Recording features used to mean redirecting users to external tools, breaking their workflow and killing engagement. Now you can build Loom-style recording directly into your app with recording SDKs that handle all the complex infrastructure for you. This guide walks you through the best in-app recording SDKS in 2025.

TLDR:

• Recording SDKs let developers integrate Loom-style video, audio, and screen recording directly into web applications without building infrastructure from scratch

• Velt offers the most complete solution with 25+ premium features, AI transcription, and enterprise-grade security in just 10 lines of code

• Key features to focus on include multiple recording modes, AI-powered transcription, and smooth authentication integration

• Implementation complexity varies greatly between providers, with Velt offering the simplest integration while maintaining advanced functionality, and the ability to customize the experience to match your product

What is an In-App Video Recording SDK

A recording SDK lets developers integrate video, audio, and screen recording features directly into web apps without building the infrastructure from scratch. The Screen Capture API introduces additions to the existing Media Capture and Streams API to let the user select a screen or portion of a screen (such as a window) to capture as a media stream.

Unlike standalone recording tools that redirect users to external platforms, in-app recording SDKs keep users engaged within your product while providing Loom-style functionality.

The best solutions provide additional features like AI transcription and easy sharing without requiring complex video infrastructure setup. This complete approach changes basic recording into a collaborative experience that improves productivity and user engagement.

Recording SDKs are important for keeping users engaged in your application rather than forcing them to switch between multiple tools, maintaining workflow continuity and driving higher user retention.

Best In-App Video Recording SDKs for 2025

Velt Recording SDK (Best Overall)

Velt stands out as the most complete recording SDK, offering true Loom-style functionality integrated smoothly into any web application. You can integrate native Loom-style recording into your app with Velt SDK in a few minutes. Let users record videos, voice notes, and screen captures (complete with AI transcriptions and summaries) keeping them in-app and driving engagement.

Unlike basic recording APIs, Velt provides a complete collaboration layer with 25+ premium features including contextual comments, real-time presence, and advanced customization options. The platform supports all major frameworks (React, Vue, Svelte, Angular) and provides both UI components and headless APIs for maximum flexibility.

Velt's recording component includes AI-powered transcription, a built-in player, and enterprise-grade security with optional self-hosting options. On average it takes developers < 1hr to integrate with Velt and add collaboration features to their product. With just 10 lines of code, developers can add professional recording functionality that would typically require months of development effort.

This positions Velt as the premium choice for product teams who want complete recording features without sacrificing development velocity. Our focus on maintaining user engagement within your application while providing enterprise-level features makes this feature ideal for SaaS products, design tools, and collaborative platforms.

Loom SDK

Loom's own SDK provides basic integration features for embedding their recording experience within third-party applications. A unique benefit of the recordSDK is that it does not require users to sign up in order to record. Every API key managed via the Loom developer portal is associated with its own collection of Guest recordings.

However, the SDK's primary limitation is its dependency on Loom's external infrastructure. By relying on Loom's platform and interface for core functionality, it can disrupt the user flow and pull engagement away from your application.

Usage is based on a user’s individual Loom plan, rather than on what your product offers. This means guests and Starter Loom users are restricted to a recording duration of five minutes, and the SDK lacks advanced features like extensible commenting, custom branding, or enterprise security controls that many product teams require. While Loom SDK offers brand recognition and familiarity, its limitations make it less suitable for applications requiring smooth integration or extended recording features.

ScreenPal SDK

ScreenPal offers a cloud-based recording SDK focused on screen capture and basic video editing functionality. The ScreenPal SDK lets you add screen recording and video editing into your app, including deep linking to support your specific workflows.

The platform provides straightforward integration for applications needing basic recording features at budget-friendly pricing. However, ScreenPal's SDK lacks advanced collaboration features like real-time commenting, presence indicators, or AI-powered transcription that modern applications require.

The solution is primarily designed for simple recording workflows rather than full collaboration experiences. Also, the platform has a limited scope of customization options and doesn't offer the all of the enterprise-grade security features that growth-stage SaaS companies typically need.

ScreenPal SDK works best for applications with basic recording requirements but falls short for products needing sophisticated collaboration features or maintaining high user engagement within the application.

Custom WebRTC Implementation

Some development teams consider building custom recording solutions using native browser APIs like the Screen Capture API and MediaRecorder. The getDisplayMedia() method allows the user to select a screen to capture as a media stream. This stream can then be recorded locally or shared with others over the network.

While this approach offers maximum control and customization, it requires major development resources and ongoing maintenance. Building custom recording infrastructure involves complex challenges including cross-browser compatibility, video encoding optimization, real-time synchronization, and scalable storage solutions.

Building collaborative experiences requires major ongoing product, design & engineering effort. It requires a specific kind of backend infra and a specific kind of frontend architecture. Historically, only giant companies like Google or Figma could afford these. For most developers this is not their core focus.

The custom approach typically also takes 6-12 months of development time and requires dedicated engineering resources for maintenance, making it impractical for most product teams focused on their core business objectives.

VideoSDK Recording Features

VideoSDK provides complete video conferencing APIs with basic recording features designed primarily for live communication scenarios. Use the smooth integration of VideoSDK, one of the leading video API providers, where simplicity harmonizes with speed to let you concentrate on crafting new features that improve user engagement.

While strong for video calling applications, VideoSDK's recording features are tailored for conference scenarios rather than asynchronous content creation. The platform excels in real-time video communication but lacks the AI and collaboration features that modern product teams need for effective asynchronous workflows.

VideoSDK's pricing model is based on participant minutes rather than recording features, which can become expensive for applications focused on content creation rather than live communication. VideoSDK works well for applications primarily focused on live video communication but isn't optimized for the Loom-style recording experiences that drive user engagement in collaborative platforms.

Key Features to Look for in Recording SDKs

Modern recording SDKs should provide full functionality beyond basic screen capture to drive meaningful user engagement and collaboration. Key features include multiple recording modes (screen-only, camera-only, screen+camera), AI-powered transcription for accessibility, and real-time commenting.

Enterprise-grade security features like data residency controls, SOC 2 compliance, and self-hosting options are important for industries with compliance requirements. Velt ships all of the above with React-ready components, a complete API, and optional self-hosting for data compliance requirements.

This complete feature set makes sure applications can provide professional-grade recording experiences while maintaining security and compliance requirements. Velt's customization options allow teams to tailor the experience to their specific brand and product needs.

Integration Complexity and Developer Experience

The best recording SDKs focus on developer experience by offering simple integration processes that don't require extensive backend infrastructure or complex setup procedures. We abstract out all these layers and provide beautiful, prebuilt, fully functional features as components that developers can just add to their products and customize the UI and behavior to fit their brand and users' needs.

Integration complexity varies greatly between providers, with some requiring extensive backend setup while others offer plug-and-play solutions. Implementation is easy and fast! You'll just need to add a few lines of code to your platform to get the record button set up. Set up should take a day and all the steps to get started can be found on our Developer documentation.

However, simpler integration often comes with limitations in customization and scalability, requiring careful evaluation of long-term product needs. Velt excels in this area by providing both simplicity and complete functionality, offering React components that integrate in minutes while maintaining enterprise-grade features and extensive customization options.

FAQ

How long does it take to integrate a recording SDK?

Integration time varies a lot between providers. Basic SDKs might take several days to weeks for full implementation, while complete solutions like Velt can be integrated in under an hour with just 10 lines of code. The key is choosing an SDK that provides both UI components and backend infrastructure rather than requiring custom development.

What's the difference between screen recording and video recording SDKs?

Screen recording SDKs capture what's displayed on a user's screen, while video recording SDKs typically focus on camera input. The best solutions like Velt offer both features plus combination modes (screen + camera) for complete recording experiences. This flexibility allows users to choose the most appropriate recording method for their specific use case.

Do recording SDKs work across all browsers?

Browser compatibility varies between providers and depends on underlying web APIs like the Screen Capture API and MediaRecorder. Modern recording SDKs should support all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) with graceful fallbacks for older versions. Always test compatibility across your target browser matrix before shipping.

How much storage do recording SDKs typically include?

Storage allowances vary dramatically between providers. Basic plans might include only a few GB, while enterprise solutions like Velt provide 2,000GB in their base plan compared to competitors offering just 8GB. Consider your expected recording volume and user base when checking storage requirements.

Can recording SDKs be customized to match my application's design?

Customization options range from basic theming to complete UI control. Premium solutions like Velt offer extensive customization options including template variables, custom data, conditional display, and custom behavior beyond simple themes. This makes the recording experience feel native to your application rather than like an embedded third-party tool.

Conclusion

Recording SDKs have made it surprisingly easy to add professional video recording features without the usual development headaches. Instead of spending months building infrastructure or forcing users to leave your app, you can integrate something like Velt and get Loom-style recording with AI transcriptions, summaries, and share links in about an hour.