screenpipe vs Rewind.ai - open source alternative

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.screenpi.pe/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

screenpipe is the open source alternative to Rewind.ai. after Rewind pivoted to Limitless and discontinued its desktop app, screenpipe continues to provide 24/7 screen memory with complete privacy.

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comparison

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why screenpipe?

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open source

screenpipe is MIT licensed. audit the code, contribute, or fork it. your data, your control.

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cross-platform

works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. rewind was mac-only.

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extensible

build custom plugins (pipes) with TypeScript and Next.js. integrate with any service.

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active development

16k+ GitHub stars, 80+ contributors. actively maintained and improved.

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privacy-first

• all processing happens locally
• use local LLMs (Ollama) for complete privacy
• no telemetry or data collection
• you can audit the source code

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advanced search & memory

screenpipe goes beyond simple text matching:

• semantic search: find moments by meaning, not just keywords. e.g. “times when I was confused” or “design discussions with my team” works even if exact words aren’t present
• timeline DVR: scroll through your day visually like a DVR, click any moment for full-resolution screenshots and transcription
• multi-modal filtering: narrow by app, window title, URL, date range, or even screen regions
• transcript search: speaker-identified transcriptions make it easy to find who said what in meetings

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migrating from rewind

if you were a Rewind user:

1. install screenpipe
2. use the built-in timeline view for a familiar interface
3. your future screen activity will be captured locally

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features rewind users love

• timeline view: scroll through your day visually — same DVR-like experience as Rewind, now with cross-platform support
• natural language search: “find the email I was reading yesterday” + semantic search understands context and meaning
• meeting transcription: automatic transcription with speaker identification — easily identify who said what
• AI integration: connect to ChatGPT, Claude, or local Ollama for full privacy — deeper integration than Rewind’s assistant
• always-on capture: 24/7 recording with zero-cost local processing (no cloud dependency like Rewind had)

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get started

download the desktop app

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more comparisons

• vs Microsoft Recall — privacy-focused alternative
• vs Limitless — hardware vs software
• vs Granola — meeting notepad vs full screen memory
• vs Otter.ai — cloud transcription vs local capture
• vs Fathom — meeting bot vs 24/7 capture
• vs Fireflies.ai — cloud meeting bot vs local-first

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resources

• open source rewind alternative guide - complete migration guide
• screenpipe blog - latest updates and tutorials

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frequently asked questions

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what is the best open source alternative to Rewind.ai?

screenpipe is the most popular open source alternative to Rewind.ai with 16k+ GitHub stars. it captures your screen 24/7, reads app text through accessibility APIs with OCR fallback, transcribes audio, and makes everything searchable — all running locally on your device. unlike Rewind (which has been discontinued), screenpipe is actively maintained, works on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and is fully extensible with plugins (pipes) and a REST API.

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is Rewind.ai still available?

no. Rewind.ai pivoted to Limitless and discontinued the desktop screen recording app. screenpipe is the actively maintained replacement that provides the same 24/7 screen capture and search functionality, plus cross-platform support and open source code.

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can I migrate from Rewind to screenpipe?

yes. install screenpipe, and it will start capturing your screen activity going forward. screenpipe provides a familiar timeline view and natural language search. while historical Rewind data can’t be imported, all future activity will be captured and searchable locally.