# Screenity: A Chrome Screen Recorder That Runs Locally

> Screenity is a GPL-3.0 Chrome extension for recording tabs, windows, camera and audio with on-screen annotation. It is free, requires no sign-in, and the self-hosted build runs in local-only mode.

**alyssaxuu/screenity** — The free and privacy-friendly screen recorder with no limits 🎥

- Repository: https://github.com/alyssaxuu/screenity
- Website: https://screenity.io
- Stars: 18,737 · Forks: 1,527
- Language: JavaScript
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-09-21 · Updated: 2026-09-21 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/alyssaxuu-screenity

## What Screenity solves and who it is for

Screenity is a screen recorder that runs as a Chrome extension. The README describes it as a privacy-friendly screen recorder and annotation tool for making videos for work, education and product demos. The problem it addresses is the gap between a browser tab and a finished video: you can record a tab, a specific area, the desktop, any application or the camera, annotate while recording, and export without leaving Chrome.

The target user is someone who already works in Chrome and does not want a desktop capture application, an account, or a hosted platform. The README states there is no sign in needed and no limits on the number or length of recordings. The extension is distributed through the Chrome Web Store, and the repository also supports self-hosting from a release build. It is not aimed at professional video production, and the feature list is oriented toward demos, tutorials, presentations and team feedback rather than multi-track editing or colour grading.

## How the extension records, annotates and exports

The mechanism is a Chrome extension built with a webpack pipeline. The repository layout includes src/, utils/, webpack.config.js and a build script under utils/build.js, and the package.json defines scripts such as build, build:dev and start. The extension captures the screen through the browser's capture APIs, which is why the recording surface is limited to what Chrome can see: a tab, a region, the desktop, an application window or the camera.

Annotation happens during capture. The README lists drawing anywhere on the screen, adding text, arrows and shapes, zooming in smoothly, blurring sensitive content, and highlighting clicks and the cursor. Audio comes from the microphone or internal audio, with a push-to-talk option. After recording, the editor allows cutting, trimming, cropping, and adding or removing audio. Export formats are mp4, gif and webm, and there is an option to save to Google Drive to share a link.

The self-hosting note is the most consequential architectural detail. When the extension is built and loaded locally, it runs entirely in local-only mode: no API calls, sign-in flows or platform features are enabled, and nothing is sent anywhere. The README acknowledges that some internal code paths connect to Screenity Pro, but states those are only active in the official Chrome Store version. That means the self-hosted build is a different product surface from the store build, and features tied to the hosted platform are not available in it.

## Installing Screenity from a release build

The README gives two paths. The first is the Chrome Web Store listing, which the README links as the way to get it now. The second is self-hosting from the releases page. For self-hosting, download the latest Build.zip from the releases page, unzip it, then load it as an unpacked extension.

Open the extensions page in Chrome and enable developer mode, then load the unpacked folder:

```bash
# paste in the Chrome address bar
chrome://extensions/
```

After enabling developer mode, click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder. The README warns that the folder must be a folder and not a ZIP file, so unzip first. Once loaded, the extension should be available locally. The README notes that self-hosting is fine for personal, educational or internal use, and asks anyone building a commercial product to reach out.

For a development build, the README requires Node.js version 14 or higher. Clone the repository, install dependencies, and start the local development server:

```bash
npm install
npm start
```

The README then says to open chrome://extensions/, enable developer mode, click Load unpacked and select the build folder. To rebuild after code changes, run npm run build. The package.json confirms these script names and adds variants such as build:dev, build:prod, build:local and build:release. The postinstall step runs patch-package and a Radix patch script, so dependency installation is not a plain npm install with no side effects.

## Google Drive export needs your own OAuth client

Saving to Google Drive is not configured out of the box. The README states that to enable the Google Drive upload authorization consent screen, you must change the client_id in manifest.json with your linked extension key. You create the credential in the Google Cloud Console by selecting Create Credential, then OAuth Client ID, then Chrome App. To create a persistent extension key, the README points to the Chrome documentation on the manifest key field.

This is a real setup cost that the feature list does not convey. A user who expects Drive export to work after loading the unpacked extension will find that it requires a Google Cloud project, an OAuth client, and a manifest edit. The README does not document a fallback if you skip this step; the local-only mode note suggests that platform-linked features are inactive outside the store build. Anyone whose workflow depends on Drive links should treat this as a configuration task, not a default.

## Where Screenity is the wrong tool

The first limitation is the browser boundary. Screenity is a Chrome extension, and the README and repository metadata describe it as such. The related searches include a Firefox query, but the README does not state that a Firefox build exists. If your team standardises on Firefox or Safari, this is not a drop-in option.

The second limitation is the split between the store build and the self-hosted build. Self-hosted mode disables API calls, sign-in flows and platform features. If you need link sharing, multi-scene editing, zoom keyframes or captions, the README points to Screenity Pro, a separate paid platform, rather than to the open source build. Adopting the GPL-3.0 extension does not give you the hosted platform.

The third limitation is licensing. The README states that the licence changed to GPLv3 for the current MV3 version, Screenity version 3.0.0 and higher, and points to the licence file and the terms of service regarding intellectual property. A GPL-3.0 extension has obligations that a permissive licence does not, and the README explicitly asks commercial builders to make contact. That is a signal to read the licence before embedding the code in a product.

Finally, the README does not document rollback, version pinning or an upgrade procedure for the unpacked extension. The releases list shows frequent patch versions, including v4.6.10 on 2026-09-16, v4.6.9 on 2026-09-13 and v4.6.8 on 2026-09-05. Frequent releases mean you should decide how you will track them, because the README is silent on that.

## How Screenity differs from OBS Studio and Loom

The related searches ask about Screenity versus OBS and Screenity versus Loom, and the difference is architectural rather than a feature checklist. OBS Studio is a desktop capture and streaming application. It runs outside the browser, captures at the operating-system level, and supports scenes, sources and streaming outputs. Screenity runs inside Chrome and captures what the browser can access. If you need to record a native application, a game, or a multi-source scene, OBS is built for that and Screenity is not. If you want to record a browser tab with annotation and export a short clip without installing a desktop application, Screenity is the smaller tool.

Loom is a hosted platform. Recording is tied to an account and to cloud storage, and sharing happens through links. Screenity's README states that no sign-in is needed and that in self-hosted mode nothing is sent anywhere. The trade-off is that Screenity's open source build does not include the platform features that Loom provides by default: the README directs users to Screenity Pro for link sharing, multi-scene editing, zoom keyframes and captions. So the comparison is local control versus hosted convenience, not one tool being strictly better.

## Maintenance, upgrades and licence cost

The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-09-16, the same date as the v4.6.10 release. Releases have been frequent in the weeks before that: v4.6.9 on 2026-09-13 and v4.6.8 on 2026-09-05. That release cadence suggests active work, but it also means an unpacked self-hosted install will drift from the current release unless you re-download and reload it.

The upgrade cost is manual for self-hosted users. The README describes loading an unpacked folder from a release build; it does not describe an auto-update path for that folder. Chrome Web Store installs update through the store, which is the lower-maintenance option if you do not need to modify the source. For development builds, the package.json provides build, build:dev and build:prod scripts, and the README says to run npm run build after code changes.

The licence is GPL-3.0 for the MV3 version, Screenity 3.0.0 and higher. The README links the licence file and the terms of service and notes that the licence changed from an earlier version, so older forks may sit under different terms. The README also asks commercial builders to reach out. This is not legal advice; the practical point is that GPL-3.0 carries distribution obligations that you should verify with your own counsel before shipping a derived product.

## Conclusion

Adopt Screenity if you need a free Chrome-based recorder with annotation and no sign-in, and you are comfortable loading an unpacked extension or installing from the Chrome Web Store. Skip it if you need Firefox support, a hosted sharing platform, or a recorder that works outside the browser. Before deploying, verify the GPL-3.0 licence terms against your intended use, and check the latest release on the releases page for the current Build.zip.

## FAQ

### Is there a Google Chrome extension called Screenity?

Yes. Screenity is distributed as a Chrome extension, and the README links to its Chrome Web Store listing as the way to get it. The repository also supports loading a release build as an unpacked extension.

### Is Screenity safe to use?

The README states that only you can see your videos, that no data is collected, and that you can go offline. It also states that when self-hosted, the extension runs entirely in local-only mode with no API calls, sign-in flows or platform features, and nothing is sent anywhere.

### Is Screenity free?

The README describes Screenity as free with no limits on the number or length of recordings, and says no sign in is needed. A separate paid platform, Screenity Pro, exists for hosted features such as link sharing, multi-scene editing, zoom keyframes and captions.

### How do I use Screenity?

Install it from the Chrome Web Store, or self-host by downloading Build.zip from the releases page, enabling developer mode at chrome://extensions/, and loading the unzipped folder with Load unpacked. For a development build, the README says to run npm install and npm start, then load the build folder.

## Sources

- [alyssaxuu/screenity on GitHub](https://github.com/alyssaxuu/screenity)
- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/alyssaxuu/screenity/blob/master/LICENSE)
- [Project website](https://screenity.io)
- [README](https://github.com/alyssaxuu/screenity/blob/master/README.md)
- [Releases](https://github.com/alyssaxuu/screenity/releases)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/alyssaxuu-screenity