# Loom Problems & Issues 2026 - Outages & Hidden Costs

Source: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/loom
Last analyzed: 2026-02-06

## What it is

Video messaging and screen recording tool owned by Atlassian. Trustpilot: 1.5/5 from 178 reviews (69% 1-star). Users report recording failures, poor support, login issues after acquisition. Free tier heavily limited.

## Common problems

- **Recordings fail to save or crash mid-recording** (reliability): Users report frustrating situations where recordings fail to save after completion. The app crashes mid-edit or mid-recording without warning, losing all work. Some users report the app getting stuck in infinite loops requiring force quit.
- **Customer support is unresponsive** (support): Users report paying for Loom but service not working, with support emails going unanswered after multiple attempts. One user paid $180/month but received no response to three support emails. Weekly support emails are required because something doesn't work.
- **Atlassian login migration broke access for existing users** (onboarding): Since Loom switched to Atlassian's login system, users report they can't log in anymore after previously signing in with Google. Reports of 'login loops,' forced Google logins, and difficulty merging legacy accounts are common after the acquisition.
- **Audio and video sync issues (Loom lag)** (performance): Users frequently experience 'Loom lag' where audio and video fall out of sync, making videos hard to watch and understand. Audio cuts out, becomes choppy, or microphone issues persist. Camera feed sometimes disappears during recording.
- **Free plan severely limited - only 5 minutes and 100 videos** (pricing): The free Starter plan only allows 5-minute recordings and access to only 100 videos. This is significantly more restrictive than competitors. Users are pushed to paid plans quickly, with Business starting at $15/user/month.
- **Service outages lock users out of recordings** (reliability): Multiple outages in late 2025 locked users out of their recordings for hours. The last officially acknowledged outage was November 19, 2025. For a paid tool used for important communications, reliability issues are unacceptable.
- **Basic editing options - not suitable for professional videos** (usability): Editing options are very basic - users can't add text overlays, transitions, or do professional editing. Not ideal for polished, professional video production. Users desiring more editing features are disappointed.
- **Atlassian billing uses fixed tiers - small teams overpay** (pricing): On Atlassian.com purchases, billing uses fixed user-tiers (50, 100, 250) with no monthly option, so small teams often overpay for unused seats. Coupons from Loom.com don't apply to Atlassian purchases.
- **Desktop app constantly opens browser unnecessarily** (usability): The desktop app has issues with constantly opening the browser when it shouldn't, or not transitioning well to the browser once a recording is complete. The record button sometimes has bugs requiring multiple clicks.
- **Rigid refund policy with no flexibility on renewals** (pricing): Users report a rigid refund policy with zero flexibility on renewals. Some mention unexpected charges or difficulties canceling subscriptions. This has led to frustration among users who expected better customer experience.

## What users like

- **Very easy to use for basic screen recording**: Loom excels at simplicity. Recording screen and camera is quick and intuitive with just a few clicks. The learning curve is minimal, making it accessible for non-technical users.
- **Quick sharing without large file uploads**: Videos are hosted by Loom, so sharing is just copying a link. No need to upload large video files to email or cloud storage. Recipients don't need a Loom account to view.
- **Reduces need for unnecessary meetings**: Loom enables asynchronous video communication, allowing users to send video messages instead of scheduling live meetings. This saves time and respects different time zones.
- **Good Atlassian ecosystem integration**: Since the Atlassian acquisition, Loom integrates well with Jira, Confluence, and other Atlassian products. Teams already using Atlassian tools benefit from seamless workflows.

## Pricing

- **Starter (Free)**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: Most features locked, Pushed to upgrade quickly, Very limited recording time
- **Business**: $15.00 (monthly) — hidden costs: AI features require higher tier, Annual billing required for advertised price, Atlassian purchases use fixed tiers - may overpay
- **Business + AI**: $20.00 (monthly) — hidden costs: $5/user premium over Business, AI features may not work perfectly on all accents/languages
- **Enterprise**: usage_based — hidden costs: Can exceed $40,000/year depending on user count and integrations, Pricing not transparent - must negotiate with sales

## Who should and shouldn't use it

- **Users needing professional video editing** — Avoid: Loom's editing is basic - no text overlays, transitions, or advanced features. If you need polished, professional videos, use dedicated video editing software like ScreenPal, Camtasia, or DaVinci Resolve.
- **Free users needing videos longer than 5 minutes** — Avoid: The free plan caps recordings at 5 minutes, making it impractical for tutorials, training, or detailed explanations. Screencastify and others offer longer free recordings.
- **Small teams on Atlassian billing** — Avoid: Atlassian purchases use fixed user-tiers (50, 100, 250) with no monthly option. A 5-person team may pay for 50 seats. Buy directly from Loom.com for exact-seat billing.
- **Users who need reliable recording** — Depends: Loom has had stability issues including crashes, failed saves, and service outages. For mission-critical recording, have a backup option ready. Save frequently.
- **Teams replacing some meetings with async video** — Good fit: Loom excels at quick async communication. If your goal is sending video updates instead of scheduling calls, Loom's simplicity makes it ideal for this use case.
- **Atlassian-heavy organizations** — Good fit: Since the Atlassian acquisition, Loom integrates well with Jira, Confluence, and Trello. Teams already invested in Atlassian tools get seamless workflows.
- **Sales and customer success teams** — Good fit: Quick video messages for prospects and customers work well with Loom. The engagement insights help track who watched and for how long.
- **Sales teams** — Good fit: Perfect for async demos and follow-ups. Sales reps use Loom to send personalized video messages that get better response than text.
- **Engineering teams** — Good fit: Great for code walkthroughs, PR explanations, and async standup. Developers use Loom to explain complex changes without meetings.
- **Customer support teams** — Good fit: Show don't tell - support sends Loom videos for complex instructions. Reduces back-and-forth and improves customer satisfaction.

## Alternatives

- **Vidyard**: Sales teams switch for better analytics. Gain: viewer tracking, CRM integration. Trade-off: more expensive, sales-focused.
- **Screencastify**: Educators switch to Screencastify for better Google Drive integration and the ability to embed interactive questions in videos. Better suited for K-12 education.
- **Camtasia**: Users needing professional editing switch to Camtasia for advanced editing features, annotations, transitions, and one-time purchase (no subscription). Better for polished tutorials.
- **ScreenPal (Screencast-O-Matic)**: Budget-conscious users switch to ScreenPal for more generous free tier and affordable paid plans. Offers more editing features at lower price points.
- **Tella**: Users wanting production quality switch to Tella. Gain: better editing, backgrounds, polish. Trade-off: more complex, higher price.
- **CloudApp**: Users wanting screenshots + video switch to CloudApp. Gain: better annotation tools, GIFs. Trade-off: less video-focused.

## FAQ

### Is Loom worth it in 2026?

It depends on your needs. For quick async video communication, Loom is convenient. However, the free plan is severely limited (5 min, 100 videos), and paid plans start at $15/user/month. Alternatives like ScreenPal offer more value. Reliability issues and poor support are concerns.

### Why do my Loom recordings fail to save?

This is a known issue. Recordings can fail to save due to browser/app crashes, lost connection during upload, or bugs. Tips: use the desktop app (not Chrome extension), ensure stable internet, check storage limits on free plan, and contact support if persistent (though response times are slow).

### Why can't I log into Loom after the Atlassian change?

Since Atlassian acquired Loom, the login system changed. Users report 'login loops,' forced Google authentication issues, and problems merging legacy accounts. Try: clear cookies, use incognito mode, or create a new Atlassian account and contact support to merge.

### How do I fix Loom audio/video sync issues?

Loom lag (audio/video desync) is a common complaint. Solutions: close other apps to free up CPU, use wired internet instead of WiFi, reduce video quality settings, use the desktop app instead of browser, and ensure your system meets minimum requirements.

### What are Loom's hidden costs?

Hidden costs include: AI features locked behind $20/user tier, Atlassian billing uses fixed tiers (you may pay for 50 users when you have 5), Loom.com coupons don't work on Atlassian purchases, rigid refund policy, and Enterprise can exceed $40,000/year.

### Is Loom customer support good?

No, customer support is a major pain point. Users report emailing support multiple times with no response, even after paying $180/month. Some users need to send weekly support emails because issues persist. Support response times are slow to non-existent.

### Why is the Loom free plan so limited?

Loom's free Starter plan only allows 5-minute recordings and access to only 100 videos. This is more restrictive than competitors. The limitation is designed to push users toward paid plans ($15/user/month for Business). Screencastify and ScreenPal offer more generous free tiers.

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Try or Bye aggregates problem patterns from user reviews, forums, and app stores. Methodology: https://www.tryorbye.com/methodology