Loom is built for async updates between colleagues. Screencastify is built for classrooms on Google. They cap free recordings differently, price differently, and win with different people. Here is the split, plus what to use when neither free plan is enough.
A desktop app and Chrome extension built for work updates. Viewer analytics, emoji reactions, threaded comments and deep Slack, Notion and Jira embeds. The free plan caps videos at 5 minutes and 25 videos per person.
A Chrome extension tied to a Google account, built around Google Classroom and Drive. Strong district admin controls. The free plan caps recording length and how many videos you keep, and editing is mostly a paid feature.
If you are sending work updates to colleagues, Loom. If you are a teacher or a school running on Google Classroom, Screencastify. They are not really competing for the same person, which is why "which is better" has no single answer.
Both cap free recording length, both put real editing behind a paid plan, and both want something installed. That is the specific complaint that sends people looking for a third option.
The two products compared directly, on their published plans. Neither column is REQO: this is the comparison the question is actually asking for.
| Feature | Loom | Screencastify |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Async updates between colleagues | Teachers, students and school districts |
| Runs as | Desktop app + Chrome extension | Chrome extension, Google account required |
| Free recording cap | 5 minutes per video | Around 30 minutes per video |
| Free video count | 25 videos per person | Limited library |
| Editing on free | Trim only | Basic trim, most editing is paid |
| Captions | Paid plans | Paid plans |
| Where video lives | Loom cloud, shareable link | Google Drive |
| Viewer analytics | Yes, a core feature | Limited |
| Integrations | Slack, Notion, Jira, Gmail | Google Classroom, Drive |
| Admin controls | Team workspaces | District-level deployment |
| Paid from | $15/user/mo (Business) | From $7/user/mo (annual) |
Pick Loom if you are sending video updates to colleagues and you want viewer analytics, comments and Slack or Notion embeds; the 5-minute free cap is the constraint to plan around. Pick Screencastify if you teach, your school runs on Google Classroom, and district admin controls and Drive storage matter more than the editor. If the free caps are the whole reason you are comparing them, neither free plan solves that, and a browser-based recorder without caps is the third option.
| Feature | Loom | Screencastify | REQO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free recording length | 5 min per video | ~30 min per video | Unlimited |
| Free video count | 25 per person | Limited | Unlimited |
| Install required | App or extension | Chrome extension | None, runs in a tab |
| Editor on free plan | Trim only | Basic trim | Full timeline + transcript editing |
| Auto captions on free | No | No | Yes, 90+ languages |
| Max export quality (free) | 720p | Standard | 4K |
| Viewer analytics | Yes | Limited | View counts and comments |
| Watermark on free | None | Screencastify branding | Small REQO badge |
| Paid from | $15/user/mo | $7/user/mo (annual) | $19/mo, unlimited seats |
Short version: Loom for work, Screencastify for school, and REQO if the free recording caps are what sent you looking in the first place. REQO records unlimited length free in a browser tab, with a full editor, transcript editing and auto subtitles included; free exports carry a small badge, removed on Pro at $19/mo for unlimited seats. Loom and Screencastify figures above are their published plans as of August 2026 and are worth re-checking before you buy.
Unlimited free recording, a full editor and auto subtitles, in a browser tab with nothing to install.