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FreeMoCap

freemocap.org

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Spec score 8.9 #2 of 27 in AI Motion Capture Software

What it is

FreeMoCap records and reconstructs full-body movement as 3D motion-capture data. It is free, open-source software for researchers, animators, athletes, and creators. Capture can use two or more standard webcams, GoPros, or smartphones; a printed ChArUco board synchronizes camera feeds and defines the 3D coordinate system. Users can also record video offline on mobile devices and import it later for processing. Results can be exported in formats including CSV, FBX, and .blend files. A Blender add-on loads processed recordings into Blender as a rigged skeleton. Processing happens locally, and the homepage says video data does not leave the user's machine. A backend server download supports headless machines, remote capture rigs, and API use. The download page identifies the current release as alpha. Optional anonymous usage pings may include IP address, timestamp, and camera information, but users can disable them in the GUI. The project directs questions to Discord and bug reports or feature requests to GitHub. Its post-hoc guide notes that RTMPose produces 3D data but does not currently have working Blender export.

Spec sheet

What it does
FreeMoCap records synchronized camera video and reconstructs full-body 3D movement without physical markers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
Audience
The project says it is built for researchers, animators, athletes, and creators worldwide.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
API
A local REST API exposes camera detection, recording, playback, calibration, mocap processing, realtime pipelines and Blender operations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Privacy
Video processing is local; optional anonymous usage pings can send an IP address, timestamp and camera information, and users can disable those pings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Support
Community support is centered on Discord, with GitHub issues for bugs and feature requests and paid setup, training and custom services available.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
License
The download page identifies FreeMoCap as open source licensed under AGPL-3.0.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Architecture
FreeMoCap uses a React and TypeScript Electron frontend communicating with a Python backend over REST and WebSocket.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Blender integration
The application can install its Blender add-on, detect Blender, export recordings to .blend files and open them in Blender.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Calibration
A printed ChArUco board is waved through the camera views to synchronize feeds and establish the 3D coordinate system.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
Camera inputs
The official workflow supports two or more standard webcams, GoPros, smartphones used as cameras, and imported mobile video.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
Camera support
It supports two or more standard webcams, GoPros, or smartphones as cameras.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Company facts
LinkedIn lists FreeMoCap Foundation as a nonprofit software-development organization founded in 2021, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with 2–10 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company legal status
The project is managed by the FreeMoCap Foundation, a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
Current release
The latest listed release is v2.0.0-alpha.25, published 24 September 2026, with CPU startup, Linux server, Blender export and hand-detection fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Data protection
The privacy policy says collected data is not sold or distributed to third parties except as required by law and is protected with industry-standard security measures.Read 30 Sep 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Documentation
Documentation covers installation, camera setup, architecture, API endpoints, development builds and troubleshooting, but the API pages are marked AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Export formats
Results include CSV, FBX, and .blend files, among other formats.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Funding model
The project says it is funded through external grants and donations, while labor-intensive setup, support, training and custom work are paid services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Headless use
A backend server download is provided for headless machines, remote capture rigs, and API use.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Independent listing
AlternativeTo lists FreeMoCap as free, open source under AGPL-3.0, supporting Linux, Windows, Mac and Python, with no comments or reviews on that listing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Licence
The project is licensed under GNU Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPL-3.0).Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Limit: alpha quality
Release notes warn that the alpha may have rough edges, missing functionality and data-affecting bugs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: calibration burden
A peer-reviewed gait study reports that ChArUco calibration takes operator training, about 1–2 minutes of board movement and 5–10 minutes of processing, with repeats if convergence fails.Read 15 Oct 2026 · journals.plos.org
Limit: maturity and adoption
An independent technical review describes the project as alpha software and unsuitable for users needing a stable production pipeline or permissive closed-source distribution.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hysenlabs.com
Limit: scale accuracy
The current release notes warn that reconstructed skeleton scale may be wrong by roughly 10 percent.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Offline import
Users can record video offline on mobile devices and import the files for processing later.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Offline use
After MediaPipe and RTMPose models are downloaded, the application is documented to run offline without login.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Outputs
Exports include CSV, FBX and Blender .blend files, with additional NumPy and Parquet data documented.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Post-processing
A separate offline pipeline processes recordings with higher-accuracy settings after capture.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Praise: animation value
A LinkedIn user described webcam-to-Blender capture as fast and good enough for storytelling and previs work.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Praise: low-cost hardware
A Daz 3D forum user reported decent results with two webcams and praised compatibility with ordinary webcams and phones used as webcams.Read 15 Oct 2026 · daz3d.com
Processing privacy
The homepage states that video data never leaves the user's machine because processing happens locally.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
Realtime mode
The documented architecture includes realtime 3D skeleton streaming to the desktop viewport.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Release status
The download page says the current release is in alpha and asks users to provide feedback through Discord.Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
RTMPose limitation
The post-hoc guide states that RTMPose currently produces 3D data but does not have working Blender export.Read 30 Sep 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Security and telemetry
Optional anonymous usage pings can include IP address, timestamp, and camera information, and users can disable them in the GUI.Read 30 Sep 2026 · docs.freemocap.org
Self-hosting
The Python backend can run as a standalone server for headless or remote capture machines, while the Electron interface runs separately.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
System requirements
Official installers target Windows x64, macOS Apple Silicon and Linux x64, with CPU and NVIDIA CUDA builds; Intel Macs are unsupported.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Tracking
The software performs markerless full-body 3D tracking with computer-vision algorithms and machine-learning models.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org
WebSocket API
The backend documents a WebSocket endpoint for realtime frames, keypoints, progress messages and tracker schemas.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.freemocap.org

Plans and prices

Free Free No subscriptions · no licenses · no hidden fees Read 30 Sep 2026 · freemocap.org
FreeMoCap Free Free forever; no subscriptions, licenses, or hidden fees Markerless motion capture · local processing · desktop installers · AGPL-3.0 Read 15 Oct 2026 · freemocap.org

Every FreeMoCap plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Uses standard webcams, GoPros, or smartphones.
  • Supports offline mobile video import.
  • Exports CSV, FBX, and .blend files.
  • Video processing happens locally.
  • Includes a Blender add-on for rigged skeletons.

Limits

  • The current release is identified as alpha.
  • Optional usage pings may include IP and camera information.
  • RTMPose lacks working Blender export.

Who it suits

FreeMoCap suits researchers, animators, athletes, and creators who want to capture full-body movement using multiple cameras. Its local processing and export options may also suit users incorporating recordings into Blender or other workflows.

Verdict

FreeMoCap offers multi-camera capture, local processing, and several export paths, including a Blender add-on. Note the alpha release status and RTMPose export limitation when choosing a workflow.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to FreeMoCapAll alternatives →