Switching guide · updated October 2026

Leaving Loom? Here's what Orbit does and doesn't do.

Loom's Business plan is $18 per user per month. The top plan went up by a third in January 2026, and in February Atlassian retired the free “Creator Lite” seat, so everyone in a workspace is billed. If you mostly record short videos for a few people, that's a lot of money for a recorder.

What Orbit is

A free, open-source Mac app. Press ⌘⇧5 and you get a bar like the macOS screenshot bar with a Face Cam button. Your camera records in a draggable circle. When you stop, an editor opens where you can move, resize, mirror, hide, or re-record the face cam, then export an MP4.

What you gain

• Free. No subscription, no paid tier.
• Nothing leaves your Mac. No account, no upload, no viewer tracking. Good for client work, legal, healthcare, or anything under NDA.
• Fix the face cam afterwards. Loom burns the circle into the video. Orbit keeps it separate, so you can move it off the thing it covers.
• Exact output. A 16:9 area at 1080p is exactly 1920 × 1080 at a constant 60 fps.
• You can read the code. It's on GitHub under AGPL-3.0.

What you lose

• Share links. Orbit exports a file, and you share it like any file. Hosted links may come later as an optional extra.
• Viewer analytics, comments, and transcripts. None of that exists in Orbit.
• Windows and mobile. Orbit runs on macOS 15 or later only.
• Polish. It's a beta from one person. Expect rough edges and report them.

Who it suits

Developers and designers sending demos to teammates, freelancers walking clients through work, teachers recording lessons, and anyone who wants their face in the corner without paying monthly. If your team lives in Loom's share links and comment threads, Orbit isn't a replacement yet.

How to switch

1. Download your existing Loom videos from each video's menu before cancelling. Loom keeps them only while you have an account.
2. Download Orbit and follow the one-time opening steps.
3. Let Orbit take over ⌘⇧5 when it asks.

Loom pricing and plan details as reported in October 2026. Check loom.com/pricing for current numbers. Loom is a trademark of Atlassian. Orbit is not affiliated with Atlassian or Loom.