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PC
Windows
Productivity
Screenshot
What are the best screen capture tools for Windows?
27
Options
Considered
216
User
Recs.
Feb 6, 2024
Last
Updated
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26
Options
Considered
Best screen capture tools for Windows
Price
Platforms
Video Formats
89
ShareX
FREE
Windows
GIF
79
Greenshot (for Windows)
FREE
-
-
68
PicPick
-
Windows
-
--
Snagit
Paid
Windows, Mac
MP4, GIF
--
Lightshot
Free
Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox
-
See Full List
89
ShareX
My Rec
ommendation
for
ShareX
My Recommendation for
ShareX
All
16
Experiences
3
Pros
8
Cons
4
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Allows uploading to a vast number of different services
Designed as file uploader in the first place, ShareX supports overhelming amount of services for you to upload your files to and the list is expanding.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Too complicated
This is extremely customizable, but extremely complex! If you want something simple and intuitive out of the box, stay away from ShareX.
See More
's Experience
A light weight screen capture tool with many useful features. I would like to say it is optimal for all users, except if you want one that is simple, then ShareX is not for you.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Video Formats:
GIF
Technology:
C#
Top
Pro
•••
Free and open source
ShareX is licensed under GPL with source code available on GitHub.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Privacy concern
Can upload screenshots to web without you realizing, unable to delete or reverse process.
See More
Aleksey Potapchuk's Experience
The fasters tool you can have if you are a technical writer
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Customizable
You can choose what shortcut key to bind your command to, as well what host it uploads the file to.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Scrolling window capture doesn't work always as expected
Sometimes might need to use another screen capture software to capture a scrolling page.
See More
Nathan R's Experience
ShareX is an advanced screenshotting, editing, and uploading tool. The program contains a plethora of screenshot types, tools, and settings. You can customize almost anything in the settings. ShareX contains many preconfigured uploaders such as imgur and allows you to create your own. The program is not only for images as it allows you to record videos and gifs and lets you upload any type of file. ShareX even has an option to use a url shortener. The best part of ShareX is that it is completely free. ShareX has saved me a ton of time in the past and is one of the most useful programs I have installed on my computer.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Freezes screen when you capture
When you enter a capture mode, the screen content is preserved as it was when you started capturing by default. However there is a special "Light" mode where the screen does not freeze.
See More
Top
Con
•••
The editor is rather simplistic
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can capture video too
Apart from still images, ShareX allows the user to record unlimited video with all the options available for normal image capture.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Capturing (screen, video, a window, etc.) with annotation + automation
Capturing (screen, video, a window, etc.) with annotation + automation makes for some powerful workflows. Annotation is key for research on any project size. Capturing screenshots, editing them ("annotating"), converting to a PNG, removing the background to make a transparent version, saving to google drive, creating large+med+sm sizes, uploading thumbnails, is an example of a workflow you could create. The list goes on... You'll find the same strength & depth in features for image handling also for text, videos, other files by type, and on and on..
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Has an editor
It has its own screen editing tool.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
It has a dead simple way for creating animated GIFs
It is great for creating software tutorials or highlighting new features in a sales function - nothing beats a well-placed animated GIF in an email.
See More
Hide
See All
FREE
Recommend
72
6
79
Greenshot (for Windows)
My Rec
ommendation
for
Greenshot (for Windows)
My Recommendation for
Greenshot (for Windows)
All
11
Experiences
2
Pros
7
Cons
2
Top
Con
•••
Scrolling window capture is only working in Internet Explorer
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Free and open source
Greenshot is licensed under GPL with source code available on BitBucket.
See More
Aleksey Potapchuk's Experience
For beginner technical writers, fast to configure, fast editing
See More
Top
Con
•••
This version only works on Windows, not Linux nor Mac
However, the same author now has a separate version of Greenshot for iOS, which is available (for a small fee) in the Mac App Store at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/greenshot/id1103915944
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Freezes screen when you capture
When you enter a capture mode, the screen content is preserved as it was when you started capturing.
See More
ThoroughEmesh's Experience
I don´t find it very intuitive, so am searching for something else now to replace Greenshot.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Allows annotating, highlighting and obfuscating screenshots 
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can capture an entire webpage
Instead of just capturing the visible portion of the page, this tool can capture all of the page in one image by scrolling through the page, taking images at set points and then stitching the images together.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can be quickly invoked with the print screen button 
Pressing the print screen button will allow you to select the captured area.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Selecting custom rectangle is the default
Easy to use selection tool with a magnifier to select only the part of the screen that you need.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Classic UI design makes it easy to use.
See More
Hide
See All
FREE
Recommend
23
3
68
PicPick
My Rec
ommendation
for
PicPick
My Recommendation for
PicPick
All
6
Pros
5
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Includes many other useful tools
Image editor, color picker, color palette, screen-ruler, etc.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Top
Pro
•••
Free for personal use
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Many options to configure how the screenshot is done
There are many options to configure the way a screenshot is done: selection (whole screen, active window, rectangle, hand-drawn form) timeout (very useful when you like to show that pop-up or that mouse-over effect)
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Intuitive image editor
Screen captures can directly be opened in the included image editor, which provides many tools you need all the time on screenshots: drawing on it, cropping, blurring, color correction, etc.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Has a portable version
See More
Hide
See All
Get it
here
Recommend
19
--
Snagit
My Rec
ommendation
for
Snagit
My Recommendation for
Snagit
All
13
Experiences
2
Pros
8
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Includes an image editor
Allows you to adjust the capture, add captions and symbols (arrows, boxes etc).
See More
Top
Con
•••
Pro version costs about $59.94
See More
Added Value Web Services's Experience
I've used Snagit for many, many years -- probably since their first version. Every time I think it couldn't be any better they come up with enhancements and new features.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Mac
Video Formats:
MP4, GIF
Top
Pro
•••
Good markers for setting the capture area
Simple to choose between full-screen, window or a selected area.
See More
Top
Con
•••
the inbuilt image editor is not user-friendly
See More
Aleksey Potapchuk's Experience
Has a ton of features all very slow to get to when you need to produce 300 screenshots per doc.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can easily add annotations
The editor allows you to quickly and easily​ mark and annotate the screen capture.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can capture screen video
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Integrates with third party services
Google drive, Twitter, Facebook, email etc.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Allows for delayed capture
Allows you to arrange the screen as you want it captured. Things like opening a popup menu, to have it part of the capture.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Can capture editable text
Just about any text on the screen can be editable text. I say "just about" because it's like OCR software in that unusual and extra fancy fonts or text against a low contrast background may be a challenge. But overall it works in most situations.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Mobile app for easily moving screenshots from smartphone to Snagit's editor
See More
Hide
See All
Paid
Recommend
13
1
--
Lightshot
My Rec
ommendation
for
Lightshot
My Recommendation for
Lightshot
All
9
Pros
4
Cons
4
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Includes an image editor
See More
Top
Con
•••
No blur function
Some screen capture tools offer the option to blur parts of the image to hide sensitive info. It would be great if Lightshot did the same.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox
Top
Pro
•••
Clean interface
In spite of some drawbacks, the clean and easy to use interface is awesome.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Cannot change the size of the text
There seems to be no way to make the text bigger or smaller when writing on the screen capture, which is a huge minus compared to MonoSnap.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Available for macOS, Windows, or as a Chrome plugin
See More
Top
Con
•••
No publicly available license
No publicly available license and inquiries to the developer were not responded to.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Freezes the screen using print screen key
See More
Top
Con
•••
Cannot change the image hosting service
See More
Hide
See All
Free
Recommend
8
2
--
FastStone Capture
My Rec
ommendation
for
FastStone Capture
My Recommendation for
FastStone Capture
All
10
Experiences
1
Pros
7
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Output to clipboard or any of a dozen formats
Such as saving images in BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, TIFF and PDF formats as well as the screen recorder saving videos in the WMV (Windows Media Video) format.
See More
Top
Con
•••
It has no feature to trim edges after scrolling capture
See More
asfioj's Experience
Excellent software, been using it for over 10 years with the lifetime pricetag of $19,90. The dev keeps pushing updates constantly and it's lightweight & 100% bug-free. Would like to see these feature in the future: OCR text recognition Modifying OCR text Snapping / alignment Layers Trustworthy workhorse. If some other cap tool fails, FS always works. Solid tool.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Video Formats:
WMV
Top
Pro
•••
Great capture flexibility, from full screen to freehand region
See More
Top
Pro
•••
The most lightweight, full featured snapshot for Windows.
This responsive, lightweight screenshot will probably be your favorite if you really run it through the test, A scrolling window capture that works, integrated image joining, scanner support, good magnified preview when setting boundaries, support for video capture and editing. Free upgrades for paid version with option for portable. Closest alternatives to feature set are Snagit and Shared, but this one feels much snappier with just the right features for the majority of people. Try it, you will not regret.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Onboard editing, or output to external programs
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Hotkeys
You can assign hotkeys for everything. Current setup is: F5 - Fixed rectangle capture F6 - Custom (drag a square) rectangle capture F7 - Video capture 30fps F8 - Fullscreen capture F9 - Scroll fullscreen capture F10 - Summon FS to appear if hidden.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
You can capture disappearing items
When capture hotkey pressed - FSC will pause all functions going on in your screen so you can capture website dropdown menu for example, which would disappear otherwise when you leave the website window to press the capture tool.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Unobtrusive
Always available via hotkey, doesn't interfere with any programs or operations.
See More
Hide
See All
$19.95
Recommend
10
--
Screenpresso
My Rec
ommendation
for
Screenpresso
My Recommendation for
Screenpresso
All
9
Experiences
3
Pros
4
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Image editor
Built-in image editor to add arrows, balloons, numbered steps, etc..
See More
Top
Con
•••
Branding
Branding in HD video capture of the free version.
See More
RickZeeland's Experience
Screenshot and screencast tool for Windows with a built-in editor that supports cropping and resizing, arrows, text labels, numbering, blurring, and border effects.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Top
Pro
•••
Video
Can create .mp4 videos.
See More
phil prost's Experience
Very good light software with options for capture and good captured screen editor.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Works fine with 4k screens
See More
André Bonhôte's Experience
Nice and sleek, works perfectly fine on 4k screens. I also like the editor that allows for quickly add arrows and stuff to the shots. Plus: It copies both the filename and the bitmap to the clipboard.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Portable version
See More
Hide
See All
Free / paid
Recommend
6
--
OBS
My Rec
ommendation
for
OBS
My Recommendation for
OBS
All
18
Experiences
2
Pros
9
Cons
6
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Free and open source
No subscriptions or payments or licenses.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Needs tutorial to get started
Otherwise it's hard to find out how to record a screen or window.
See More
Rick Shepherd's Experience
OBS is hands down the closest experience you will get to a studio quality, enterprise level solution - without any of the costs. With full support for multiple scenes, chroma keys, integrated animation and simple, effective overlays if your looking for an introductory product that is easy to learn but difficult to master look no further. Oh and the fact its free of charge (and open source to boot) is icing on the cake!
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Linux, Mac
Video Formats:
MP4, FLV, MKV
Top
Pro
•••
Easy to use
See More
Top
Con
•••
Does not offer (virtually) unlimited overlay support
Each scene has a (generous) but very tangible overlay quantity limitation. Suitable for most projects but not for professional, studio level production.
See More
's Experience
I have seen the YouTube video (Tech Gumbo) to learn how to do Screen Capture. I prefer 60 FPS and it depends on one's system configuration. Snap Camera is compatible with this App and I am loving it :D
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Available for Linux, Mac, Windows
See More
Top
Con
•••
Recording a window will not record the menu bar, popup menus or child dialogs
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Encoding using H264 (x264) and AAC and file output to MP4 or FLV
See More
Top
Con
•••
Needs tutorial to get started
Otherwise it's hard to find out how to record a screen or window.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Fast
From the website: "GPU-based game capture for high performance game streaming."
See More
Top
Con
•••
Recording a window will not record the menu bar, popup menus or child dialogs
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Extendable
OBS has an API allowing developers to create their own unique plugins, giving them and others complete control of their streaming experience.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Overkill for simple projects
Plus the interface is a bit intimidating.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Records to many popular formats
You can record videos in formats such as mp4, flv, mkv, and more. You also have control over the bitrate used.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Live streams
Can be used to stream.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Unlimited number of scenes and sources
See More
Hide
See All
Get it
here
Recommend
7
1
--
Snipaste
My Rec
ommendation
for
Snipaste
My Recommendation for
Snipaste
All
5
Experiences
1
Pros
3
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Multi-screen support
See More
J h's Experience
This is a powerful lightweight application, which should be fully functional, graffiti, tagging.Best screenshot tool ever used
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Linux, Mac
Top
Pro
•••
A powerful lightweight application
This is a powerful lightweight application, which should be fully functional, graffiti, tagging.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Region detection
Is able to focus on individual UI elements of windows or a website.
See More
Hide
See All
FREE+
Recommend
12
--
Spectacle
My Rec
ommendation
for
Spectacle
My Recommendation for
Spectacle
All
2
Pros
2
Top
Pro
•••
Free and open source
Spectacle is licensed under MIT with source code available on GitHub.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Great UX
Spectacle is easy to use and configure. It's plug and play.
See More
Hide
Free
Recommend
2
--
Screenshot Captor
My Rec
ommendation
for
Screenshot Captor
My Recommendation for
Screenshot Captor
All
3
Pros
3
Top
Pro
•••
Vast feature list, continually updated
It has a wealth of features not easily seen in other products. On top of that, updates are frequent.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Record WebCam
Can make snapshots from webcams, record video (with the ESR addon).
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Tool's author still participates in active community forum
See More
Hide
See All
Free / paid
Recommend
5
--
Lightscreen
My Rec
ommendation
for
Lightscreen
My Recommendation for
Lightscreen
All
2
Pros
1
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Portable mode
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Hide
Free
Recommend
1
--
Irfanview
My Rec
ommendation
for
Irfanview
My Recommendation for
Irfanview
All
7
Experiences
1
Pros
4
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Con
•••
UI is far from ideal
Sometimes the interface is confusing.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Batch processing
See More
Leo Ber's Experience
Quick, lightweight and allows cropping and resizing after capture.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows
Top
Pro
•••
Some editing tools included (cropping, color correcting, etc...)
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Captures full desktop, desktop, windows, area, object
Capture can be initiated with hotkey or timer. Can capture to clipboard, file, printer, main window (and can thus be annotated easily).
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Lightweight
See More
Hide
See All
Free
Recommend
3
--
Flameshot
My Rec
ommendation
for
Flameshot
My Recommendation for
Flameshot
All
1
Specs
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Linux, Mac
License:
GPLv3
Tethered capture:
YES
Non-Distructive Editing:
YES
See All Specs
Hide
Free
Recommend
1
--
Windows 10's Snipping Tool
My Rec
ommendation
for
Windows 10's Snipping Tool
My Recommendation for
Windows 10's Snipping Tool
All
3
Experiences
1
Pros
1
Cons
1
Top
Con
•••
Very limited
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Pre-installed
It already comes with your operative system, there is nothing to install.
See More
Jeff Palley's Experience
I use it all the time, both for full window captures and for capturing a cropped area of your choice.
See More
Hide
See All
Get it
here
Recommend
4
1
--
Camtasia
My Rec
ommendation
for
Camtasia
My Recommendation for
Camtasia
All
3
Pros
1
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Edit video after recording
Multiple media layers Cut, join, insert freeze frame, change volume Annotate with shapes and images
See More
Top
Con
•••
$200 price tag
If you're not recording your screen on a regular basis, one of the free options might be a better choice.
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Mac
Video Formats:
MP4, MPEG, MOV, TREC
Hide
See All
Get it
here
Recommend
1
--
Monosnap
My Rec
ommendation
for
Monosnap
My Recommendation for
Monosnap
Hide
FREE
Recommend
1
--
ScreenshotX
My Rec
ommendation
for
ScreenshotX
My Recommendation for
ScreenshotX
All
2
Pros
1
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Free
See More
Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Mobile
Hide
Free
Recommend
1
--
SnapDraw
My Rec
ommendation
for
SnapDraw
My Recommendation for
SnapDraw
All
4
Experiences
1
Pros
2
Cons
1
Top
Pro
•••
Annotations
Lot's of choice in annotations, balloons and auto numbering.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Interface
The user interface is a bit convoluted, and takes a while to get used to.
See More
RickZeeland's Experience
The interface is a bit convoluted, but where SnapDraw really shines is in it's rich choice of annotations, balloons, auto numbering etc.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Projects
Can save projects so you can edit the objects like text, arrows and shapes later.
See More
Hide
See All
Free
Recommend
1
--
ScreenTake
My Rec
ommendation
for
ScreenTake
My Recommendation for
ScreenTake
All
5
Pros
3
Cons
2
Top
Pro
•••
Cloud
Allows upload to cloud, a shareable link is created.
See More
Top
Con
•••
No timer
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Animated gifs
Allows capturing animated gifs.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Rectangles only
Only rectangular screen capture possible at the moment.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Annotations
Allows annotations.
See More
Hide
See All
Free
Recommend
1
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