Roam vs Loom

1. Loom raised prices dramatically in February 2026.

Atlassian eliminated the Creator Lite (free viewer) seat, requiring all workspace members to be billed as full paid users. For a 100-person team where only 10 people record videos: previously ~$2,160/year for 10 seats; now ~$21,600/year for all 100. Annual plans moved to fixed user tiers — 55 users pays for the 100-seat tier. AI features (summaries, chapters, filler word removal, transcript editing) require the Business + AI plan at $20–$24/user/month, on top of the base $15/user/month Business plan.

Roam is $19.50/seat/month, monthly billing, all nine products included.

2. Reliability issues have increased.

Since the Atlassian migration, users across G2, Trustpilot, and Reddit have reported lag, audio sync problems, failed uploads, and login issues.

3. Commenting now requires an Atlassian account.

Viewing or leaving comments on a Loom video requires the viewer to be logged into an Atlassian account. Viewers without one can’t see or interact with comments.

4. Viewer analytics are limited to logged-in users.

View counts are available on all plans, but named viewer identity, percentage watched, and replay data are only visible if the viewer has a Loom account and is signed in. External stakeholders appear as anonymous.

Roam identifies every viewer by name — everyone in a Roam workspace is already logged in.

5. Loom requires a browser extension or desktop app.

Roam Magicast is built into the Roam app — no separate install. Loom requires a browser extension or desktop app download.

6. Loom is one product. Roam is nine.

Loom is a screen recorder. Roam includes Magicast (screen recorder) plus Virtual Office Map, Drop-In Meetings, Theater (up to 3,000), Lobby (meeting scheduler), AInbox (AI-native chat), Magic Minutes (AI note-taker, no bot), On-It (AI assistant), and On-Air (virtual events). All at $19.50/seat/month.

Why did Loom’s pricing increase?

Atlassian eliminated the free viewer (Creator Lite) seat in February 2026, billing all workspace members at the full paid rate. Annual plans moved to fixed user tiers, so smaller teams pay for the next tier up.

Do Loom’s original founders still work there?

No. Joe Thomas, Vinay Hiremath, and Shahed Khan all left after the acquisition. Hiremath publicly posted his own Loom bill calling it unjustifiable.

Can external viewers comment on Loom videos?

No. Comments require an Atlassian account and active login. Viewers without accounts cannot see or leave comments.

Does Roam Magicast replace Loom?

For most team use cases, yes. Magicast covers screen recording, webcam, background blur, transcripts, and shareable links, with viewer analytics Loom doesn’t match. Advanced AI video editing and transcript-based editing are on Roam’s roadmap.

Is Roam cheaper than Loom?

$19.50/seat/month for all nine Roam products vs. $15–$20/user/month for Loom’s screen recorder alone — before accounting for Zoom, Calendly, and Slack on top.