7 best free and paid screenshot apps for Mac

Taking a screenshot on your Mac is not a big deal. You can simply press Shift + Command + 3 to capture the entire screen or Shift + Command + 4 to only capture the selected area. If you want more screenshot options, press Shift + Command + 5. You will even get screen recording options when you use the last shortcut. 

When you capture the screen, the screenshots get automatically saved to the desktop unless you have chosen a specific folder or destination. And if you no longer need the screenshot, how to delete a screenshot on Mac? The steps are simple. Locate the screenshot on your device, select it, and press Command + Delete. 

What’s more? The in-built macOS screenshot tool is completely free. 

This begs the question – why would you ever be interested in looking elsewhere to take a screenshot on your Mac? The answer is that taking a screenshot is more than simply capturing the screen. It is also about making additional changes, such as highlighting, annotating, or redacting. So, if you are seeking advanced options, the basic macOS screenshot tool will not do. 

Whether you are a business mogul, a creative professional, or a casual, the following list of free and paid screenshot apps is a game-changer. Let’s take a look! 

App name  Description Key features  Price 
Awesome Screenshot & Recorder  Well-known browser extension for taking screenshots of desktops and websites, and adding comments, annotations and edits. Available for Safari and other popular browsers. Seamless sharing capabilities and cloud storage uploads. 
  • Captures selected areas of a page, full web pages, still images from videos, etc. 
  • Annotation options, such as shapes and text
  • Free cloud storage upload for saving local storage space 
  • Screen recording feature 
Free
CleanShot X A comprehensive tool offering features like adding annotations, capturing scrolling windows, and directly uploading screenshots to cloud storage. 
  • Capture active windows, entire screen or specific regions 
  • Capture scrolling windows 
  • Capture GIFs and high-quality screen recordings
  • Share screenshots to social media, cloud storage or email 
  • Add annotations with shapes, watermarks, arrows, etc. 
Basic features are free, but all the features are unlocked at $29 (one-time payment). 
Snagit Professional tool offering advanced screen recording, editing and sharing features. Supports GIFs and text extraction from screenshots. Fantastic tech support and after-purchase experience. 
  • Captures the entire screen and specific regions or windows 
  • Comprehensive suite of editing tools to let users crop, annotate, resize, add text and apply effects
  • Captures lengthy documents or scrolling web pages in a single screenshot 
  • Seamless sharing options 
15-day free trial period; one-time payment of $62.99 for a single license 
Shottr  A cloud-based tool for capturing, annotating and sharing screenshots. The tool is equipped with a web clipper and task manager. Enjoy MI-optimized performance and OCR capabilities. 
  • Weighs only 1.5 MB
  • Markup and scrolling screenshots 
  • Zoom in on pixels 
  • Regularly updated and maintained 
Free
Droplr  Comprehensive screenshot tool, catering to enterprise and business users. Offers high-resolution capture capabilities, along with security features and cloud storage. 
  • Capture screen and annotate 
  • Share screenshots directly to social media or cloud storage 
  • Seamlessly integrates with MailChimp, Slack, eBay, etc. 
  • Screenshots or screen recording are automatically saved to the Droplr account 
  • Videos can be recorded in 4K resolution 
  • Video editing abilities, such as trimming the video length 
Free trial is available; $6 per month is the starting premium subscription 
Lightshot  User-friendly, lightweight screenshot tool perfect for capturing the screen. Equipped with basic editing tools. 
  • Lightweight and simple design. Doesn’t consume too much resources. 
  • Upload and share screenshots with ease
  • Annotate the screenshot using shapes and text boxes 
  • Save screenshots in BMP, JPEG or PNG format 
Free
Monosnap  A cloud-based screenshot tool for Mac users. The tool allows users to capture, share and annotate screenshots. Similar to Shottr, it is equipped with a web clipper and task manager. 
  • Capture active windows, specific regions and the entire screen 
  • Add annotations using watermarks, shapes, etc. 
  • Directly share screenshots to cloud storage 
  • Manage to-do lists and tasks 
Free

 

This is a roundup of the top free and paid screenshot applications for Mac computers. These apps offer features that can help you up your screenshot game. Whether you are seeking basic screenshot capabilities or advanced organizational and collaborative features, these applications cater to various workflows and preferences. Do your due diligence in researching the features of the apps and choose the one that aligns with your specific requirements and needs. 

Summing Up 

When it comes to screenshot applications, the options are diverse. From premium powerhouses to nifty freebies, each application offers its unique suite of features and capabilities. 

Whether you need to capture the screen or window for your creative endeavors or work, the aforementioned applications are worth checking out. These apps are more than tools because they help users share their ideas and collaborate with their teams. Happy snapping!