ShareX vs Spectacle

ShareX9.1Visit Spectacle8.2Visit

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

vs

Spectacle #7 in Screen Capture Software 8.2/10 Open source ✓ 1 of 5 features Visit KDE

• ShareX fits best

  Power users wanting free open-source Windows capture

• Spectacle fits best

  Linux users needing basic screenshot annotation

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Side by side

Feature	ShareX 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Spectacle 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.2
Ranking	#2 in Screen Capture Software	#7 in Screen Capture Software
Best for	Power users wanting free open-source Windows capture	Linux users needing basic screenshot annotation
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Open source
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Linux
Integrations	3 integrations	1 integrations
Features ShareX 5/5 · Spectacle 1/5
Scrolling capture	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Annotation tools	✓	✓
OCR	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Browser extension	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Cloud sharing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Desktop platforms	Windows	Not checked yet
Export formats	Not checked yet	PNG
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 the desktop, a monitor, a window, or a rectangular region Includes arrows, text boxes, numbers, pen, markers, and effects for annotation Offers configurable delays, keyboard shortcuts, and command-line capture options
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	Designed for Linux rather than other desktop platforms Does not include scrolling capture Does not include OCR or verified 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 →	Spectacle is KDE’s open-source screenshot application for Linux desktops, aimed at people who need to capture and mark up what is on screen. Capture choices include the entire desktop across all monitors, the current monitor, an active… 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

• Spectacle — where it wins

  • Captures the desktop, a monitor, a window, or a rectangular region
  • Includes arrows, text boxes, numbers, pen, markers, and effects for annotation
  • Offers configurable delays, keyboard shortcuts, and command-line capture options

  Where it doesn't

  • Designed for Linux rather than other desktop platforms
  • Does not include scrolling capture
  • Does not include OCR or verified sharing

• ShareX9.1/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit ShareXFull verdict →
• Spectacle8.2/10 · Open source

  A Linux screenshot tool with flexible capture options and built-in annotation.

  Visit KDEFull verdict →