Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
For most Ubuntu 24.04 users, start with the built-in GNOME screenshot workflow. It covers the three captures people use most—full screen, active window and a selected area—without installing anything. Choose Flameshot when you need to draw, blur or otherwise edit an image before saving or sharing. On GNOME Wayland, treat Flameshot as an optional tool rather than a guaranteed replacement: its project describes Wayland support as experimental, and its own troubleshooting guidance says permissions and the desktop portal can affect captures.
This guide explains which option fits your workflow, how to decide on Wayland, how to troubleshoot failures and when a website screenshot API such as ScreenshotNeo is a better choice for automated or remote captures.
Which screenshot app should you use?
| Need | Best starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Capture the whole display, active window or a rectangular area | GNOME Screenshot | Built into the normal GNOME workflow and focused on basic captures. |
| Annotate while you capture | Flameshot | Its official overview lists in-app editing, customizable appearance, a D-Bus interface and Imgur upload. |
| Automated captures of web pages, PDFs or many URLs | ScreenshotNeo | Clean shots, only clean shots billed, and a $5 paid plan for 3,000 shots. |
| GNOME Wayland with no tolerance for permission troubleshooting | GNOME Screenshot | Flameshot labels GNOME Wayland support experimental. |
There is no evidence that one desktop utility is universally more reliable on every Ubuntu 24.04 hardware and display setup. The practical choice is based on features: GNOME Screenshot for straightforward capture, Flameshot for editing, and ScreenshotNeo for programmatic web capture.
What GNOME Screenshot can do on Ubuntu
The Ubuntu GNOME screenshot utility supports three core targets:
#1 Best Overall
- 【1080P 60FPS Video Capture Card】 This HDMI game capture card is based on USB3.0 high speed transmission port, input resolution up to 4K@30HZ, output resolution up to 2K@30Hz or 1920×1080@60Hz. Type c and USB interface can meet most of the devices in daily life. Easily meet the online capture, real-time recording, online meetings, live gaming and other functions, so you have a better visual enjoyment. Note: For capture use only; requires capture software to function and is not intended for direct screen casting to a monitor or TV
- 【Ultra Low Latency Screen Sharing】 HDMI capture card is made of good quality aluminum alloy with strong heat dissipation, allowing you to enjoy ultra low latency while live gaming or video recording or live streaming, avoiding blue screens and lag. This HDMI to USBC capture card supports easy recording of good quality audio or HD video and transferring it to your computer or streaming platform, allowing you to record 60 fps HD video directly on your hard drive and real-time preview
- 【Plug and Play, Easy to Carry】 This HDMI 1080P video capture card does not require any additional drivers or external power supply, just plug and play for fast capture. The capture card is small and lightweight, so you can put it in your bag for emergencies, making it very portable for outdoor live streaming. It's also a great way to share content in game recording, video conference, video recorder and online teaching
- 【Wide Compatibility USB Capture Card】 Easily streams to Facebook, Youtube or Twitch. With the connection, this HDMI to USB C/3.0 video capture devices can be working on several Operating Systems and various software: Windows 7/ 8/ 10, Mac OS or above, Linux, Android, Laptop, Xbox One, PS3/PS4/PS5, Camera, DVDs, Set Top Box, Webcame, DSLR, Switch/Switch 2, TV BOX, HDTV, Potplayer/VLC, ZOOM, OBS Studio etc.
- 【Package Content & Note】 1x HD Audio Capture Card , 1x USB 3.0 to USB C Adapter (A-side 3.0, B-side 2.0), 1x user manual. Please note that you need to restart the OBS Studio software after the audio setup is complete, otherwise it will result in no sound output. When using an adapter, if the device is recognized as USB 2.0, try using the other side with the USB-C port. Simply flip the capture card and reconnect it to be recognized as USB 3.0
- Entire screen: captures everything visible on the display.
- Active window: captures the currently selected application window.
- Selected area: lets you define a rectangle before taking the shot.
The Ubuntu manpage also documents a clipboard capture option. That manpage is for Ubuntu Jammy, so it documents the utility’s functions but does not establish the exact package version or default installation state in Ubuntu 24.04. If a particular button or command differs on your system, use the GNOME Screenshot help available in your installed desktop rather than assuming the Jammy package details apply unchanged.
When the built-in tool is enough
Use GNOME Screenshot when you need a quick image for a bug report, a support message, a document or a presentation and do not need arrows, pixelation or uploads inside the capture tool. Fewer moving parts also means fewer background permissions and fewer integration points to diagnose.
Where it reaches its limit
The documented workflow is about selecting a capture target and obtaining the image. If your process requires drawing callouts, obscuring sensitive text, changing the tool’s appearance or sending the result directly to an image host, Flameshot is the more feature-oriented desktop option.
Rank #2
- AV TO USB Converter: Capture videos and audios from VHS, VCR, Hi8, DV tapes to a PC, with the help of our USB Video Converter. Save room while digitizing your favorite old memories
- Quality Capture Card: Our USB Video Capture Card converting anolog RCA composite input into HD 720P USB output and capturing audio without any sound card. Advanced signal processing technology provides you with great precision, colors, resolutions, and details.
- Plug and Play: Automatically install the driver once you hook up this RCA to USB Converter to a PC. No external power is needed. User-friendly and easy to operate
- Wide Compatibility: The Video Capture Card can work with video devices with RCA connector or S-Video connector, such as VHS, VCR, Hi8, camcorder, compatible with Windows and Mac OS. Support video formats like NTSC, PAL, and support brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation control
- Note: The Video Converter is used with acquisition software. We recommend OBS Studio or PotPlayer for Windows, and QuickTime Player for Mac. They can be downloaded for free online. Please operate according to the steps in User Manual or contact us if you have any questions
When Flameshot is the better fit
Flameshot’s official overview describes it as screenshot software with in-app editing. It also lists customizable appearance, a D-Bus interface for integration and Imgur upload. Those features matter when the screenshot is part of a communication workflow rather than the final artifact by itself.
Ubuntu 24.04 availability
Flameshot’s official Linux installation page explicitly lists Ubuntu 24.04, codenamed Noble, and provides installation options for that release. Use the installation method shown on that current page so you receive instructions appropriate to Noble; release packaging and instructions can change.
Wayland qualification
On a GNOME Wayland session, Flameshot’s own overview calls support experimental. Its troubleshooting guide discusses screenshot permissions and capture problems, including the desktop portal path. In practice, a failed or blank capture can be a permission or portal issue rather than a damaged image file. Check your session type, follow the project’s current troubleshooting steps and test again after granting any requested permission. This is vendor guidance, not a guarantee for every Ubuntu 24.04 configuration.
Rank #3
- 【4K HDMI Input, 2K@30Hz Recording】Powered by a true USB 3.0 high-speed interface, the capture card supports up to 4K@30Hz HDMI input and records at 2K@30Hz or 1080P@60Hz. Perfect for gamers, streamers, and professionals who need crisp, smooth video for live streaming, gameplay recording, or online meetings.
- 【Ultra Low Latency Screen Sharing】Built with a premium aluminum alloy shell and advanced chipset for stable heat dissipation, ensuring ultra-low latency transmission. Capture high-quality video and dual-channel audio in real time—no lag, no frame drop—ideal for Twitch, YouTube, or OBS streaming.
- 【Easy Plug and Play, Compact & Portable】No driver or external power required—just plug and play via USB 3.0 or Type-C connection to your Windows or macOS computer. Lightweight and compact design makes it easy to carry for outdoor streaming, live shows, or mobile recording setups.
- 【Wide Compatibility & Multi-Device Support】Compatible with Windows 7 8 10 11, macOS, Linux,Android and supports most popular software such as OBS, Zoom, VLC, Twitch Studio, and more. Works seamlessly with PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, DSLR cameras, TV boxes, and other HDMI-output devices for streaming to YouTube, Twitch, etc.
- 【What You Get】Includes: HDMI Capture Card, USB 3.0 to USB-C Adapter, User Manual. Tips: Make sure your tablet’s OTG function is enabled before connecting. Test your HDMI device with a monitor first to confirm video and audio output, then connect to the Video Capture Card for recording.
Choose by workflow, not by feature count
For a single screenshot
- Use GNOME Screenshot if the target is the full display, active window or a rectangular area.
- Choose Flameshot if you need to mark the image before saving or sharing.
- If either tool produces a blank result on Wayland, investigate permissions and portal behavior before changing file formats.
For support and documentation
Flameshot’s editing tools can reduce the number of steps between capture and explanation: add a visual cue, hide sensitive content and then share. If your organization does not want uploads to a third-party host, leave upload features unused and save locally.
For repeatable web-page images
Desktop utilities capture your current desktop session. They are not a substitute for a server-side browser that can load a URL on demand, apply a fixed viewport, wait for a page condition and return the same response to a build system. Use an API for that job.
Or skip the browser setup:
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF. It can accept a consent banner before capture and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for response handling and options. The service supports full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element shots, dark mode, 12 device presets plus custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper size/margins/orientation/page ranges, HTML or CSS rendering, custom JavaScript and CSS, pre-capture clicks, hidden selectors, waits for a selector, delay or network idle, blocking ads/trackers/requests/resource types, custom headers/cookies/user agents/Authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, TTL-based caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify a migration.
Rank #4
- [Enhanced 4K-1080P Video Capture Experience] Capture the Magic: Elevate your video recordings to new heights with our upgraded anti-static 1080P Video Capture Card. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals, supporting HDMI input at 4K 60FPS and USB output for capturing in 1080P, complete with rich stereo sound. Enjoy crystal-clear video recordings, dynamic gaming live streams, and professional conference broadcasts. Note: HDMI resolution: Max input can be 3840×2160@30Hz / Video output resolution: Max output can be 1920×1080@30Hz
- [Seamless Real-Time Preview] Stay in the Moment: Our advanced ultra-low latency technology ensures seamless real-time transmission of video streams. Experience instant, lag-free previews, allowing you to capture every detail precisely. Effortlessly record video directly to your hard disk, all without compromising on quality or introducing any delays.
- [Versatility and Broad Compatibility] Your Creative Hub: Connect your DSLR, camcorder, or action camera to a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Unlock a world of possibilities with real-time streaming to popular platforms like Twitch, Youtube, OBS, Zoom, Potplayer, and VLC, giving you the tools to share your content effortlessly.
- [Effortless Plug and Play] Simplicity Redefined: Say goodbye to complex installations. Our plug-and-play design eliminates the need for drivers or external power supplies. Seamlessly integrate high-definition acquisition into various scenarios, whether it's educational recordings, immersive gaming, precise medical imaging, captivating live streams, or professional broadcasting.
- [Seize Every Detail with Precision] Unleash your creativity and attention to detail with our video capture card. Capture every nuance, every color, and every moment with precision, thanks to the enhanced capabilities of our technology. Whether you're a content creator, a gamer, or a professional, our capture card empowers you to seize the finest elements and bring them to life in your recordings and live streams.
Cost and failed-page behavior
The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card. Paid plans are Starter $5 for 3,000, Growth $15 for 15,000, Pro $39 for 60,000, Scale $99 for 250,000 and Business $249 for 1,000,000. Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is on every plan. Because unsuccessful loads and cache hits are not billed, inspect the verdict and billing headers when you monitor a job.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
AI-agent workflow
The MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. That is useful when an AI agent needs to inspect a page without operating your Ubuntu desktop.
Start with the free ScreenshotNeo account: you get 1,000 screenshots each month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
Best Value
- 【1080P HD High Quality】Capture resolution up to 1080p for video source and it is ideal for all HDMI devices such as PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, DVDs, DSLR, Camera, Security Camera and set top box. Note: Video input supports 4K30/60Hz and 1080p120/144Hz. Does not support 4K120Hz/144Hz. Output supports up to 2K30Hz.
- 【Plug and Play】No driver or external power supply required, true PnP. Once plugged in, the device is identified automatically as a webcam. Detect input and adjust output automatically. Won't occupy CPU, optional audio capture. No freeze with correct setting.
- 【Compatible with Multiple Systems】suitable for Windows and Mac OS. High speed USB 3.0 technology and superior low latency technology makes it easier for you to transmit live streaming to Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, OBS, Potplayer and VLC.
- 【HDMI LOOP-OUT】Based on the high-speed USB 3.0 technology, it can capture one single channel HD HDMI video signal. There is no delay when you are playing game live.
- 【Support Mic-in for Commentary】Rybozen capture card has microphone input and you can use it to add external commentary when playing a game. Please note: it only accepts 3.5mm TRS standard microphone headset.
Troubleshooting Ubuntu screenshot captures
The image is blank or capture fails in Flameshot
- Confirm whether the session is GNOME Wayland; Flameshot identifies that support as experimental.
- Review the project’s current permission and portal troubleshooting instructions.
- Retry with the built-in GNOME Screenshot workflow. If it works, the issue is likely integration-specific rather than a display hardware failure.
The wrong window or area is captured
- For an active-window capture, select the target window before starting the capture.
- For a region capture, redraw the rectangle and ensure the pointer has completed the selection before confirming.
- On multi-display setups, verify which display contains the target; a full-screen capture includes the display context exposed by your desktop workflow.
You need an annotation but GNOME Screenshot has already saved the file
Open the image in an editor or repeat the capture with Flameshot, whose documented feature set includes in-app editing. Keep the original if you may need an unmarked copy.
An automated web screenshot times out
Use a server-side API wait condition or delay suited to the page, and block unnecessary resource types when appropriate. With ScreenshotNeo, check X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed to distinguish a failed load from a successful billed capture.
Security and privacy checks
- Do not upload confidential desktop captures to an image host unless your policy permits it; Flameshot lists Imgur upload as an available feature, not a requirement.
- For API captures, review custom headers, cookies, Authorization values and signed-link settings so secrets are not exposed in logs or public HTML.
- Use the smallest capture target that communicates the issue, and hide sensitive selectors when generating web screenshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ubuntu 24.04 include Flameshot by default?
The available documentation confirms that Flameshot lists Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) on its installation page; it does not establish that every Ubuntu 24.04 installation includes it by default.
Can I use Flameshot on GNOME Wayland?
Yes, but Flameshot labels GNOME Wayland support experimental. Permission and desktop-portal behavior can affect captures, so follow its current troubleshooting guidance if it fails.
Quick Recap
Which option captures a website without showing cookie popups?
A desktop app captures what your browser displays. ScreenshotNeo can accept consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capturing.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
