17 Best Free Screenshot Tools to Use [2024]

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  • Capture your screen with one click

  • Take scrolling screenshots

  • Easily save and share your screenshots

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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As the demand for screenshots increases daily, you would require a great screenshot tool to help you with your task. Here are some of the best free screenshot tools that you can choose.

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Best free screenshot software

Movavi Screen Recorder

  • Best for:

    simple UI

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS

  • Price:

    free trial, $59.95 for a lifetime version

  • G2 rating:

    4.5 out of 5, 50 reviews

Movavi Screen Recorder is here to help you take screenshots with ease. You can also record your screen with the help of this screenshot software. You can set up all your recording parameters. Simply choose the area you want to capture, and you are good to go. The best thing about this application is that it has editing options. You can also take screenshots while recording a video. You can add text, lines, arrows, shapes, and change colors. After editing, you can export the screenshot to your desired location. All of these features make it one of the best screenshot tools with free trial.

Key features:

  • Take meaningful screenshots: capture a single window, a full page, or just part of it
  • Edit your screenshots – add highlights, text, and arrows
  • Capture on-screen activity to improve efficiency with simple, lightweight recordings
  • Save and share the results with your colleagues to streamline your work process

Pros:

  • A handy tool to ramp up productivity with digital media capture

  • Smooth running on any Windows or Mac compute

  • Taking and editing partial or scrolling screenshots in a snap

Cons:

  • No limits to your creativity in the full version of the program

Windows Snipping Tool

  • Best for:

    basic screenshot needs

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

Windows Snipping Tool is one of the best free screenshot tools for taking easy screenshots. With this tool, you can edit or add notes to screenshots. Windows Snipping Tool allows users to utilize the various snip modes according to their usage. It allows using Paint 3D to rotate, resize, and enhance your screenshots. It is free screenshot software that permits users to take screenshots with a click. There are various snip types like Free-form snip, Window snip, Rectangular snip, and Full-screen snip. With the Free-form snip, you can draw any free-form shape on your screen to capture that area. Rectangular snip will let you drag the cursor around the area you want to snip to form a rectangular frame. With Window snip, you can select a specific window you desire to capture. If you want to capture the full screen, the Full-screen snip is your option.

Key features:

  • Completely free to use
  • Serves basic needs of screenshots
  • Easy to use

Pros:

  • Easy snipping tool for Windows

  • Various snipping modes

  • One-click screenshot

Cons:

  • Lacks editing features

  • Extremely basic features

Windows Snip and Sketch

  • Best for:

    easy editing

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

  • PCMag rating:

    3 out of 5

If you are looking for a free snapshot tool with easy editing features, Windows Snip and Sketch is a great option. It’s one of the best free screenshot software and comes built into Windows. If you cannot find this tool in your Windows OS, you can download the same from the Microsoft Store. You can launch this screenshot tool by pressing the Window key + Shift + S. The interface comes with a flat design and simple elements. The bar that you will find at the top of your screen will provide you with various capture options as you launch the tool. You can capture the whole screen, a custom portion, or a window. The best thing about this tool is that it comes with a timer of three seconds and ten seconds. It will give you plenty of time to set what appears on the screen and take perfect screenshots. After you finish taking your screenshot, the editor opens. There are various useful tools to modify your screenshots. Also, it comes with a protractor and ruler tool to keep your changes symmetrical and nice. You can crop your screenshots as per your liking. You can save your screenshots as JPG, GIF, or PNG files.

Key features:

  • Simple interface
  • Super easy editing
  • Screenshot software that’s free

Pros:

  • Comes with a highlighter, measurement, and eraser tools

  • Easy capturing and annotation of screenshots

  • Export screenshots to social media

  • One of the best free screenshot tools for Windows

Cons:

  • No option to capture video

  • No option to capture scrolling windows

  • Does not support voice recording

Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

  • Best for:

    variety of editing tools

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS

  • Price:

    free trial version, $62.45 for the full version

  • TopSevenReviews rating:

    4.5 out of 5

If you’re looking for a screenshotting tool with a lot of editing capabilities, this one's for you. It lets you choose any color and draw on the screenshot however you like. But if you’re in a hurry, the app gives you all the basic shapes and tools you may need: from arrows and circles to typing text over the image. The program is definitely worth trying out!

Key features:

  • Taking snapshots while recording screen
  • Big variety of drawing tools: different brush sizes, colors, shapes, arrows, text, etc.
  • Simple saving and sharing

Pros:

  • Comprehensive interface

  • Flexible editing

  • Saving images to many popular formats

Cons:

  • The trial version limits the recording time to 3 minutes

Easy basic editing

Windows Snip and Sketch
Editor's choice

Simple UI and complex functions

Movavi Screen Recorder

Wide variety of editing tools

Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

Action! – Screen and Game Recorder

  • Best for:

    in-game screenshotting

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free trial version, $11.84 for the full version

  • G2 rating:

    4.8 out of 5, 12 reviews

Action! was designed as a screen recording and streaming tool for gamers. With its cool design, flexible settings, and low CPU usage, it’s a great beginner option. Its screenshot functionality is rather limited, but what matters is that you can take snapshots without any issues while streaming to Twitch, YouTube, or another platform.

Key features:

  • Taking screenshots while recording your gameplay
  • Managing the shots through the in-app menu

Pros:

  • The app is great for capturing gameplay because of its low CPU usage

  • Can save screenshots of the entire desktop region, even on multi-display setups

  • Lets you take screenshots of the devices connected to your PC, e.g., from a console connected through a capture card

Cons:

  • No screenshot editing tools

ScreenRec

  • Best for:

    instant sharing

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS, Linux

  • Price:

    free

  • G2 rating:

    4.9 out of 5, 5 reviews

ScreenRec is a free screenshot tool that allows users to easily record their screens or take screenshots. The interface of this tool is pretty basic. Users can start to record using one hotkey. After recording or taking the screenshot, you can save the file or share it anywhere. The primary downside of this great tool is that it does not come with any editing tool. You can save your screenshots in any basic format you like. The platform generates a link that you can share with other people so that they can access your screenshots directly from the cloud. The best thing is that the link comes with encryption, and only people with the password can access the files. There is no limitation on taking screenshots. If you are searching for a go-to screenshot and screen recording software, ScreenRec could be a great option.

Download SсreenRec

Key features:

  • Hassle-free sharing option
  • No watermarks or ads

Pros:

  • Free usage

  • Easy to use UI

  • No limitation on screenshots

Cons:

  • There is no feature to edit

Lightshot

  • Best for:

    fast screenshot

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS

  • Price:

    free

  • G2 rating:

    4.7 out of 5, 103 reviews

Lightshot is one of the best screenshot editors that’s free for your PC or laptop. With the help of this tool, users can edit their screenshots, add texts, and draw anything they want using the freehand tool. The interface is quite basic that is easy to use. It allows faster screenshots of selected areas. The screenshot tool comes with a powerful editor with which you can edit all your screenshots. You can add colorful lines and objects in the screenshots. Lightshot comes with a similar image searching feature that will help you find similar images to the ones you capture. You can easily upload the screenshots to the server and generate shorter links for quick sharing. Users can share their screenshots on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. The tool is available for both macOS and Windows.

Download Lightshot

Key features:

  • Great editing options
  • Similar image search
  • Quick screenshot option

Pros:

  • Lightweight UI

  • Several editing options

  • Provides browser extension

  • Easy uploading to cloud storage

  • Free download for Windows 10

Cons:

  • No option to change the capture mode

  • No separate tool to edit images

ShareX

  • Best for:

    lightweight UI

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

  • TechRadar rating:

    4.5 out of 5

ShareX is a free screenshot capture software with various screen capture options like a window, full screen, scrolling, region, etc. The best aspect of this screenshot tool is that you can decide whether you want to include the cursor or not in your screenshots. You can set up a timer to delay your screenshots. Users can easily record onscreen activity like an animated GIF or video. The workflow of this tool is quite seamless, and you can customize all kinds of settings as per your need. You can also add image effects or your custom watermark if you want. You can edit all your screenshots in the image editor.

Download ShareX

Key features:

  • Seamless UI
  • Editing feature

Pros:

  • Various sharing options

  • Provides screen recording and capture

  • Capture scrolling page

Cons:

  • No game recording or capturing

  • It might be fiddly to configure

In-game screenshotting

Action! – Screen and Game Recorder
Editor's choice

Simple UI and complex functions

Movavi Screen Recorder

Fast screenshots

Lightshot

Awesome Screenshot

Awesome Screenshot is a superb tool to record and capture your screen. You can record your current tab, desktop, or only camera. It functions as a Chrome extension that can ease your task of taking screenshots. You can screenshot any page you visit, selected area, full page, or visible area. It also comes with a delay feature that helps in timing your screenshots. Users can crop or resize the screenshots according to the size they need. It can help annotate your captures with circles, lines, rectangles, arrows, etc. If you want to blur out sensitive information, you can do so with this awesome tool. You can save your captures as JPG or PNG.

Add Awesome Screenshot to Chrome

Key features:

  • Screenshot and screen recording
  • One-click save
  • Annotate your screenshots

Pros:

  • Add shapes or texts to your screenshots

  • Get shareable links

  • Easy basic editing

Cons:

  • The UI is not clean

  • Serves basic purpose

Nimbus

Nimbus is an easy-to-use screenshot tool that can make taking screenshots easier. You can capture full screen or partial screen of any size. The powerful editing tool can help in improving the quality of your screenshots. You can annotate all your captures and share them with anyone you want. It is possible to change the background color and text color and make your captures more colorful. One of the best features of this screenshot tool is that it allows scrolling while you capture from web pages. If you need to record your screen, you can do that with this tool. You can crop and resize your screenshots, followed by the addition of text boxes and graphics. If you need to add watermarks to your screenshots, you can do the same with the premium version. Uploading to Dropbox is also available in the premium version. But you can upload your captures to Google Classroom and Google Drive without any hassle and for free.

Add Nimbus to Chrome

Key features:

  • Screen scrolling capture
  • Screen recording

Pros:

  • Basic editing

  • Annotation feature

  • Easy sharing

Cons:

  • Professional tools are available with the premium version

Greenshot

  • Best for:

    capture a complete webpage

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS

  • Price:

    free for Windows, $1.99 for macOS

  • G2 rating:

    4.8 out of 5, 142 reviews

Greenshot is a screenshot tool that installs easily and needs no setup. The tools use the Print Screen key as the hotkey. The tool is powerful enough to capture any region you select or a complete browser window. It provides the option of drag and drop that allows easy sharing. After taking your screenshots, you can edit the same in the image editor.

Download Greenshot

Key features:

  • Capture entire webpage
  • Real-time editing

Pros:

  • Comes with interesting tools like blur, sequence number, and so on

  • Easy sharing

  • Great for basic editing

Cons:

  • No video recording feature

  • The program window might freeze at times

TinyTake

  • Best for:

    cloud storage

  • Operating system:

    Windows, macOS

  • Price:

    free

  • TechRadar rating:

    4.5 out of 5

With the help of TinyTake, you can capture anything that you see on your screen. You need to select a region or window that you would like to capture, and you are good to go. It comes with a quick sharing feature that makes sharing your captures seamless. You can drag and drop your local drive pictures and annotate the same. You can draw attention, blur sensitive areas or content, and make your screenshots attractive using the highlighter tool. TinyTake also comes with a screen recording feature that will let you capture any area of your screen or from a webcam for 120 minutes. The annotation tool is available for your videos as well. You can save the screenshots on a local drive, copy them to a clipboard, attach them to mail or send them to a printer. You can share up to 2 GB at once. To share your screenshots, simply drag them into the Files tab. The tool zips any large folder and uploads the same to cloud storage. You can also get a personal shareable link if you want. The best thing about this tool is that you can directly share your content on YouTube.

Download TinyTake

Key features:

  • Quick screenshot feature
  • Drag and drop facility
  • Annotation tool

Pros:

  • Screen recording with screenshot feature

  • One-click sharing

  • Share bulk files at once

  • Direct sharing to YouTube

Cons:

  • It might lag at times

Quick sharing

Nimbus
Editor's choice

Simple UI and complex functions

Movavi Screen Recorder

For capturing a complete webpage

Greenshot

PicPick

  • Best for:

    enhance screenshots

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

  • CNET rating:

    3.5 out of 5, 137 reviews

PicPick is a free screenshot tool that can help you take screenshots. You can modify all your captures according to your need. The interface is quite handy and comes with plenty of editing features. You can select from various tools like the magnifying glass, color picker, pixel ruler, viewfinder, etc. You can capture anything available on the screen. You can make a copy of the whole screen, any region of the screen, or a scrolling window. It is quite simple to add text, shapes, arrows, and more with the integrated editor. The highlight feature will let you add frames, shadings, blur, watermarks, and more. You can save and share your captures via email, Google Drive, Dropbox, and well-known social media platforms. It comes with a capture bar that will make it easier to take screenshots.

Download PicPick

Key features:

  • Capture anything
  • Enhance captures with various effects

Pros:

  • Easy sharing

  • Graphic accessories

  • Customizable settings

Cons:

  • There is no form of support for the free version

Screenpresso

  • Best for:

    capture scrolling windows

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

  • G2 rating:

    4.5 out of 5, 27 reviews

If you want to have a seamless screenshot tool, Screenpresso can help you. Simply press the Print Screen button and find out how easily the tool assists you in capturing your screen. The cursor turns into a crosshair and will help highlight all those areas you would like to capture. It is well-known for sharp edge snipping that can provide great screenshots. You can capture a part of your screen, the entire screen, or a window using the same hotkey. The stitching mechanism of Screenpresso allows users to capture scrolling windows. You can also delay capture to capture the context menu. You can use the screen recorder if you want to record your screen apart from taking screenshots. You can capture your screen in MP4 without any hassle. It’s one of the best free screenshot apps and can serve all your basic needs.

Download Screenpresso

Key features:

  • Use the same hotkey for various capture options
  • Record screen

Pros:

  • Capture scrolling windows

  • Feature to delay capture

  • Smooth workflow

Cons:

  • Basic editing features

Icecream Screen Recorder

  • Best for:

    multi-screen recording

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

  • Capterra rating:

    4.2 out of 5, 24 reviews

Icecream Screen Recorder is a basic screen recorder that allows users to record any screen area or take screenshots. You can record video tutorials, games, live streams, webinars, and more with the help of this tool. The tool comes with an easy annotation feature that will let you add shapes, arrows, and texts to your captures. With the pro version, you can add a logo or watermark to your screenshots, record games, and add mouse effects. The application is pretty basic for recording screens.

Download Icecream Screen Recorder

Key features:

  • Easy to use UI
  • Fast sharing

Pros:

  • Permits screen annotation

  • Add logo with the pro version

Cons:

  • Basic editing features

  • Professional tools are available with the pro version

Snipaste

  • Best for:

    precise screenshot

  • Operating system:

    Windows

  • Price:

    free

Snipaste is a handy screenshot freeware that can make taking screenshots an easy task. The best aspect of Snipaste is its speed. It provides customizable keyboard shortcuts that will let you open selection sessions or perform other tasks. The tool is powerful enough to detect any element available on the screen, making it easier to grab an icon, window, or shape on the screen. You can also opt for freehand selection. After you finish the selection, you can annotate them using various tools like a pen. Overall, it is a superb application that can serve your basic needs. The keyboard shortcuts can help streamline your workflow. You can get this screenshot program for free.

Download Snipaste

Key features:

  • Accurate snipping
  • Easy paste feature

Pros:

  • Fast UI

  • Simple and easy to use

Cons:

  • Cannot record screen

Droplr

Droplr is one of the easiest screen grab tools. It will also let you record your screen. After taking screenshots, it will automatically go to the cloud for storage. You can paste your screenshots and share the same with anyone. Or you can download your screenshots as PNG. The image editor will let you add circles, lines, boxes, and arrows. You can also add more than thirty emojis to your screenshots. You need to create a Droplr account, add the extension to your Google Chrome browser, and you are good to go.

Add Droplr to Chrome

Key features:

  • Easy screenshot
  • Allows screen recording

Pros:

  • Capture any screen area

  • Annotation tools

  • Completely free screenshot tool for Windows 10 and Windows 7

Cons:

  • Serves basic usage only

Automatic cloud saving

Droplr
Editor's choice

Simple UI and complex functions

Movavi Screen Recorder

Multi-screen recording

Icecream Screen Recorder

How to choose the best free screenshot app

If you face any confusion or dilemma regarding which screenshot tool to choose, you can easily select one from the list of tools above. All of these tools can serve your purpose of taking screenshots. Some screenshot tools can provide various features, and others can provide great support or usability. Selecting from a wide array of collections might be a tough thing to do. Here are certain things to remember before you go for one.

  • Features: you will need to ensure that the tool you opt for can take screenshots easily without any hassle. It should also have some basic features like editing tools, annotation, etc. Try to go for an application that can provide everything under one roof. For example, if you want to take scrolling screenshots, try out Movavi Screen Recorder.

  • Usability: the software or application you select should be simple and easy to use. Complex UI or too many features might make your work harder. Try to make sure that the application runs on your OS.

  • Price: finding a screenshot tool within your budget is not that tough. The majority of tools provide free versions. You can use them first to be sure they match your needs. There are completely free tools that work better than paid ones.

  • Support: having good technical support is always great. You might need assistance when the tool stops working or if you need any other help regarding the same. So, it is better to check if any support is available for the application you choose. For instance, you can get a chat or email support.

Summary

We hope this article has helped you choose screenshot software. Before buying anything, make sure you’ve browsed through all the programs, their features and advantages. This will ensure that you’ll find the best print screen software that’s free.

Movavi Screen Recorder

The perfect way to record anything from your screen

Disclaimer: Please be aware that Movavi Screen Recorder does not allow capture of copy-protected video and audio streams.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best screenshot tool?

Here are the top 9 tools to choose from:

  • Movavi Screen Recorder – Best for simple UI
  • Windows Snip and Sketch – Best for easy editing
  • ScreenRec – Best for instant sharing
  • Lightshot – Best for fast screenshots
  • ShareX – Best for lightweight UI
  • Awesome Screenshot – Best for easy annotation
  • Nimbus – Best for quick sharing
  • PicPick – Best for enhancing screenshots
  • Icecream Screen Recorder – Best for multi-screen recording

For more options, read the full article.

Does Windows 10 have a screen capture tool?

Yes, Windows 10 comes with a screen capture utility. You can either go for the Snipping Tool or the Snip and Sketch tool.

What is the best screenshot editor?

Here are some of the best free screenshot software that also come with editing features:

  • Movavi Screen Recorder – Best for simple UI
  • Lightshot – Best for fast screenshots
  • Nimbus – Best for quick sharing
  • Icecream Screen Recorder – Best for multi-screen recording
  • Droplr – Best for automatic cloud saving
  • Aiseesoft Screen Recorder – Best for variety of editing tools
  • Windows Snip and Sketch tool – Best for easy editing

How do I get a Snipping Tool for free?

Snipping Tool is a built-in app on Windows operating system, so it is absolutely free. In case you don’t have this app on your computer, you can find it on Windows Store. If you want an all-in-one screenshot program with free trial, try out Movavi Screen Recorder.

What has replaced Snipping Tool?

At some point, Snipping Tool was replaced by Snip & Sketch on Windows 11. However, later Microsoft merged the two apps in one program called Snipping Tool.

How do I screenshot for free?

Here’s how to take a screenshot with Movavi Screen Recorder:

  1. Install the program.

  2. Click the Screenshot icon.

  3. Select the capture area.

  4. Click Save screenshot.

What is a free and open-source screenshot tool?

Free and open-source screenshot tools are screenshot tools that are not only free to use but  also the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, change, and distribute the source code and the program itself for any purpose.

What program can I use to take a screenshot for free?

  • Movavi Screen Recorder – Best for simple UI
  • Windows Snipping Tool – Best for basic screenshot needs
  • Aiseesoft Screen Recorder – Best for variety of editing tools
  • ScreenRec – Best for instant sharing
  • Lightshot – Best for fast screenshot
  • ShareX – Best for lightweight UI
  • Nimbus – Best for quick sharing
  • Icecream Screen Recorder – Best for multi-screen recording

Movavi Screen Recorder

The perfect way to record anything from your screen

An easy way to record from your screen in HD. Make video footage of any application, record online streaming video, webinars, even Skype calls, and save clips in all popular formats.

4.6 20,293 reviews
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