The Windows default Snipping tool gets the job done but leaves a lot to be desired. With limited annotation features and a lack of options, you may be looking for alternatives that will suit you better. You’re in luck, as we’ve compiled a list of several screenshot tools that may have the features you need.
We have you covered if you’re looking for a list of programs that can capture rolling screenshots on Windows.
1. Lightshot
Price: Free
Lightshot is a snappy and simple-to-use program that does few things but does them well. It only supports capturing screenshots (either fullscreen or a selected region), not video. Lightshot’s design is superb: as soon as you select a region, it will display a minimal UI that allows you to save, share, or annotate the image. Some screenshot tools have the image editor open in a separate window, breaking the workflow.
Another advantage of Lightshot is that it makes uploading and sharing super easy. You can instantly do a Google image search, share on social media sites, or upload to Lightshot’s servers for sharing – all from its minimal UI. For these reasons, Lightshot is perfect for most users.
Pros
- Workflow is super fast and streamlined
- Seamlessly upload to websites on the Internet
Cons
- Cannot capture an entire selected window
2. ShareX
Price: Free
ShareX is more like a suite of productivity tools than a simple screenshot program. It’s packed with tools like a color picker, DNS changer, and directory indexer. As for screenshots, it has the usual region, window, and fullscreen captures, as well as a keyboard shortcut to capture the current active window, an uncommon but very useful feature. You can choose from many “after capture” and “after upload” tasks to fit your workflow, like scanning for text using OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
Another impressive feature is the image editor, which lets you professionally hide information with blurring and pixelate effects. All in all, choose ShareX if you need a mature program that can do it all.
Pros
- So many capture options and customizations
- Includes file browser and powerful image editor to manage images
Cons
- Has no dedicated cloud server (uploads to Imgur by default)
- Complexity may be overwhelming
Just want to get the Windows Snipping Tool working again? We have 10 common fixes for the Snipping Tool.
3. PicPick
Price: Free / starting at $24 per year
When you open PicPick, you’ll notice the user interface looks really good – in fact, the sidebar and ribbon interface is the same one used by the Microsoft Office applications. This alone makes it stand out from the other screenshot apps reviewed.
Additionally, PicPick has some interesting tools that make it a decent program for artists: a protractor to measure angles and a color palette picker. The whiteboard tool to annotate the entire screen before capture is useful but limited – you can only capture the full screen when using whiteboard. The FreeHand selection tool is different and nice to have but not really practical.
Another downside might be its reliance on imgsh.net, a lesser-known image-sharing site. All around though, PicPick is a good option.
Pros
- Image editor can create new images, not just edit screenshots
- Collection of helpful image-related tools
Cons
- Cloud upload / sharing relies on imgsh.net
- FreeHand tool not really practical
4. Snagit
Price: 15-day free trial, then $62.99
Snagit is a full-fledged screenshot program with the usual screenshot, video recording, editing, and sharing capabilities. One of its best features is the object selection tool that lets you automatically capture a specific element on the screen (like an icon, word, or section of a window).
Snagit’s editor is also great, with a wide range of tools and settings, allowing beautiful edits to images. However, the workflow is not the easiest to use: it takes more steps to save an actual image file, as this program first saves to a .snagx file for editing before requiring an extra step to save as an image.
Pros
- Best selection of capture options
- Image editor effects look great
- Comprehensive online sharing options
Cons
- High price
- Workflow is more complex
Tip: none of the screenshot tools here allow you to take a screenshot of the login screen. Learn how to take a screenshot of the Windows login screen.
5. Greenshot
Price: Free
Greenshot is an excellent free, open-source screenshot tool, despite not being updated for five years. One feature that stands out is its customizability. For instance, you can save images with automatically-generated file names that match your preferences by using variables like the date / time, name of the captured window, your Windows user or PC name, and a number that automatically goes up for each screenshot.
You can also change the keyboard shortcuts to open its various screen capture modes. Another cool benefit is that you always see the pixel dimensions of your screenshot (whether you use the region capture tool or window capture tool) before you take the screenshot. This all makes Greenshot the right tool for power users and professionals with specific needs.
Pros
- Lots of customization options
- Built-in image editor
Cons
- Outdated interface looks small on high-resolution displays
- Lack of updates
- Minor bugs
6. Gyazo
Price: Free, starting at $3.99/per month
Gyazo has two unique strengths: cloud-sharing service and the Gyazo Replay feature, geared towards gamers. Unlike other screenshot services, Gyazo’s cloud uploading is far more private and secure: the share links are longer, encrypted, unlisted, and protected against brute force attempts. For example, this Gyazo link, https://gyazo.com/c86f9566d5fd2904b2929ad4b67347c7, creates so many possibilities with its length that it’d be impossible to guess, compared to something like Imgur, which has much shorter links.
The other standout feature is Gyazo Replay, which lets you record the past few seconds – perfect if you’re a gamer and need to capture and share an epic moment. You should choose Gyazo if you want a high-tech solution.
Pros
- Instant secure cloud sharing
- GIF, video, and replay recording is great for gaming
Cons
- Lacks a built-in free image editor
7. Monosnap
Price: Free, starting at $2.50/month
If you’re looking for something you can use at work, check out Monosnap. It has a wide array of different integrations, including DigitalOcean spaces. One cool Monosnap feature: it was able to detect an installed image-viewing program and automatically chose it to open our images. This is perfect if you have custom or professional image-editing tools you need to use for your screenshots. Additionally, some of the paid options include privacy and team-management controls. It all makes Monosnap the ideal solution for businesses.
Pros
- Many upload options, including FTP and AWS S3
- Enterprise solution
Cons
- Requires account creation for quick image upload and sharing
8. Screenrec
Price: Free
Screenrec is a free screenshot and screen-recording program. The primary draw of Screenrec is its ability to create a publicly shareable link to the captured image or video by first uploading it to the cloud. The upload and sharing experience is very fast, but the actual program UI was far slower. Using the Alt + S shortcut to open the capture tool took two seconds, and clicking and dragging to capture a region felt sluggish and not responsive.
Region capture appears to be the only mode that will to take screenshots: there is no window or fullscreen capture! While this tool is one of the easiest and simplest to use, it may lack the specific capabilities you need.
Pros
- Intuitive interface and workflow
- Only one keyboard shortcut to remember
- Free cloud saving and sharing
Cons
- Seems to lag
- Fewer capabilities and customization options
If you are looking for ways to take screenshots on your Chromebook, we have the solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are any of these screenshot services available on mobile devices?
Yes, Lightshot is on Android, while Gyazo can be downloaded on both Android and iOS.
Compared to its desktop alternative, the Lightshot Android app is pretty good! It can take screenshots of the device’s screen and includes screenshot annotation capabilities, like arrows, rectangles, and circles. Screenshots can be saved locally or shared online. However, the app hasn’t been updated since 2019, so it’s at risk of being abandoned by the developer.
The Gyazo mobile apps are extremely limited. They can’t take screenshots or edit photos. They can only take pictures with the device camera and upload existing photos from your library to the Gyazo cloud. The purpose of these mobile apps seems to be browsing your existing Gyazo screenshot collection. The iOS version was last updated in 2018, and the Android version was last updated in 2021. These mobile apps clearly aren’t a priority for the developer.
Has Greenshot been abandoned?
Greenshot’s latest release date is August 9, 2017. WHile it may seem that all Greenshot development has ceased and that the application is effectively dead, this isn’t entirely true. Greenshot’s version history shows plenty of recent updates in 2022.
The current Greenshot version 1.2 is no longer receiving any updates, but the development team is working on version 1.3, which is unstable and has yet to be officially released. You can download Greenshot 1.3 from the version history page, but beware that it may come with severe bugs.
All screenshots by Brandon Li.
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