Is Kap or mpv better?

Neither clearly leads. Kap starts at Free and mpv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Kap or mpv?

Kap starts at Free and mpv at Free.

Does Kap or mpv run on more platforms?

Kap runs on Mac. mpv runs on Mac, Windows, Linux.

Can I use Kap for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Kap best used for?

Kap is most often used for a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page, a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software, someone creating app store style device-framed screenshots for a listing, a user who only needs video capture and does not want to pay for a suite of annotation features they will not use. Of those, a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page and a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software are not what mpv is typically brought in for.

What can Kap do that mpv cannot?

Kap covers Multi-format export, Area, window or display capture, Plugin system, Basic trimming. mpv covers Command line control, Lua and JavaScript scripting, Plain text configuration, Cross-platform.

Utilities · head to head

Kap vs mpv

Kap

Utilities

Free open source screen recorder for macOS, focused on video and GIF capture rather than annotation

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

mpv

Entertainment

Free open source command line video player with no graphical interface, built for scripting and precision

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Kap it has no annotation tools at all, so any still-image markup work needs a separate app such as Shottr or CleanShot X.; mpv there is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.
They diverge on capability: Kap covers Multi-format export, mpv covers Command line control.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kap and mpv actually diverge.

Attributes where Kap and mpv differ
Attribute	Kap	mpv
Platforms	Mac	Mac, Windows, Linux
Category	Utilities	Entertainment

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Kap

Multi-format export
Area, window or display capture
Plugin system
Basic trimming
Menu bar operation
Open source

Only in mpv

Command line control
Lua and JavaScript scripting
Plain text configuration
Cross-platform
Minimal on-screen overlay
Embeddable engine

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Kap

A developer recording a demo GIF for a README or documentation pagenot mpv
A marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording softwarenot mpv
Someone creating App Store style device-framed screenshots for a listingnot mpv
A user who only needs video capture and does not want to pay for a suite of annotation features they will not usenot mpv

mpv

A developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical appnot Kap
A Linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shellnot Kap
Someone embedding video playback into another tool or workflow rather than using it as a standalone appnot Kap
A power user who prefers editing a text config file over navigating a settings panelnot Kap

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kap

It has no annotation tools at all, so any still-image markup work needs a separate app such as Shottr or CleanShot X.
There is no scrolling capture or OCR, features both Shottr and CleanShot X include.
Editing is limited to basic trimming, so anything beyond a simple cut needs a dedicated video editor afterward.
It is Mac only, offering nothing for screen recording needs on Windows.
As a volunteer-maintained open source project, updates and bug fixes depend on community contribution rather than a company with paid support obligations.

mpv

There is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.
It has no library browser, artwork fetching or organised media collection view, unlike IINA or Infuse.
There is no Apple TV, iOS or Android version, so it cannot be used for a living room or mobile streaming setup.
Configuration is entirely file and flag based, so getting a specific behaviour set up correctly has a real learning curve compared with a settings panel.
Because it is a general-purpose engine rather than a consumer product, there is no dedicated support channel beyond community forums and documentation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kap

Free

KapFree
- Free and open source under the MIT licence
- MP4, WebM, GIF and device frame export
- Plugin system for extended workflows

mpv

Free

mpvFree
- Free and open source under GPL or LGPL depending on build
- No account, subscription or paid tier
- Cross-platform, same engine on every OS

Which should you pick?

Choose Kap if

You need multi-format export.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac.
You also want area, window or display capture.

Kap review

Choose mpv if

You need command line control.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac, Windows, Linux.
You also want lua and javascript scripting.

mpv review

Questions people ask

Is Kap or mpv better?: Neither clearly leads. Kap starts at Free and mpv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kap or mpv?: Kap starts at Free and mpv at Free.
Does Kap or mpv run on more platforms?: Kap runs on Mac. mpv runs on Mac, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Kap for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Kap best used for?: Kap is most often used for a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page, a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software, someone creating app store style device-framed screenshots for a listing, a user who only needs video capture and does not want to pay for a suite of annotation features they will not use. Of those, a developer recording a demo gif for a readme or documentation page and a marketer capturing a quick product walkthrough clip without buying screen recording software are not what mpv is typically brought in for.
What can Kap do that mpv cannot?: Kap covers Multi-format export, Area, window or display capture, Plugin system, Basic trimming. mpv covers Command line control, Lua and JavaScript scripting, Plain text configuration, Cross-platform.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kap: Is Kap free?

Yes, entirely. It is open source under the MIT licence with no paid tier.

mpv: Is mpv free?

Yes, entirely, and it is open source with no paid tier of any kind.

Kap: Does Kap do screenshots or only video?

It is focused on video and GIF recording. For still screenshots with annotation, pair it with Shottr or CleanShot X.

mpv: Does mpv have a GUI?

Not by default. It shows the video and a minimal overlay, but there are no menus, library or settings panel; IINA is the graphical Mac interface built on the same engine.

Kap: Can Kap export directly to GIF?

Yes, GIF is one of its native export formats alongside MP4, WebM and Apple device frames.

mpv: Can mpv play from network shares or cloud storage?

It can play many stream types via command line arguments, but it has no built in browsable network or cloud library the way Infuse does.