Bottom line: Loom’s free Starter plan is honest but tight: 25 videos per person, each screen recording capped at 5 minutes, with transcriptions in 50+ languages included free. What it does not include is the headline Loom AI suite — auto summaries, chapters, and filler-word removal are paid features. Free Loom is for quick explainers, not a video library.
Free-plan details checked October 17, 2026, against Loom’s official pricing page. This is a research-based review; we do not claim hands-on testing.
What does Loom do?
Loom records your screen and camera together so you can explain something once instead of scheduling a meeting: a bug report with the bug on screen, a design walkthrough, feedback on a document, a quick how-to for a teammate. You share a link, viewers watch without an account, and they can reply with comments and emoji reactions at specific timestamps. It is async video for work, and its whole value is speed — record, share, done.
What is actually free on Loom?
The Starter plan costs $0. Per Loom’s pricing page, free includes:
- 25 videos per person, in workspaces of up to 50 members.
- 5 minutes per screen recording (meeting recordings are listed as unlimited length).
- Transcriptions in 50+ languages and closed captions included on free videos.
- Screen and camera-bubble recording at up to 720p, with virtual backgrounds and background noise suppression.
- Comments, emoji reactions, and viewer insights, plus unlimited screenshots.
Read the 5-minute cap honestly: it is plenty for a focused bug report or a single-question answer, and too short for a training walkthrough or a full demo. Most people who hit Loom’s wall hit that cap first, before the 25-video count.
What is paid-only on Loom?
Two jumps matter. Business ($18 per user/month) removes the caps: unlimited videos and recording time, up to 4K, downloads, and basic editing. Business + AI ($24 per user/month) adds the Loom AI suite: auto titles, auto summaries, auto chapters, auto tasks, filler-word removal, silence removal, edit-by-transcript, and auto meeting notes and recap emails. If the AI polish is why you are looking at Loom, budget for that tier — none of it is in the free plan.
Pros and cons of Loom’s free plan
Pros
- Transcripts and captions in 50+ languages are included free, not paywalled
- Record-and-share is genuinely faster than a meeting for one-way updates
- Viewers need no account, and timestamped comments keep feedback specific
- Up to 50 workspace members on the free plan suits a small team trial
Cons
- 5-minute recording cap rules out trainings and long demos
- 25 videos per person fills up within weeks for regular users
- The Loom AI suite (summaries, chapters, filler removal) is paid-only
- 720p ceiling on free, with downloads reserved for paid plans
Who is Loom best for?
Remote workers, support reps, and managers who send short, frequent video messages: quick answers, bug reproductions, design feedback, weekly updates under five minutes. If your recordings are long, or you want AI summaries of everything you record, the free plan is a trial in disguise and the paid tiers are the real product.
Frequently asked questions
Is Loom free in 2026?
Yes. The Starter plan is $0 with 25 videos per person, 5-minute screen recordings, and transcriptions in 50+ languages.
Does free Loom include AI summaries?
No. Auto summaries, chapters, titles, and filler-word removal are part of the paid Business + AI plan. Free videos do include transcriptions and closed captions.
How long can a free Loom video be?
Screen recordings cap at 5 minutes on the free plan. Loom lists meeting recording length as unlimited.
Can people watch my Loom without an account?
Yes. Viewers open your link and watch; they do not need to pay or sign up.
Verdict: Free Loom does one job well — short, captioned explainers you can send instead of a meeting. Respect the 5-minute format and it is genuinely useful; fight it, and you will be upgrading within the month.