ShareX vs Snipping Tool

ShareX9.1Visit Snipping Tool8.7Visit

Higher score ShareX #2 in Screen Capture Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ShareX

vs

Snipping Tool #6 in Screen Capture Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Microsoft

• ShareX fits best

  Power users wanting free open-source Windows capture

• Snipping Tool fits best

  Windows users wanting a capable free default

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Side by side

Feature	ShareX 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Snipping Tool 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Screen Capture Software	#6 in Screen Capture Software
Best for	Power users wanting free open-source Windows capture	Windows users wanting a capable free default
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Integrations	3 integrations	3 integrations
Features ShareX 5/5 · Snipping Tool 2/5
Scrolling capture	✓ (best)	—
Annotation tools	✓	✓
OCR	✓	✓
Browser extension	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Cloud sharing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Desktop platforms	Windows	Windows
Export formats	Not checked yet	PNG, JPG
Our review
Pros	Captures regions, windows, monitors, full screens and scrolling pages Combines screen recording, GIFs, annotation, image editing and OCR Configurable hotkeys and upload workflows support repeatable tasks	Captures freeform, rectangular, window, and full-screen images Combines selected-area recording with microphone audio Includes OCR, contact-detail redaction, annotations, and automatic saving
Cons	Windows-only, so it does not suit macOS or Linux workflows Its wide range of tools may be more than basic capture needs require Custom workflows may take more configuration than simple screenshot tools	Does not natively support scrolling capture Limited to Windows Does not provide cloud sharing
Our verdict	ShareX is a free, open-source Windows application for capturing screenshots, recording screens and GIFs, editing and annotating images, extracting text with OCR, and sharing files. It is aimed at people who want to tailor screenshot,… Read the review →	For everyday screen capture and quick visual documentation, Snipping Tool brings screenshots and selected-area screen recording together in a free Windows utility. It suits Windows users who want to capture a window, the full screen, or a… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ShareX — where it wins

  • Captures regions, windows, monitors, full screens and scrolling pages
  • Combines screen recording, GIFs, annotation, image editing and OCR
  • Configurable hotkeys and upload workflows support repeatable tasks

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only, so it does not suit macOS or Linux workflows
  • Its wide range of tools may be more than basic capture needs require
  • Custom workflows may take more configuration than simple screenshot tools

• Snipping Tool — where it wins

  • Captures freeform, rectangular, window, and full-screen images
  • Combines selected-area recording with microphone audio
  • Includes OCR, contact-detail redaction, annotations, and automatic saving

  Where it doesn't

  • Does not natively support scrolling capture
  • Limited to Windows
  • Does not provide cloud sharing

• ShareX9.1/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Windows capture toolkit with scrolling screenshots, OCR, recording and upload workflows.

  Visit ShareXFull verdict →
• Snipping Tool8.7/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows capture utility for screenshots, selected-area recording, and quick edits.

  Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →