Microsoft Recall vs Screenpipe — Honest Comparison
Microsoft Recall vs Screenpipe
Both do the same thing at a high level: capture what's on your screen, extract text, let you search it later. But the approaches are fundamentally different.
Here's what matters.
The Comparison
| Screenpipe | Microsoft Recall | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, Linux | Windows 11 (Copilot+ PCs) |
| Source | MIT open source | Closed |
| Screen | Continuous, all monitors | Periodic snapshots |
| Audio | System + mic, transcribed | ❌ None |
| OCR | Every frame | On snapshots |
| AI search | Any model (local or cloud) | Built-in, local |
| API | Full REST API | None |
| Offline | Fully offline | Yes |
| Hardware | Any computer | NPU required |
| Price | $400 lifetime | Free (with Windows 11) |
Where Recall Wins
Zero setup. If you have a Copilot+ PC, enable it in Settings and you're done. No app to install.
Deep OS integration. Recall is part of Windows. It has system-level access to app context, document metadata, and window management that third-party apps don't get.
Free. No subscription, included with the OS on compatible hardware.
Local. After the disastrous initial launch (unencrypted screenshots, no biometric protection), Microsoft fixed it. Current Recall encrypts snapshots, requires Windows Hello to access, and processes everything on-device using the NPU.
Where Recall Falls Short
No Audio
This is the big one. Recall only sees — it doesn't hear.
Your screen tells part of the story. But when someone on a Zoom call says "let's push the deadline to March 15th" while sharing a project plan, Recall captures the project plan but not the words. You get the visual but lose the verbal context.
Screenpipe captures both. Screen + audio, together. You search either one, or both.
Hardware Locked
Recall needs a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) — that means Qualcomm Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra, or AMD Ryzen AI processors. If your laptop is more than a year old, or if it's a Mac, or if you run Linux — no Recall.
Screenpipe runs on anything. A 2020 MacBook Air, a Linux workstation, a Windows desktop with a 5-year-old CPU. No special hardware.
No API
You can't build on top of Recall. Can't export data. Can't integrate with other tools. Can't create custom workflows. What you see is what you get.
Screenpipe has a full REST API. Search by keyword, filter by app, query by time range, or ask AI questions about your day. Developers can build anything on top of it — Obsidian integrations, daily summaries, time tracking, custom dashboards.
Closed Source
Recall is closed source. After the launch where they shipped unencrypted screenshots accessible to any local app, "trust us" rings hollow. They fixed it, but the fact that no one at Microsoft caught this before announce is... not reassuring for a tool that sees everything on your screen.
Screenpipe is MIT-licensed. Every line of code is on GitHub. Thousands of developers have reviewed it.
Snapshots vs Continuous
Recall takes screenshots every few seconds. Screenpipe captures continuously. In practice, this means Recall misses content that appears briefly — a notification popup, a quick error message, a chat message you glanced at.
The Trust Question
Both tools record your screen. Both are local-first. The difference is verifiability.
With Recall, you trust Microsoft's documentation about how data is stored, encrypted, and accessed. You can't check.
With Screenpipe, you check. The code is MIT-licensed. There's no network component unless you explicitly enable cloud AI. If you're security-conscious enough to care about this distinction, it matters.
For a deeper dive, see our Microsoft Recall comparison page and the AI recall tools overview.
Using Both
On a Copilot+ Windows machine, you can run both simultaneously. Some users do:
- Recall for quick, OS-integrated visual lookups
- Screenpipe for comprehensive search across screen + audio, the API, and cross-platform consistency
They don't conflict with each other. One doesn't make the other redundant, because they have different strengths.
Who Should Use What
Use Recall if:
- You're on a Copilot+ PC and want zero-setup screen search
- You don't need audio transcription
- You don't need an API
- You're fine with closed-source
Use Screenpipe if:
- You need screen + audio
- You're on Mac, Linux, or older Windows hardware
- You want open source and auditable privacy
- You need an API for integrations
- You want to choose your AI model
- You have compliance requirements
Use both if: you're on a Copilot+ PC and want Recall's native integration alongside Screenpipe's API and audio capabilities.
Both Recall and Screenpipe are pushing screen memory forward. The best tool depends on your platform, your privacy requirements, and whether you want to build on top of your data.
Try Screenpipe → — open source, all platforms, $400 lifetime.