Excalicast vs Loom: a whiteboard recorder alternative
Excalicast is a browser-based whiteboard recorder and a Loom alternative for whiteboard explainers: instead of capturing screen pixels, it records the Excalidraw operation stream plus microphone audio, so recordings are never affected by window occlusion or minimization and the same take exports to multiple aspect ratios.
Feature comparison
| Excalicast | Loom | |
|---|---|---|
| Capture method | Whiteboard operation stream | Screen pixels |
| Window occlusion / minimize | Unaffected — always crisp | Records the occluding window |
| Aspect ratios from one take | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 — no re-record | Fixed; re-record needed |
| Where recordings are stored | Local browser (IndexedDB) | Uploaded to cloud |
| Sign-up to start | Not required | Required |
| Auto subtitles | Alibaba Qwen ASR (Pro) | Included on paid plans |
Which to choose
Choose Loom for general screen recording across any app. Choose Excalicast when your content is a whiteboard or diagram explainer: you get occlusion-proof capture, multi-ratio export from a single take, local-first privacy, and a free watermarked tier with no sign-up.
FAQ
Is Excalicast a free Loom alternative?
Recording and watermarked MP4 export are free with no account. Watermark-free export is a one-time payment per recording, and Pro/Max add subtitles, cloud backup, AI handouts, and share links.
Can I export a vertical 9:16 video for TikTok from a whiteboard recording?
Yes. A single Excalicast recording exports to 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, and 4:5 without re-recording, so you can ship one take to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.