An open-source, local-first memory layer for searchable screen and audio history
Who should use this?
Technical users wanting local activity recall and Open-source and local-model workflows.
Who should avoid it?
Unmanaged workplace surveillance, Devices containing unfilterable sensitive data
What problem does it solve?
screenpipe offers unusually controllable local capture, search, MCP, and automation, but continuous recording creates serious consent, exclusion, storage, security, and review obligations.
Would I recommend it?
screenpipe earns a shortlist for technical, privacy-conscious users willing to own configuration and auditing. It is a poor fit for unmanaged corporate deployment or anyone unwilling to map exactly what is captured, retained, searchable, and sent outward.
Advisor score
Premium review framework
screenpipe offers unusually controllable local capture, search, MCP, and automation, but continuous recording creates serious consent, exclusion, storage, security, and review obligations.
screenpipe earns a shortlist for technical, privacy-conscious users willing to own configuration and auditing. It is a poor fit for unmanaged corporate deployment or anyone unwilling to map exactly what is captured, retained, searchable, and sent outward.
Use a separate device profile for one approved week. Exclude password managers, banking, personal messages, and sensitive client apps before capture. Measure recall precision, missed context, storage growth, CPU impact, redaction misses, deletion, pause reliability, model data paths, and whether MCP or pipes expose more context than intended.
Personal Recommendation
screenpipe earns a shortlist for technical, privacy-conscious users willing to own configuration and auditing. It is a poor fit for unmanaged corporate deployment or anyone unwilling to map exactly what is captured, retained, searchable, and sent outward.
Try the recommendation
Local-first and open-source architecture
Overall Score
Editorial Review Framework
Who should use this?
Technical users wanting local activity recall, Open-source and local-model workflows, Builders using REST or MCP.
Who should avoid it?
Unmanaged workplace surveillance, Devices containing unfilterable sensitive data
What problem does it solve?
screenpipe offers unusually controllable local capture, search, MCP, and automation, but continuous recording creates serious consent, exclusion, storage, security, and review obligations.
Would I recommend it?
screenpipe earns a shortlist for technical, privacy-conscious users willing to own configuration and auditing. It is a poor fit for unmanaged corporate deployment or anyone unwilling to map exactly what is captured, retained, searchable, and sent outward.
Overall Score
8.0
Ease of Use
8.2
AI Quality
8.0
Features
8.4
Speed
8.0
Integrations
8.2
Value for Money
7.8
Customer Support
7.8
Learning Curve
7.8
Recommended Because…
Local-first and open-source architecture
Scores use a 0-10 editorial scale. The source data is maintained as 5-point review dimensions, then normalized for reader-friendly comparison.
Evaluation
Research-based
Price posture
From $400/month
Reviewed
2026-08-24
No authentic product screenshot is published for this review. DiscoverAI does not use generated interface images as product evidence.
Official comparison documentation listed a $400 lifetime desktop price when reviewed. Local or cloud model costs, transcription, storage/sync, and team or enterprise arrangements can change total cost. Verify the checkout and exact included services before purchase. Reviewed August 24, 2026.
Free plan: The project is open source, but packaged desktop access and associated services have their own commercial terms; verify the current license boundary.
The code is open source, while the packaged desktop product and optional services have commercial terms. Verify the current license and checkout before adoption.
Local capture and storage are the default, but cloud models, transcription, sync, archive, connections, or LAN access change the data path.
It can capture screen content, accessibility text, OCR, input-related events where available, and audio transcripts, subject to configured filters and permissions.
Yes. It documents MCP and API connections for compatible assistants, but those connections can expose sensitive history and should be tightly scoped.
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