[Seedling](https://sendseedling.com/) / Loom vs Google Vids

# Loom vs Google Vids and Clipchamp: do you still need Loom?

If your company pays for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you already have a screen recorder you may not know about. Google released a free Vids Screen Recorder extension for Chrome in April 2026, and Microsoft 365 includes screen and camera recording through Clipchamp, which Microsoft has merged with Stream as its video tool for work. Both are included in subscriptions you're paying for anyway, so it's fair to ask whether a separate Loom licence at $18 to $24 per person per month is still worth it.

This page compares the built-in options with Loom, based on each company's own documentation and pricing as of 17 October 2026, and explains where each one falls short.

## The short answer

For occasional recordings shared inside your own company, the recorder included with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 is good enough, and it costs nothing extra. A dedicated tool such as Loom or Seedling earns its price when you record often, send videos to people outside your company, or want to know when someone has watched.

## Google Vids Screen Recorder

According to [Google's announcement](https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2026/04/record-your-screen-directly-from-chrome-with-the-Google-Vids-Screen-Recorder-Chrome-Extension.html), the Vids Screen Recorder is a Chrome extension that starts a recording from the toolbar without opening Google Vids first. It's free for Google Workspace customers and for anyone with a personal Google account, and recordings can run for up to 30 minutes. Its Chrome Web Store listing describes screen, screen with camera, camera-only and audio-only modes, and you can share a link after previewing the recording or open it in Google Vids to edit it with the rest of Google's video tools. Workspace administrators can install and pin the extension for everyone in their organisation.

The main limits are the 30-minute cap and the way sharing works. Videos follow Google's usual sharing permissions, so sending one to a customer or partner means changing the link so people outside your organisation can open it, and some companies' admin settings don't allow that. Google's announcement also doesn't mention notifications when someone watches.

## Microsoft Clipchamp in Microsoft 365

In Microsoft 365, Clipchamp is the video tool for work and school accounts, and [Microsoft's feature overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clipchamp/features-clipchamp) describes recording your screen and webcam from the Clipchamp homepage or video player, with drawing and text annotations while you record. Recordings are saved to OneDrive or SharePoint like any other file and play in the Clipchamp player, which includes automatic transcripts and captions, comments, chapters, view counts and viewer retention charts.

Clipchamp's strength is that it's part of Microsoft 365's security and compliance setup, which IT teams appreciate. The trade-off is the same as with Google's tool, since sharing follows your organisation's OneDrive and SharePoint rules. Sending a video to someone outside the company depends on whether your admin allows links that anyone can open, and viewers may be asked to sign in if they don't.

## Loom

Loom does more than either built-in recorder for video messages specifically. Its free Starter plan includes transcripts, captions, comments and viewer insights but limits you to 25 videos of 5 minutes each, while Business at $18 per person per month removes the limits and adds 4K, password protection and custom branding, and Business + AI at $24 adds automatic summaries, chapters and filler-word removal. Loom also has apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and share links that anyone can open without signing in, unless you choose to restrict them.

The question is whether those extras are worth paying for on top of the Workspace or Microsoft 365 licences you already have. Our [Loom pricing](https://sendseedling.com/loom-pricing) page shows what that adds up to for a team over a year.

## How they compare

| | Google Vids Screen Recorder | Clipchamp in Microsoft 365 | Loom Business | Seedling |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Extra cost | None with a Google account | Included with Microsoft 365 work accounts | $18 per person per month | $8 a month or $79 a year |
| Recording length | Up to 30 minutes | Not stated by Microsoft | No limit | No limit |
| Camera with screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, in a movable bubble |
| Link ready when you stop | Yes, after preview | After upload to Microsoft 365 | Yes | Yes |
| Sharing outside your company | Depends on Google sharing settings | Depends on your admin's sharing policy | Open links by default | Open links by default |
| Email when someone watches | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Yes | Yes |
| Transcripts and captions | Through Google Vids | Yes | Yes | Not yet |
| Comments | Through Google Vids | Yes | Yes | No |
| Where videos live | Your Google account | OneDrive or SharePoint | Loom | Seedling |

## Where Seedling fits

Seedling sits between the free built-in recorders and Loom. Like Loom, it gives you a link that anyone can watch without signing in, opens that link the moment you stop recording, and emails you the first time each new person watches. You record a tab, a window, your whole screen or just your camera from the Chrome extension, and you can cut out mistakes afterwards. It costs $8 a month or $79 a year, which is less than half of Loom Business.

## Try Seedling free for 14 days

Sign up with your work email and record your first video in a couple of minutes. You won't need a credit card.

- Free for 14 days
- No credit card needed
- Viewers don't need an account

## How to decide

The free recorders work for quick internal clips, and Seedling is the better pick once a video has to reach someone outside your company.

| If you… | Choose | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Send videos to customers or partners | Seedling | Links open for anyone, with no sign-in and no sharing settings to change |
| Want to know when someone has watched | Seedling | You get an email the first time each new person watches |
| Record longer walkthroughs and demos | Seedling | No length limit, where the Vids recorder stops at 30 minutes |
| Want Loom's ease without Loom's price | Seedling | $8 a month, against $18 for Loom Business |
| Record now and then for colleagues and use Google Workspace | Google Vids Screen Recorder | Free with your Google account |
| Need videos covered by Microsoft 365 compliance policies | Clipchamp | Stored in OneDrive and SharePoint |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google Vids a replacement for Loom?

For quick recordings shared inside your organisation, often yes. Google's free Vids Screen Recorder extension records up to 30 minutes with your camera and gives you a share link. Seedling is the better pick for sending videos outside your company, since links open for anyone and you get an email when someone watches, for $8 a month.

### Is the Google Vids Screen Recorder free?

Yes. Google says the extension is available at no additional cost to Google Workspace customers and to people with personal Google accounts.

### Does Microsoft 365 have a Loom alternative?

Microsoft 365 work accounts include Clipchamp, which can record your screen and webcam and saves videos to OneDrive or SharePoint with transcripts, captions, comments and viewing statistics.

### Can people outside my company watch Google Vids or Clipchamp recordings?

Yes, if your organisation's sharing settings allow links that anyone can open. Many companies restrict external sharing, in which case outside viewers need to be invited or sign in. Loom and Seedling links can be opened by anyone with the link by default.

Last updated 17 October 2026

Loom is a trademark of Atlassian, and the other product names on this page are trademarks of their owners. Seedling is an independent product and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them. Prices and features are taken from each company's own website on the date shown and may have changed since.