capptivo
Give your demos the spotlight they deserve ( Mac/Windows/Linux ).
What is it?
What it is
Capptivo is a free, open-source screen recording and editing tool with features like follow-cursor zoom, on-device captions, annotations, and cross-platform support for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Why it exists
Created as a personal tool to replace paid video editing software, it was open-sourced under the MIT license to allow customization and community contributions.
Who should use it
Content creatorsSoftware demonstratorsEducatorsTechnical writersProduct managersOpen-source enthusiasts
Who should avoid it
Users requiring cloud-based collaborationUsers needing advanced professional video editing suitesUsers on unsupported operating systems
How it works
A quick walkthrough in plain English
How capptivo works
Step 1 of 3
You interact with it
Open capptivo, send a request, or connect it to your stack.
Features
Advantages
- Free and open-source under MIT license
- No cloud dependency (on-device captions)
- Hardware-accelerated encoding for performance
- Cross-platform support (macOS, Windows, Linux)
- Local-first design with no account required
- Customizable presets for workflows
- Hardware-level cursor tracking
- Comprehensive annotation tools
- Automated zoom suggestions
- Multi-language UI and features
- Lightweight local storage
- No subscription costs
- Active development with community contributions
Disadvantages
- macOS builds require manual signing
- Linux requires modern distros with PipeWire
- Cursor tracking limited on X11/Wayland
- No area selection on Linux
- Requires Rust, Node.js, and pnpm for development
- FFmpeg sidecars may conflict with system FFmpeg
- Limited Linux cursor metadata support
- No built-in area selection tool
- Some features may require manual configuration
Installation
native
pnpm install pnpm tauri dev
FAQ
What platforms does Capptivo support?
Capptivo is available on macOS (13.0+), Windows (10 build 1903+), and Linux (modern distributions with PipeWire 1.0+).
Is my data private when using the captioning feature?
Yes, Capptivo uses on-device speech-to-text via whisper.cpp, meaning no cloud services are required for caption generation.
How do I start a recording using hotkeys?
You can open the recorder using the global hotkey ⌥⇧R on macOS, or Alt+Shift+R on Windows and Linux.
Does Capptivo require a subscription or account?
No, Capptivo is a free, open-source tool under the MIT license. It is local-first and does not require an account to record or edit.
What video formats can I export my demos in?
You can export your projects in MP4, WebM, or GIF formats with various resolution and frame rate presets.
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