Best Rewind AI Alternative in 2026 (Open Source)
Best Rewind AI Alternative in 2026
Rewind was magic when it launched in 2022. Record your screen 24/7. Search everything you've seen. "What was that website?" — found. "What did the error say?" — found. It felt like the future.
Then they rebranded to Limitless, launched a $99 pendant, and the original product — a local screen recorder with AI search — took a back seat.
If you're one of the people who loved original Rewind and want that experience back, here's the landscape in 2026.
What Happened to Rewind
Short version: they saw bigger money in hardware.
Rewind (the Mac app) recorded your screen, ran OCR, and let you search everything. It was a Mac-only productivity tool with a subscription.
Limitless (the rebrand) sells a wearable pendant that records in-person conversations, plus a cloud-connected Mac app. The pendant is the product now. The screen recording aspect is secondary. The pricing went up ($20/month + hardware), and everything runs through their cloud.
A lot of original users felt this was a bait-and-switch. They signed up for local screen recording with AI search and got a pendant company.
The Alternatives, Ranked
1. Screenpipe — The Open Source Rewind
Full disclosure: this is us. But the comparison speaks for itself.
| Screenpipe | Rewind / Limitless | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | MIT open source | Closed |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, Linux | Mac only |
| Data | 100% local | Cloud-connected |
| Screen capture | Continuous, all monitors | Limited |
| Audio | System + mic | Pendant or app |
| API | Full REST API | None |
| Price | $400 lifetime | $20/mo + pendant |
| Offline | Fully offline | Needs internet |
What made original Rewind great:
- ✅ Always-on screen capture → Screenpipe does this
- ✅ OCR text extraction → Screenpipe does this
- ✅ AI-powered search → Screenpipe does this
- ✅ Fast local search → Screenpipe does this
What Screenpipe adds:
- Open source (MIT license, 16k+ GitHub stars)
- Audio capture + transcription
- Windows and Linux support
- Developer API
- Works completely offline
More details on the open source Rewind alternative page and the Rewind comparison.
2. Limitless (The Rewind Rebrand)
Limitless is still an option if you want to stay in the ecosystem.
Worth it if: you want the pendant for in-person meeting capture. It's genuinely useful hardware for conferences, coffee meetings, and office conversations.
Not worth it if: you want what Rewind originally was. The Mac app is cloud-dependent, closed source, $20/month, and screen recording isn't the focus anymore.
3. Microsoft Recall
Built into Windows 11 on Copilot+ PCs. Takes screen snapshots, runs OCR, lets you search.
Worth it if: you're already on compatible hardware and just want basic visual search. It's free and requires zero setup.
Not worth it if: you need audio, want an API, use Mac or Linux, or don't have a Copilot+ PC.
4. ScreenMemory
A smaller open source project inspired by Rewind. Captures screenshots and runs OCR.
Lighter than Screenpipe but also more limited — no audio, less mature, smaller community, no built-in AI integration.
5. Littlebird
Mac-only AI assistant that watches your active window. Polished but limited — only captures the foreground app (misses multi-monitor workflows), closed source, cloud-connected.
What Made Rewind Work (and What to Look for in a Replacement)
Rewind nailed four things:
- Set and forget — you didn't have to remember to start recording
- Instant search — results appeared fast, not after buffering
- Comprehensive capture — everything on screen, not just specific apps
- Low overhead — didn't slow down your Mac
Any replacement needs all four. Here's how Screenpipe handles them:
Set and forget: Install once, grant permissions, it runs on startup. No daily interaction needed.
Instant search: Local database with indexed OCR text. Results in milliseconds.
Comprehensive capture: All monitors, all apps, screen + audio. Actually more comprehensive than Rewind ever was.
Low overhead: Hardware-accelerated encoding on Apple Silicon. Less than 1% CPU in our benchmarks.
Plus the things Rewind never had — open source code, cross-platform support, and a developer API that lets you build on top of your screen history.
Switching from Rewind / Limitless
If you're currently on Limitless and want to switch:
- Download Screenpipe
- Grant permissions, let it start
- Your new history builds immediately
You can't import old Rewind data (they don't export), but you start fresh with a more complete system. Most users say after a week of Screenpipe running, they don't miss Rewind at all — especially with the audio transcription that Rewind never had.
The Bottom Line
Screenpipe is the best Rewind alternative in 2026. It's the open source, cross-platform, local-first version of what Rewind should have become. $400 for a lifetime license — no recurring fees.
Limitless is fine if you want the pendant hardware and don't mind cloud + $20/month.
Microsoft Recall is a free option for Windows users with Copilot+ PCs, but it's limited.
The vision Rewind had — AI that remembers everything on your computer — was right. It just needed to be open source and local-first. That's Screenpipe →