing model
Cap.so's Loom downloader is free, with no signup and no download limit. The same page promotes Cap Pro and its bulk Loom importer with a discount code. Cap itself has a free plan for personal use, a one-time desktop license, and Cap Pro at 12 US dollars per user per month; check the vendor site for current terms.
Vidora is free right now: no daily limit, no watermark, no sign-up, no extra app. See the pricing page for the breakdown.
Both tools are free for public Loom links today, so the choice is about workflow and output, not price.
5. Real-world use cases
Three scenarios where the tools diverge in practice:
Scenario A: archiving a public Loom announcement from a vendor
Both tools work. Cap.so needs no install, so for a one-off it wins on convenience. Vidora saves the HLS recording with its audio.
Scenario B: saving your team's sprint demo Loom from the workspace
Cap.so's downloader is for public Looms only. Vidora can only try: it fetches the share page from your browser, but without your session cookies on its first attempt, so in the current build the popup usually stays empty on a gated page. What always works once the video plays for you is the DevTools method in our Loom guide: the point is that only something inside your session can do it.
Scenario C: downloading a Loom that requires a password from a client
Cap.so's downloader does not handle password-protected Looms. Vidora usually fails for the same reason as above, and DevTools is the reliable route once you have entered the password.
For scenarios B or C, neither tool is a dependable answer today: use the DevTools method, or ask the creator for the file. If you are migrating your own workspace to Cap, its paid importer is built for that. If you download public Looms, pick on convenience.
6. Who should pick each
Pick Cap.so if:
- You only download public Loom share links, occasionally.
- You do not want to install anything.
- You also need a screen recorder (Cap.so's main product) and want one brand for both.
- You are moving your own Loom library to Cap (Cap Pro includes a bulk Loom importer).
Pick Vidora if:
- You want the Loom recording with its audio, saved from the share page you are watching.
- You also need to download HLS streams from other platforms (Vimeo, Wistia, Bunny.net, course platforms).
7. Frequently asked questions
Is Cap.so a dedicated Loom downloader or a screen recorder?
Cap.so is an open-source screen recorder that presents itself as a Loom alternative, with desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux and a Chrome extension for recording. Its free Loom downloader is one of several free tools on cap.so, next to video converters. Vidora is a Chrome extension built to download videos.
Can Cap.so download password-protected or workspace Loom videos?
No. Cap says its downloader only works with publicly accessible Loom videos, and suggests asking the creator to make a private or password-protected video public. Vidora's support for these pages is not proven: in the current build its first fetch of the share page carries no session cookies, so the popup usually stays empty. The DevTools method in our Loom guide works whenever the video plays for you.
Does Cap.so send my Loom link to its servers?
Cap says its free downloader runs in your browser, resolves public Loom videos there and saves the MP4 to your device. Its paid bulk Loom importer in Cap Pro uses Cap's server-side pipeline. Vidora also downloads from your browser straight to your disk.
Does either tool add a watermark to downloaded Loom videos?
Vidora adds no watermark and does not re-encode the Loom recording. Cap's downloader page does not mention a watermark and describes the output as an MP4 file.
8. Sources and method
- Cap, Loom downloader page (public Looms only, runs in the browser, free with no signup, Cap Pro importer).
- Cap, home page (open source, platforms, plans and prices in US dollars).
- Vidora: capabilities of version 1.0.66 checked against its published code; release notes in the Vidora changelog.
All sources were read on 24 September 2026 by Romain Gouraud. Cap facts come from Cap's own pages, not from our tests. Spotted an error? Tell us through the support page and we will correct it.