Free screenshot software for Windows
Short answer: The free Windows shortlist: Snipping Tool (built in), ShareX and Greenshot (open source), OBS Studio for recording, and Lightshot for instant sharing.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
Free but check the licence
Open-source tools such as ShareX, Greenshot and OBS Studio can be used commercially. PicPick is free for personal use only. Cloud tools with a free tier limit storage or history rather than the capture itself.
Compare these Windows products
| Product | Win 10 | Win 11 | Free plan | Free trial | Screenshot | Full page | Annotation | Recording | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snipping Tool | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | Yes | free |
| ShareX | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | free |
| Greenshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| Lightshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| Flameshot | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | free |
| OBS Studio | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | free |
Snipping Tool
Microsoft
Microsoft's built-in Windows screenshot tool for rectangular, window, free-form and full-screen snips, opened with Windows + Shift + S.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
ShareX
ShareX Team
Free, open-source Windows screenshot and screen capture software with scrolling capture, OCR, screen recording and scriptable after-capture workflows.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Greenshot
Greenshot
A small, fast open-source screenshot tool for Windows with region and window capture, a simple annotation editor and direct export to file, printer or Office.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Annotation
Lightshot
Skillbrains
A very simple Windows screenshot tool that replaces Print Screen with an instant region selection, quick markup and one-click upload to a share link.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Annotation
- Cloud sharing
Flameshot
Flameshot Project
Free, open-source screenshot tool with an annotation toolbar that appears directly inside the selection rectangle. Windows builds are available.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Annotation
- Delayed capture
- Cloud sharing
OBS Studio
OBS Project
Free, open-source Windows screen recording and streaming software with scenes, sources and a screenshot output for the current frame.
- Screen recording
- Full screen capture
- Window capture
- Screenshot