Screenpipe
Local-first screen and audio recording engine with REST API for AI context capture. Screenpipe continuously records your screen and audio, runs OCR and transcription locally, and provides a searchable database of everything you've seen and heard. Enables AI agents to access user context — what apps were open, what was typed, what was said — without cloud upload. Used for personal AI memory and computer use workflows.
Score Breakdown
⚙ Agent Friendliness
🔒 Security
Localhost API has no TLS by default — accepts connections from any local process. Screen recordings contain highly sensitive data. No auth by default requires careful deployment. Open source for auditability.
⚡ Reliability
Best When
You're building personal productivity AI agents that need continuous context about what the user is doing on their computer — meetings, applications, documents — without cloud recording.
Avoid When
You need cloud-based computer use (use BrowserBase or Steel for browser automation), or you're building for multi-user or server-side deployment.
Use Cases
- • Give AI agents access to user's recent screen context for meeting follow-ups, task continuation, and personalized assistance
- • Build personal AI memory systems that let agents recall what the user was working on across sessions
- • Capture user workflow context for agent automation — 'fill this form like I did last time' using screen history
- • Monitor specific application windows for agent-triggered automation when specific content appears on screen
- • Create agent workflows that use screen+audio context to generate meeting notes, task summaries, or action items
Not For
- • Server-side deployments — Screenpipe is a local desktop application; no cloud deployment model
- • Cross-user or shared screen monitoring — Screenpipe is personal, single-user by design
- • Privacy-sensitive environments — records screen content locally but creates sensitive data requiring careful access control
Interface
Authentication
REST API runs on localhost — no authentication by default (local trust model). API key authentication can be configured. MCP server exposes screenpipe tools to Claude and other MCP clients.
Pricing
MIT-licensed core is free. Pipe ecosystem (community extensions) has both free and paid components. Storage costs depend on recording resolution and retention period.
Agent Metadata
Known Gotchas
- ⚠ Screenpipe must be running on the user's machine — agents cannot use it for remote or server-side deployments
- ⚠ OCR accuracy varies by screen content type — code and dense text are less accurate than regular prose
- ⚠ Privacy implications are significant — screen content may include passwords, private messages, sensitive data; access control is critical
- ⚠ Screen recording storage grows rapidly — retention management is required for long-running deployments
- ⚠ API surface is actively evolving — pin Screenpipe version and check changelog on upgrades
- ⚠ MCP server exposes full screen history to any connected MCP client — scope access carefully
Alternatives
Full Evaluation Report
Detailed scoring breakdown, competitive positioning, security analysis, and improvement recommendations for Screenpipe.
Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-03-06.