AutocutsLocal full-quality recording
Cap’s Studio mode and Autocuts both record at full quality to a local file you edit before anyone sees it.
Updated August 15, 2026
Autocuts vs Cap
Cap is an open-source recorder for Mac and Windows with an instant-sharing mode and a local Studio mode. Autocuts is a Mac-only recorder built around automatic zoom and a motion studio. Both can keep your footage local, but only Autocuts generates zooms from your clicks, and only Autocuts is paid for once.
Feature comparison
Cap facts below were checked against its official site and pricing page on August 15, 2026. Product features and prices can change.
| Capability | Autocuts | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic click zoom | Yes, generated from your clicks and editable | Not listed on its homepage |
| Cursor effects | Redrawn cursor with size, color, smoothing, and click ripples | Sizing, smoothing, and click effects |
| Motion blur | Not in the current build | Yes |
| Custom backgrounds | Gradients, colors, and images | Gradients, wallpapers, and colors |
| Captions | On-device transcript, captions, SRT and VTT files | Auto transcription with AI captions |
| Instant hosted links | No built-in hosted links in the current build | Yes, Instant mode uploads while you record |
| Teleprompter | Built in, paced by your voice | Not listed on its homepage |
| Open source | No | Yes, the code is public on GitHub |
| Platforms | macOS on Apple Silicon | macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows |
| Commercial pricing | $34.99 once for one person on up to two Macs | Free for personal use; $29 per year for commercial use; Cap Pro from $8.16 per user per month |
Where the products overlap
Cursor smoothing
Both smooth pointer motion and mark clicks so viewers can follow the action.
4K export
Both export up to 4K at 60 frames per second on the free-to-start tier.
Autocuts does the editing that Cap leaves to you
Autocuts generates zooms from your clicks, paces a prompter from your voice, and cleans filler words from the transcript, all inside the $34.99 license. Cap's strengths lie elsewhere: open source code, Windows support, and an Instant mode that uploads while you record. None of those make the video itself better, and commercial use still renews at $29 every year. For a polished Mac demo, Autocuts does more on day one and costs less from year two on.
Why Autocuts is the better buy
Autocuts generates zooms from your recorded clicks, offers ten camera layout presets, paces a teleprompter from your voice, and cleans filler words from an on-device transcript. Commercial use is covered by the $34.99 one-time license. There is no renewal to remember and no separate cloud tier to unlock.
The renewal math
Cap's commercial license costs $29 in year one, $87 by year three, and $145 by year five, and Cap Pro adds $8.16 per user per month on top. Autocuts costs $34.99 in year one and still $34.99 in year five. From the second year on, Autocuts is the cheaper tool, and the gap grows every renewal.
Is Cap really free?
For personal use, yes, including its Studio editor and 4K export. Commercial use requires the $29-per-year desktop license, and cloud features beyond short links require Cap Pro. Autocuts lets anyone record and keep a video free; processing and export unlock with the one-time license, which covers commercial work for less than two years of Cap's renewal.
About these facts
Cap facts were checked against its official site and pricing page on August 15, 2026, and can change. Autocuts facts are based on the current desktop build and this site's product documentation.
One payment covers your commercial work.
Download Autocuts, record free, and unlock lifetime export for $34.99. No yearly renewal.
Download for Mac