Best screenshot software for Windows
Short answer: For most Windows users: Snipping Tool if the built-in tool is enough, ShareX if you want everything for free, and Snagit if annotation and documentation quality justify a licence.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
How we picked
- Runs natively on Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Covers region, window and full-screen capture as a minimum
- Scrolling capture, annotation, PDF export and recording scored as differentiators
- Pricing model and trial status verified against the vendor's own site
Shortlist by user
| You are | Pick | Because |
|---|---|---|
| A casual Windows user | Snipping Tool | Nothing to install, covers the basics |
| A power user | ShareX | Scrolling capture, OCR, workflows, free |
| A technical writer | Snagit | Best editor, templates, step numbering |
| A designer | PicPick | Capture plus colour picker and rulers |
| A remote team | Zight or Gyazo | Instant links and shared libraries |
Compare these Windows products
| Product | Win 10 | Win 11 | Free plan | Free trial | Screenshot | Full page | Annotation | Recording | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snipping Tool | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | free |
| ShareX | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | free |
| Greenshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| Snagit | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| PicPick | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | freemium |
| Lightshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| Screenpresso | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | freemium |
| FastStone Capture | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| Ashampoo Snap | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| Flameshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| Gyazo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | freemium |
| Zight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | freemium |
| Droplr | Yes | Yes | No | Unverified | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | paid |
| Monosnap | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | freemium |
| GoFullPage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | freemium |
| Awesome Screenshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | freemium |
| Nimbus Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | freemium |
Snipping Tool
Microsoft
Microsoft's built-in Windows screenshot tool for rectangular, window, free-form and full-screen snips, opened with Windows + Shift + S.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
ShareX
ShareX Team
Free, open-source Windows screenshot and screen capture software with scrolling capture, OCR, screen recording and scriptable after-capture workflows.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Greenshot
Greenshot
A small, fast open-source screenshot tool for Windows with region and window capture, a simple annotation editor and direct export to file, printer or Office.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
Snagit
TechSmith
Commercial Windows screenshot and screen capture software with scrolling capture, a polished annotation editor, templates, OCR and screen recording.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
PicPick
NGWIN
Windows screenshot software combining region, window and scrolling capture with an image editor, colour picker, ruler, protractor and whiteboard.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Lightshot
Skillbrains
A very simple Windows screenshot tool that replaces Print Screen with an instant region selection, quick markup and one-click upload to a share link.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Annotation
- Cloud sharing
Screenpresso
Learnpulse
Windows screen capture software with scrolling capture, a workspace for organising captures, annotation and export of screenshot documents to PDF or Word.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Scrolling capture
- Annotation
FastStone Capture
FastStone
A small paid Windows capture utility with scrolling window capture, a floating toolbar, editor, screen recorder and direct export to PDF.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Ashampoo Snap
Ashampoo
Paid Windows screen capture software with scrolling capture, OCR, video recording, watermarking and a modern annotation editor.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Flameshot
Flameshot Project
Free, open-source screenshot tool with an annotation toolbar that appears directly inside the selection rectangle. Windows builds are available.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Annotation
- Delayed capture
- Cloud sharing
Gyazo
Nota
Capture a region on Windows and get an instant shareable link, with a searchable cloud library of past captures and short GIF recording.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Annotation
- Cloud sharing
- Screen recording
Zight
Zight (formerly CloudApp)
Windows capture app for screenshots, GIFs and screen recordings that uploads to a shareable link with annotation and team libraries.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Annotation
- Screen recording
Droplr
Droplr
Windows screenshot and screen recording app focused on instant links, file sharing and simple annotation for business teams.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Annotation
- Screen recording
Monosnap
Monosnap
Windows capture app with annotation, video recording and uploads to your own S3, Google Drive or corporate storage as well as Monosnap's cloud.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
GoFullPage
GoFullPage
Chrome extension for Windows that scrolls the current tab automatically and exports the entire web page as a PNG or PDF.
- Screenshot
- Full-page web capture
- Scrolling capture
- PDF export
- Chrome integration
Awesome Screenshot
Awesome Screenshot
Chrome extension for Windows that captures visible area, selected region or the full page, and records the browser tab with annotation and sharing.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Full-page web capture
- Scrolling capture
- Annotation
Nimbus Capture
Nimbus Web
Chrome extension and Windows companion for full-page and region capture, video recording, and a comparatively rich annotation editor.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Full-page web capture
- Scrolling capture
- Annotation
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best screenshot software for Windows?
- ShareX is the strongest free option and Snagit the strongest paid option. The built-in Snipping Tool is enough for simple region captures.