Leopard captured through Joxi screen capture tool
#1 Screen Capture Tool

Capture.
Annotate.
Share.

Joxi makes screenshots effortless. Capture any region of your screen, annotate with arrows, text & highlights, then share with a single click. Instantly.

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Windows • Mac • Chrome • Firefox • Opera
About Screen Capture

The Essential Guide to Screen Capture in 2026

Screen capture has become indispensable in the way we communicate, collaborate, and create content online. Whether you're a developer documenting a bug, a designer sharing feedback on a mockup, or a remote worker walking a colleague through a process, the ability to quickly capture what's on your screen and share it saves countless hours of explanation. Modern screen capture tools go far beyond simple screenshots — they offer annotation, cloud hosting, instant link sharing, scrolling capture, and even video recording with GIF export.

Choosing the right tool depends on how you work. Some users need a lightweight utility that stays out of the way; others want a professional suite with advanced editing, team collaboration, and integration with project management platforms. The good news is that many of the best options are completely free or offer generous free tiers. We've tested and compared the top 10 screen capture and sharing tools available today to help you find the one that fits your workflow.

Reviewed & Compared

Top 10 Screen Capture & Sharing Tools

Our hand-picked selection of the best tools for capturing and sharing your screen.

Joxi icon
#1

Joxi

Free

Joxi is the fastest way to capture, annotate, and share screenshots. Select any region of your screen, add arrows, text, highlights, and blur effects with the built-in editor, and Joxi instantly uploads your image to the cloud and copies a shareable link to your clipboard. No complex menus, no learning curve — just capture and share. The browser extension also supports full-page scrolling capture for long web pages.

Instant cloud sharing Built-in annotation editor Full-page scrolling capture Browser extension
Windows, Mac, Chrome, Firefox, Opera Download Free
ShareX icon
#2

ShareX

Free Open Source

The most feature-packed free screenshot tool on the market. ShareX supports over 10 capture methods including region, window, scrolling, and screen recording with GIF export. It integrates with 80+ cloud hosting and URL-shortening services. Power users love it, though the sheer number of options can be overwhelming for beginners.

80+ upload destinations Screen & GIF recording Scrolling capture Advanced image editor
Windows Visit Website
Greenshot icon
#3

Greenshot

Free Open Source

A lightweight, no-nonsense screenshot utility that does one thing exceptionally well. Greenshot offers quick region, window, and fullscreen capture with solid annotation tools including arrows, shapes, text, and highlighting. It exports directly to clipboard, email, printer, or Office apps with a minimal system footprint.

Ultra-lightweight Annotation tools Office integration Multiple export options
Windows Visit Website
Lightshot icon
#4

Lightshot

Free

Ultra-lightweight at under 3 MB, Lightshot focuses on one thing: capturing a screenshot and sharing it instantly. Take a screenshot and immediately get a shareable prnt.sc link — no account required. It includes a basic built-in editor for quick annotations, making it perfect for the fastest capture-to-share workflow.

Instant cloud sharing No account needed Under 3 MB install Chrome extension
Windows, Mac, Chrome Visit Website
Snagit icon
#5

Snagit

Freemium

TechSmith's professional-grade screen capture suite with the most advanced editing capabilities on this list. Snagit excels at scrolling capture, panoramic stitching, and video recording with a polished built-in editor. Ideal for teams and enterprise users, though it requires a paid subscription after the 15-day free trial.

Professional editor Video recording Scrolling capture Team collaboration
Windows, Mac Visit Website
Gyazo icon
#6

Gyazo

Free

Gyazo offers the broadest platform support on this list, running natively on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. Capture a screenshot or short video and it's instantly uploaded with a shareable link. Organize your captures into collections for easy team collaboration. Free tier includes unlimited storage.

True cross-platform Unlimited free storage Team collections Mobile apps
Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android Visit Website
Awesome Screenshot icon
#7

Awesome Screenshot

Free

With over 2 million users and a 4.6-star rating, Awesome Screenshot is the most popular browser-based capture tool. It captures visible areas, full pages, or selected regions directly from your browser, with built-in annotation, blur, and screen recording. Completely free with no premium upsell — ideal for web-based workflows.

2M+ users Full-page capture Screen recording Blur & annotate
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera Visit Website
Flameshot icon
#8

Flameshot

Free Open Source

The go-to screenshot tool for Linux users and developers. Flameshot offers a powerful annotation toolkit with arrows, shapes, blur, counters, text, and freehand drawing, all accessible from a clean on-screen toolbar. Cross-platform but with the strongest community support on Linux, including excellent Wayland compatibility.

Linux-native Rich annotations Wayland support Cloud upload
Windows, Mac, Linux Visit Website
Screenpresso icon
#9

Screenpresso

Free

A modern Windows capture tool with a rewritten engine and GPU-accelerated video recording up to 4K at 60fps. Screenpresso stands out with AI-powered editing features and a portable version that runs from a USB drive. The free version covers all core screenshot and recording features — pro is only needed for branding removal.

4K/60fps recording AI-powered editing Portable version Scrolling capture
Windows Visit Website
Nimbus Screenshot icon
#10

Nimbus Screenshot

Freemium

Now part of FuseBase, Nimbus is a browser-based capture tool offering screenshot capture, screen video recording, GIF conversion, and annotation — all from a browser extension. The free tier includes basic capture and editing with up to 100 screenshots. The Pro plan ($60/year) unlocks blur, redaction, and unlimited storage.

Video recording GIF conversion Annotation tools Multi-browser support
Chrome, Firefox, Edge Visit Website
Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about screen capture tools.

Joxi is our top pick for the best free screen capture tool thanks to its instant cloud sharing, built-in annotation editor, and cross-platform browser extension support. ShareX and Greenshot are also excellent free and open-source alternatives for Windows users.

Yes. Several free tools support scrolling capture, including ShareX (Windows), Awesome Screenshot (browser extension), and Screenpresso (Windows). Joxi's browser extension also captures full-page screenshots of web pages.

A screenshot tool captures a still image of your screen, while a screen recorder captures video. Many modern tools like Joxi, ShareX, Snagit, and Awesome Screenshot include both capabilities in a single application.

Most well-known free screenshot tools like Joxi, ShareX, Greenshot, and Flameshot are safe. Open-source tools (ShareX, Greenshot, Flameshot) have publicly auditable code. Always download from official websites to avoid bundled malware.

Gyazo and Flameshot are available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Joxi, Lightshot, and Awesome Screenshot work cross-platform via browser extensions. Most other tools on this list are Windows-only.

Many tools work without an account. Lightshot lets you capture and share instantly with no sign-up. Greenshot, ShareX, and Flameshot are fully offline tools that never require an account. Joxi and Gyazo offer optional accounts for cloud storage and history.