Loom vs KnowVault: video messaging tool or video knowledge base?

When a team discovers how useful video is for passing on know-how, the first name that comes to mind is often Loom. That makes sense: Loom made quick screen recording mainstream at work, and plenty of people already use it.

KnowVault is built on screen recording too. So what's the difference? The two tools look alike at the moment you hit record, but they part ways completely on what happens to the video afterwards.

This comparison is written by the KnowVault team, so it isn't neutral. It aims to be honest: Loom is an excellent tool, and in several cases it's the one you need.

Two tools, two different problems

The best way to see the difference is to look at the question each tool answers.

• Loom answers: "How do I explain something to someone without setting up a meeting?" It's an async communication tool. You record, copy the link, and send it in Slack, an email or a ticket.
• KnowVault answers: "How do we make sure our experts' know-how is still available to the whole team a year from now?" It's a knowledge base. You record so the video gets found, watched and kept up to date.

A Loom message is useful for a few days: it matters at the moment it's sent. A KnowVault video is meant to serve for months, including people who hadn't joined yet when it was recorded.

Loom: the king of video messages

Strengths

• Recording speed. Browser extension, desktop app, keyboard shortcut: you're recording in two clicks, and the link is ready instantly.
• The webcam bubble. Seeing the face of the person explaining makes the message more human, which matters in communication.
• Integrations. Loom plugs into everywhere people communicate: Slack, Gmail, Notion, Jira, Confluence, GitHub… Since its acquisition by Atlassian, it fits naturally into the Jira and Confluence ecosystem.
• AI features. Titles, summaries, chapters and transcripts generated automatically on the plans that include them.
• Familiarity. Many people already know how to use it, which makes adoption easier.

Limits as a knowledge base

• Videos get scattered. A Loom mostly lives in the message where it was shared. Six months later, the video is still in the library, but nobody knows it exists, or whether it's still valid.
• No content lifecycle. Loom isn't designed to manage obsolescence: there's no flow where viewers flag an outdated video and an update task gets assigned to someone.
• No content request queue. It's hard for a team to ask an expert to film a specific topic and track that request as a task, with a priority and a due date, all the way to publication.
• A US vendor. For sensitive internal procedures, data hosting and the framework for transfers outside the EU are worth checking with your DPO.

Pricing

Loom offers a free plan limited in the number and length of videos, then paid plans billed per creator (roughly $15 to $20 per creator per month, depending on the AI features included), and an Enterprise plan on quote. People who only watch videos don't need a paid license. Pricing changes regularly, so check the current plans on Loom's website.

When Loom is the right choice

• You want to replace meetings with video messages
• Your videos answer a one-off question (code review, feedback on a mockup, explaining a ticket)
• Your team already lives in Slack, Jira and Confluence
• Your videos' useful life is counted in days or weeks

KnowVault: the video knowledge base

Strengths

• An organized base, not a stream of links. Videos are organized by team, folder and tag. Each team has its own space, with its own access rights.
• Search inside what's said. Every video is transcribed automatically, and search covers titles and transcripts. Typing "supplier credit note" finds the exact moment in the video where the procedure is explained.
• Automatic translation. Titles, descriptions and transcripts are translated, for teams that don't all speak the same language.
• Content that stays up to date. Viewers flag an outdated video, a manager assigns the update, the author redoes it. The base doesn't quietly go stale.
• Content requests. Anyone can request a video on a specific topic, with a priority and a target date. The request becomes a task tracked through to publication.
• Viewing tracking. Completion rate, watch time, and viewing requests to make sure an important video (safety, onboarding) has been watched by the right people.
• Attached documents. The file template or the instructions travel with the video.
• 100% EU hosting (servers in France, data in Ireland), with GDPR compliance built in.

Limits

• No webcam for now. KnowVault records the screen and voice. For a message where seeing a face matters, Loom is better.
• No desktop app. Recording happens in the browser.
• Not built for messaging. If you want to drop a quick video reply in a Slack thread, that's not what it's for.
• A younger tool, with fewer integrations than Loom.

Pricing

• Starter: free for up to 3 contributors, unlimited viewers, 5 GB of storage
• Pro: €13.90/contributor/month, unlimited free viewers, 1 TB shared
• Enterprise: on quote (dedicated server, SSO, SLA)

As with Loom, only the people creating content pay.

When KnowVault is the right choice

• You want to build a lasting base of know-how, not send messages
• You hire regularly and onboarding relies on a few experts
• You're preparing job handovers or retirements
• Your procedures change and the content has to keep up
• EU hosting is a requirement

Comparison table

Use them together?

Often, that's the right answer. The two tools don't step on each other's toes:

• Loom for everyday communication: explaining a bug, giving feedback, presenting a mockup.
• KnowVault for knowledge that has to last: procedures, onboarding, handovers, technical know-how.

One simple rule tells you where a video belongs: will someone still need it in six months? If so, it belongs in the knowledge base.

See for yourself

The easiest way is to try both. Loom has a free plan, and KnowVault has a pre-filled public demo, no sign-up or credit card required: you can browse videos, try searching inside transcripts, and see how requests and flags move through the team.

Further reading

• Notion vs Confluence vs KnowVault: which knowledge management tool should you choose?
• How to document a process with video: a 6-step method
• Job handover: the complete method and checklist