theopensourcerewind aialternative

continuously captures your computer and allows you to play it back whenever you want

screenpipe timeline demo

interactive timeline

navigate your digital past with an intuitive timeline interface similar to rewind ai

perfect recall search

find anything you have seen or heard with 100% accuracy using ui traversal technology

meeting playback

revisit conversations with transcripts and video playback of your important meetings

direct data access

query your local data directly using sql, apis, or custom scripts for unlimited flexibility

fully customizable

modify any aspect of the app with your own code - create plugins, new integrations, or custom UIs

local-first security

your data stays on your device with local inference powered by ollama, and optional cloud models

screenpipe vs rewind ai

rewind ai was acquired and rebranded to limitless, pivoting to cloud-based processing and proprietary hardware. screenpipe keeps everything local and open source.

featurescreenpiperewind / limitless
Open source
100% local processing
Screen recording + OCR
Audio transcription
AI-powered search
Developer API
Custom plugins/pipes
Windows support
Linux support
Self-hostable
One-time purchase option
Cloud sync (optional)

ai-powered insights

your personal ai memory assistant

our ai understands your digital context and can answer questions about anything you've seen or done on your computer.

  • references exact moments in your history
  • learns your preferences over time
  • find what you're looking for with natural language
  • recalls context from specific time periods
Ask natural language questions about your data

ask anything about your past

Get intelligent AI responses based on your data

get accurate, contextual answers

Privacy and data selection controls

private by design

your data is yours alone. we take privacy seriously with multiple layers of protection:

  • all data stored locally on your device, not in the cloud
  • easily pause recording for sensitive applications
  • automatic exclusion of incognito/private browsing sessions
  • one-click deletion of selected recordings

timeline ui

navigate your digital history with our intuitive timeline interface. select any time period and ask ai questions about what happened then:

  • select any timeframe with a simple drag on the timeline
  • ask natural language questions about that specific period
  • replay meetings with automatic transcripts and captions
  • instantly recall anything you've seen, said, or heard
Interactive timeline interface
Rewind UI interface

perfect recall search

find anything with unprecedented accuracy using our ui traversal technology:

  • 100% accurate text capture directly from application source
  • search by app names, tabs, or specific windows
  • lightning-fast keyword search
  • browse complete history of your searches and chats

how it works

01

install & setup

download screenpipe and follow the simple setup wizard. grant permissions and you're ready.

02

set it and forget it

runs quietly in the background, recording, compressing, transcribing, and storing your data locally.

03

access your digital memory

search, browse the timeline, or ask ai about anything you've seen, said, or heard.

perfect for

developers

recall that stackoverflow solution you found last week without having to search again

executives

remember every important detail from back-to-back meetings without taking notes

researchers

build a comprehensive recording of your work with perfect recall of sources and connections

everyone

find that one thing you know you saw somewhere but can't remember where

what people are saying

"I use it to track important details across my projects. what used to take hours of searching through old notes now takes seconds."

Alex profile picture

alex

software engineer

"Feels like a superpower. i can recall every meeting detail without disrupting my workflow by taking notes."

Taylor profile picture

taylor

product manager

frequently asked questions

what is the best alternative to rewind ai?

screenpipe is the best open source alternative to rewind ai. it continuously captures your screen and audio, stores everything locally, and lets you search with ai. unlike rewind (now limitless), screenpipe is fully open source and works on macos, windows, and linux.

what happened to rewind ai?

rewind ai was acquired and rebranded to limitless. it pivoted from a local-first mac app to a cloud-based platform with a proprietary wearable. many former rewind users switched to screenpipe because it remains local-first and open source.

how much disk space does it use?

with our advanced h.265 compression, expect around 20-30gb per month of recording. you can set custom retention policies to automatically delete older data.

how much cpu/memory does it consume?

we've optimized for minimal resource usage, typically under 20% cpu and 1gb ram when running in the background.

is my data private?

all recordings are stored locally on your device, encrypted, and never sent to the cloud without your explicit consent. you have full control over what apps are recorded.

what platforms are supported?

macos, windows, and linux. works on both intel and apple silicon macs — a major advantage over rewind ai which only supported macos.

is screenpipe free?

screenpipe is open source and free to build from source. a paid desktop app is available as a one-time purchase with lifetime updates. optional pro features are available as a subscription.

pricing

get screenpipe

pay once, use forever

01

lifetime license

desktop app, forever

one-time
  • pre-built app, 2-min setup
  • code signed, no warnings
  • automatic updates
  • ai-powered search & memory
  • scheduled ai agents (pipes)
  • priority discord support
  • pay once, use forever
  • 1 month screenpipe pro free
best value

02

lifetime + 1 year pro

the complete experience

$600

one-time

$868 — save $268

  • everything in lifetime
  • 12 months screenpipe pro included
  • cloud transcription (10x accuracy)
  • claude opus 4.6 access
  • encrypted cross-device sync & storage
  • priority discord support
  • save $268 vs buying separately

add-on

what is screenpipe pro?

  • cloud transcription — 10x better accuracy than local whisper
  • claude opus 4.6 access
  • encrypted cross-device sync & cloud storage

or buy separately

$35

/month

$39/mo without lifetime