Source availability
- Screenpipe
- Source available; personal use is free and commercial use requires a license
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Not available
VS
Product comparison · reviewed August 1, 2026
Screenpipe vs Limitless (Rewind): which is right for your workflow?
Local screen + mic on the hardware you own vs Pendant + cloud. A side-by-side look at scope, data control, platform support, and extensibility—without pretending one product is best for everyone.
Same criteria
Both products are evaluated against the same feature and deployment questions.
Trade-offs included
Limitless (Rewind)'s strengths are shown alongside Screenpipe's.
No winner score
The right choice depends on the job, risk model, and operating environment.
The practical differences
Where the products differ
Start with the criteria that can actually change your decision. Marketing category labels are less useful than concrete operating constraints.
Platform Support
- Screenpipe
- Mac, Windows, Linux
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Mac, Windows, iOS
Hardware Required
- Screenpipe
- None — uses your laptop mic
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Pendant wearable ($99)
Data Storage
- Screenpipe
- Local by default
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Cloud
Screen Capture
Rewind's original local screen-capture product is not the current Limitless offering. Limitless centres on audio captured via the Pendant and meeting capture on laptop.
- Screenpipe
- 24/7 across every monitor, searchable
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Meeting-focused
Audio Capture
- Screenpipe
- Laptop mic + any USB/bluetooth mic
- Limitless (Rewind)
- Pendant primary
Side by side
Screenpipe vs Limitless (Rewind)
Capabilities can change. Treat this as an evaluation starting point and verify purchase-critical requirements with each vendor.
| Criterion | Screenpipe | Limitless (Rewind) |
|---|---|---|
| Source availability | Source available; personal use is free and commercial use requires a license | Not available |
| Platform Support | Mac, Windows, Linux | Mac, Windows, iOS |
| Hardware Required | None — uses your laptop mic | Pendant wearable ($99) |
| Data Storage | Local by default | Cloud |
| Screen CaptureRewind's original local screen-capture product is not the current Limitless offering. Limitless centres on audio captured via the Pendant and meeting capture on laptop. | 24/7 across every monitor, searchable | Meeting-focused |
| Audio Capture | Laptop mic + any USB/bluetooth mic | Pendant primary |
| Pricing | Paid plans from $25/month | $99 Pendant + subscription |
| Developer API | REST + MCP server for agents | Not available |
| Automation / Scheduled tasks | Scheduled tasks on events (meeting-ended, PR-merged, daily) | Not available |
| Local AI Support | Ollama + Apple Intelligence + Windows AI | Cloud AI only |
Decision guide
Choose based on the job
Choose Limitless (Rewind) if
- Pendant captures in-person audio that laptops can't
- Polished, well-funded product with active development
- Good meeting transcription and calendar integration
- Mac, Windows, and iOS apps
Choose Screenpipe if
- You need continuous screen and audio context, not only meeting notes or active-window context.
- You want local-only capture and search as a supported operating mode.
- Your team uses a mix of macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- You need an auditable, source-available capture engine and an API for agents or internal workflows.
Context
Key trade-offs in detail
No Pendant needed
Limitless's Pendant is a clever answer to 'capture audio that isn't in front of a laptop'. It's also a $99 piece of hardware you have to remember to wear, charge, and keep near you. Screenpipe uses any microphone you already own — laptop mic, AirPods, USB mic — and captures the screen + audio of the computer you're already working on. No extra device.
Local by default
Limitless processes your audio in the cloud — that's how the Pendant works at all. Screenpipe records, transcribes, and indexes everything on-device using local models by default. Cloud AI is an explicit opt-in for heavier reasoning if you want it; nothing leaves unless you turn it on.
Open-source keeps you in control
Rewind's pivot to Limitless is a concrete reminder of what closed-source products can do: the original local Mac app was discontinued. Because Screenpipe is MIT-licensed on GitHub, even if our priorities change the project can keep going. You own the install, the data, and the code path.
Build on your own memory
Limitless is a finished product: what you see is what you get. Screenpipe has a REST API and an MCP server for agents — scheduled tasks run on events (meeting ended, PR merged, 6pm) and write to Linear, GitHub, HubSpot, Notion, wherever. If you want to automate from your own memory, that's a screenpipe-shaped job.
FAQ
Questions worth asking
Disclosure: this comparison is written and maintained by Screenpipe, not an independent review publication.
Are Screenpipe and Limitless (Rewind) direct substitutes?+
Limitless (formerly Rewind AI) is a personal AI memory product built around the Pendant — a clip-on audio wearable — plus Mac, Windows, and iOS apps. Captured audio is transcribed and summarised in the cloud. The overlap depends on the job you are buying for: Screenpipe focuses on continuous, searchable screen and audio context, while Limitless (Rewind) may be a better fit for the narrower workflows described above.
Where is Limitless (Rewind) stronger?+
Limitless (Rewind) is a credible choice for teams that value pendant captures in-person audio that laptops can't, polished, well-funded product with active development, good meeting transcription and calendar integration. Those strengths should be weighed against the deployment, data-control, platform, and extensibility differences in the table.
Where is Screenpipe stronger?+
Screenpipe is designed for continuous screen and audio capture, local-only capture and search, cross-platform deployment, and programmatic access through its local API and MCP integrations. Those advantages matter most when privacy, broad work context, or custom automation is the buying criterion.
Is this an independent comparison?+
No. Screenpipe publishes this page. We include Limitless (Rewind)'s strengths, avoid a numeric winner score, and state the criteria so readers can verify the claims that matter to them. Product capabilities change, so confirm critical details with each vendor before purchasing.
Evaluate with your own data
Try Screenpipe before you decide.
Install it, test the workflows that matter, and compare the result against your real requirements—not a vendor scorecard.