Limitless — the startup formerly known as Rewind AI — was acquired by Meta in December 2025. The Rewind Mac app stopped recording on December 19, 2025. The Limitless Pendant is no longer for sale. If you were using either product, you need a replacement.
This guide covers the best Limitless alternatives for Mac in 2026, with a focus on tools that actually record your screen and make it searchable — the core promise that made Rewind special in the first place.
What Made Limitless (Rewind) Worth Using
Before evaluating replacements, it helps to understand what people actually valued about the original product:
- Always-on screen recording — It ran in the background without any manual action.
- Local storage — Your screen history stayed on your machine.
- Searchable archive — OCR and AI let you find any moment by typing what you remembered seeing.
- Low friction — Install, grant permissions, forget about it until you need it.
The Limitless Pendant added meeting transcription, but for most desktop users, the screen recording feature was the real value. That is what we are focused on replacing here.
The Best Limitless Alternatives for Mac
1. Rewind Desktop — Best Overall Replacement
Rewind Desktop is the most direct replacement for what Limitless offered on Mac. It is a menu bar app that silently records your screen 24/7, compresses everything using H.264 encoding, and gives you instant access through a visual timeline.
Why it is the best Limitless alternative:
- Same core experience. Always-on recording, local storage, timeline browsing — the features that made the original Rewind AI essential.
- Better privacy. 100% local storage with no cloud component at all. Not "local-first" — just local.
- Efficient compression. ~2GB per week of continuous recording using hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding.
- Instant access. Press Cmd+Shift+R from anywhere to open your full-screen visual timeline.
- Automatic incognito detection. Uses the macOS Accessibility API to pause recording in private browsing windows.
- No pivot risk. Screen recording is the only product. The company is not building hardware, chasing enterprise deals, or looking to get acquired.
Limitations:
- macOS only (requires macOS 13+)
- No AI-powered natural language search yet (OCR text search covers most use cases)
- No audio recording yet
- $30/month subscription
Best for: Anyone who used Rewind or Limitless for desktop screen recording on Mac and wants the closest possible replacement with stronger privacy guarantees.
Rewind Desktop was built specifically for people who lost access to Rewind AI. Download it here and start recording in under two minutes. See pricing for details.
2. Screenpipe — Best Open-Source Option
Screenpipe is an open-source screen and audio recording tool that works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Strengths:
- Open source — audit the code, contribute, verify privacy claims
- Records both screen and audio
- Cross-platform (macOS, Windows, Linux)
- Plugin system ("pipes") for custom workflows
- Free (open-source version)
Limitations:
- Requires terminal-based setup and configuration
- Higher storage usage (no H.264 compression)
- More utilitarian UI
- Can break after macOS updates
- No automatic incognito detection
Best for: Developers and technical users who value open source and want maximum control over their screen recording setup.
3. Fenn — Best for File Search (Not Screen Recording)
Fenn is a local AI file search tool for Mac that finds content inside your existing files — PDFs, slides, audio, video, and images.
Important distinction: Fenn is not a screen recorder. It does not capture your screen. Instead, it uses AI to search through files you already have, jumping to the exact page, slide, or timestamp you need.
Strengths:
- Runs entirely on-device using Apple's MLX framework
- Semantic search across multiple file types
- Finds exact moments in audio and video files
- OCR for text in videos and images
- Strong privacy (no cloud processing)
Limitations:
- Does not record your screen
- Only searches existing files, not your screen history
- Cannot recreate the always-on recording experience of Rewind/Limitless
- Requires higher-memory Macs for best performance
Best for: People whose primary need was finding things in files they already have, not recording their screen. Fenn and a screen recorder like Rewind Desktop can complement each other well.
4. Microsoft Recall — Windows Only
Microsoft Recall is a built-in Windows feature that takes periodic screenshots and makes them searchable with AI.
Strengths:
- Built into Windows — no separate install
- AI-powered natural language search
- On-device processing using NPU
- No additional cost
Limitations:
- Not available on Mac. Windows only, and requires a Copilot+ PC.
- Takes periodic snapshots, not continuous video recording
- Privacy controversies at launch led to delays and redesigns
- Still rolling out gradually
Best for: Windows users only. If you are on Mac and looking for a Limitless alternative, Recall is not an option.
5. Pieces — Developer-Focused (Not Screen Recording)
Pieces is a developer productivity tool that captures code snippets and maintains context across your IDE, browser, and terminal.
Important distinction: Pieces is not a screen recorder or general Limitless replacement. It is specifically designed for developers managing code snippets and development context.
Strengths:
- Saves and organizes code snippets automatically
- AI-powered coding assistance
- SOC 2 Type II certified
- Local processing option
- Cross-platform
Limitations:
- Not a screen recorder
- Developer-only use case
- Does not capture or replay your screen history
Best for: Developers whose main pain point is tracking code snippets across tools. Not a general Limitless replacement.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Rewind Desktop | Screenpipe | Fenn | Microsoft Recall | Pieces | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Screen recording | Yes (24/7) | Yes (24/7) | No | Yes (snapshots) | No | | macOS support | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Local storage | 100% local | Local-first | 100% local | On-device | Local option | | OCR text search | Yes | Yes | Yes (files only) | Yes | No | | Visual timeline | Yes | Basic | No | Yes | No | | Setup complexity | Install and go | Technical | Install and go | Built-in | Simple | | Pricing | $30/month | Free / paid | Paid | Free with Windows | Free / $10/mo |
Why Privacy Matters More After the Meta Acquisition
Meta acquiring Limitless is a reminder of what happens when a company that records your screen gets absorbed by a larger entity. Even though Meta shut down the recording product, the intellectual property, technology, and potentially some data infrastructure changed hands.
This is why the privacy architecture of your screen recording tool matters. A tool that stores everything locally — on your machine and nowhere else — cannot have its data compromised by a corporate acquisition. There is nothing on a server to transfer, sell, or absorb.
When evaluating any Limitless alternative, ask:
- Where is my data stored?
- Can the company access my screen recordings?
- What happens to my data if the company is acquired?
If the answer to the last question is "nothing, because my data was never on their servers," you are in a good position.
Getting Started With Rewind Desktop
If you are coming from Limitless or the original Rewind AI, switching to Rewind Desktop takes about two minutes:
- Download Rewind Desktop from the website
- Grant Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions when prompted
- Press Cmd+Shift+R anytime to open your timeline
The app runs silently in your menu bar. Recording starts automatically. Your screen history stays on your machine.
Ready to replace Limitless? Download Rewind Desktop — 100% local, no cloud, no compromise. Check pricing for subscription details.
The Bottom Line
Limitless is gone. The Rewind Mac app is gone. The Pendant is gone. But the need for a searchable screen history has not gone anywhere.
For Mac users, Rewind Desktop is the most complete replacement. It delivers the core Rewind experience — always-on recording, local storage, visual timeline, OCR search — without the acquisition risk that comes with venture-backed companies chasing pivots.
Your screen history is too important to trust to a product that might not exist next year. Choose a tool where screen recording is the mission, not a stepping stone.