The Microsoft Snipping Tool is invented to take screenshots of the screen easily and straightforwardly. It has been around since Windows Vista and hasn’t improved much since then. That is why people are looking to find a more powerful tool that they can use to take not only HD screenshots of their device screens but also other related things, such as sharing them in a matter of seconds.
Although the recent versions of Windows replaced the Snipping Tool by Sketch and Snip, nothing has improved except its name. Like the old Snipping Tool, it doesn’t have the ability to save your screenshots in GIF or JPG formats, so basic editing tools are out of the question.
Fortunately, there are plenty of Snipping Tool alternatives available out there that you can use to take HD screenshots of your screens and do basic editing.
So, what are the best Snipping Tool Alternatives?
Below, I have rounded up some of the best Snipping Tool alternatives in no particular order that you should check out. Enough talk, now let’s dive in to check them out!
Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
1- Snagit – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Snagit is a perfect Snipping Tool alternative and best for those who want to take HD screenshots of on-screen videos or images. Upon launching it from your system’s start menu, it will not be visible in the Taskbar; instead, you will see it on top of the screen similar to a tab, which will then display a red button.
This red button is a trigger, and you will see a big sniper on your screen with instructions. To capture the screenshot, you simply have to click and then drag it to the part of the device’s screen you want to capture a screenshot, and then release it.
As soon as you release it, an editor will appear, which will be similar to an enhanced version of Paint. There you will see a range of drawing tools, styles, effects, and more that you can use easily. Once you are done with a screenshot you have just captured, you will have the option to export it to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, or even Dropbox.
Platforms: Windows and Mac
Price: Free with 15-days trial – $49.95
2- Droplr – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
If you are done with Windows Snipping Tool and looking for something more powerful for your business or enterprise needs to capture HD screenshots, Droplr could be a perfect Snipping Tool alternative for you.
It is an extremely popular tool that you can have in low-price, allowing you to create GIFs and record screens. It saves recordings and screenshots directly to the cloud storage and generates a link that you can use to share with others instantly.
You need to have a Droplr online account where all of your snaps will be stored, and you can access them anytime and from anywhere. Moreover, you can change the privacy of your boards, snips, and tags to protect them from unauthorized access.
The tool utilizes enterprise-level security and SSO. What’s more, it integrates with dozens of productive and social apps so that you can easily share your snips. For instance, you can share your snips on Intercom while chatting with one of your clients or on Slack when you are discussing a project with your colleagues. You can even integrate Droplr with Photoshop if you need more advanced editing tools other than highlighter, pencil, text, arrows, shapes, etc.
You can have Droplr on Mac, Windows, or through Chrome Extension. It offers a free 7-days trial that you can use for testing before making a purchase.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, and Chrome Extension.
Pricing: Free 7-days trial – $4 per month.
3- LightShot – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
One of my favorite Snipping Tool alternatives is LightShot. It is because of its powerful screenshot capturing abilities that allow you to take HD screenshots. Another great thing about LightShot is it can be used for free.
You just need to install it on your system through a straightforward process, and it will then replace the built-in Windows Snipping Tool. Another best aspect of LightShot is its features of a super user-friendly interface, which, regardless of its simplicity, includes integrated options, editing tools, image search, and instant sharing.
You can make it work by pressing the PRT SCR key from your keyboard, but you can custom set a hotkey that is convenient for you to make it work. Moreover, you can also customize its output using its options. For example, you can change its output file format, whether you want the cursor while capturing a screenshot of your screen, and more.
Another incredible aspect of this light but useful tool is that it is free for Mac and Windows systems but can also be used through a browser’s extension.
Platforms: Windows and Mac.
Pricing: Free.
4- PicPick – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
As some of the best Snipping Tool alternatives available out there, PicPick is yet another super easy tool to use. The only thing you have to take care of is keeping track of its screen capture option while launching it. It can be found in the left side column and in the second section.
The best aspect of PicPick is it is capable of taking a screenshot of your entire screen or just a particular area of the screen, which you can delaminate by inputting the pixels. Although it can be a great Snipping Tool alternative, it doesn’t have all the rings, and whistles like you can have in the other Snipping Tool alternatives I have mentioned earlier.
However, it is a great tool if you don’t want advanced image editing options. Moreover, it has a crosshair option to determine the relative coordinates on your device screen, as well as a pixel ruler to measure the angles.
Platforms: Windows.
Pricing: Free for non-commercial use – $21.99 for commercial use.
5- Greenshot – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Greenshot is yet another best Snipping Tool alternative with more advanced features. It can be used by both Windows and Mac users. For Windows users, it is free, while Mac users have to buy its paid version.
The paid version of Greenshot includes integration and markups. It is capable of capturing both full-screen screenshot or just a particular part of your device screen, as well as scrolling web pages. The markup tool features drawing tools, text, arrows, blurring, Paint, image editing tools, and even shapes.
After you are done manipulating the screenshot, you have the option to save it on your device, take a print out of it, copy it to the clipboard, or share it through email. It also offers a free plugin with MS Office, Box, Jira, Imgur, etc.
The bottom line is, Greenshot is an excellent Snipping Tool alternative with integrations and enhanced markups. The only thing that I think it lacks is its frequent updates. It was the last update quite some time (August 2017).
Platforms: Windows and Mac.
Pricing: Free for Windows – Paid for Mac.
6- FastStone Capture – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
The least intrusive Snipping Tool alternative in this list is probably the FastStone Capture. It is like a toolbar with eleven buttons that you can freely move around your screen. You can put it anywhere you want on the screen.
However, it has the ability to capture full-screen screenshots of your device’s screen, as well as freehand rectangular. You will be able to save the active screen or a scrolling window. It means you can click and automatically scroll to capture snips to merged them together in one single snip.
However, FastStone Capture doesn’t have many editing options, but it certainly allows you to blur, highlight, and apply effects on your snips.
Platforms: Windows.
Pricing: Free 30-days trial – $19.95.
7- DuckCapture – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Another feature-rich Snipping Tool alternate is DuckCapture, which you can have when you don’t want to use the Windows in-built Snipping Tool. It offers all the features that you can expect from a comprehensive Snipping Tool and that are necessary taking and editing screenshots.
With this Snipping Tool, you can easily capture screenshots, edit them, and then directly share them right from the tool. While taking a screenshot, you can choose between Windows-based screen capture, partial screen capture, or scrolling screenshots, in which you will be able to capture the whole webpage screenshot.
On the other hand, the editing capabilities of DuckCapture is quite impressive. You can make your screenshots more informative. Moreover, you can also share screenshots in different ways. The tool can be used on both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Furthermore, it also has a command prompt version. With all of these impressive features, it has a super user-friendly interface, and you can use it with ease.
Platforms: Windows and Mac.
Pricing: Free
8- Snipping Tool ++ – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
If you are still looking for Snipping Tool alternatives, here is another one. It might look old when you at the beginning, but it entirely changes when you install it. While Snipping Tool ++ is installed on your system, you just need to use a shortcut to capture your device screen by pressing CTRL+SHFT+1, which will remind you of the good old days.
However, it is not as advanced as other Snipping Tool alternatives on this list and looks very outdated, with only a few options that you can use. But it does allow you to add arrows, shapes, and blur your screenshots. It is great if you want something simple and just for capturing screenshots.
Platforms: Windows.
Pricing: Free.
9- Jing – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Similar to other Snipping Tool on this list, Jing is another Snipping Tool alternative that lets you capture screenshots of your device’s screen. Designed by TechSmith, it is a simple and straightforward screen capturing and screencasting tool. It means it doesn’t have many advanced options and lacks professional tools.
However, you can use this tool for multiple tasks, such as for personal use, educational use, etc. With an extremely simple user-interface, it is extremely straightforward, and you will not be confused while using it. You will be able to capture screens, edit them, and share them with ease.
It can be installed on both Windows and Mac operating systems with a low set of configurations. Even though it is entirely free to use, you can still get support from TechSmith. If you are looking to have a simple and straightforward screen capturing/screencasting tool, Jing could be an option.
Platforms: Windows and Mac.
Pricing: Free.
10- Skitch – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Developed by Evernote, it is a quality Snipping Tool alternative and an outstanding tool. The greatest aspect of Skitch is its simplicity. If you like using Jing that I have just mentioned, you will find it very similar.
Since it is a simple screen capturing tool, it doesn’t offer many features, but you will have all the basic ones that are necessary. The only thing that lets Skitch down is you have to use it with Evernote.
It means it will not allow you to save your snips on your computer instead save them on Evernote. The bottom line is if you are using Evernote and looking for a simple screen capturing tool, Skitch could be the one.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac.
Pricing: Free.
11- ScreenPresso – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
ScreenPresso is yet another screencasting and capturing tool, which is used by various companies. It is another Snipping Tool alternative for Windows users and can be run on all the Windows operating systems.
Moreover, iOS users can install the ScreenPresso app on their iPhone and iPad. You will be overwhelmed with the features that it has to offer, such as different capture modes, capturing the content in a scrolling window, hotkey sport, and more.
You will also be able to cast a video screen in HD, which means it is a multipurpose tool, and you can perform different tasks with a single tool. Similar to the majority of screen capturing tools, it also has an image editor that allows you to edit your screenshots, annotate them, and then save the screenshot in a format convenient for you.
Furthermore, it has more productive features that are pretty useful. These features include multilingual support, Android capture, portable mode, and integrated sharing as well.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac.
Pricing: Free – Paid version.
12- Screenshot Captor – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
Similar to FastStone Capture that I have stated above, Screenshot Captor is yet another screen capturing tool that lets you snip your device’s screen. It is a toolbar and has only 13 buttons. While using it on your device, you will be able to capture different sizes of screenshots.
Moreover, at the top of your device’s screen, you will see an option, which allows you to shoot a photo through your webcam or import a photo from a scanner. You will also be able to create a thumbnail for your screenshot.
Just like Photoshop, you will also find a Magic Wand in this tool, which is pretty useful. What’s more, it also has its own clipart gallery that you can use to apply cliparts on your screenshots.
Platforms: Windows.
Pricing: Free (Registration required).
13- Shutter – Best Snipping Tool Alternatives
I have mentioned enough Snipping Tool alternatives for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS users, so why not include Linux users as well. Linux is a complicated operating system for the majority of users, and you have to deal with complicated tools.
The Shutter is a screen capturing tool for Linux users, which is almost similar to Snagit that I have mentioned above. It has all the necessary features that you are going to need and that you want while capturing your device’s screen. Using Shutter, you will be able to create a thumbnail for your screenshot, so that you can easily upload it to an image hoster and to share it with others.
Platforms: Linux.
Pricing: Free.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – 13 best Snipping Tool alternatives. With Microsoft Windows in-built Snipping Tool, which doesn’t offer many options that you can use, these are some best alternatives with some more advanced features that you can use. Some of these Snipping Tool alternatives are free, and some require you to purchase their paid version. However, all of them offer you something new that you couldn’t have in Windows Snipping Tool.
FAQs
Q: What are some best Snipping Tool alternatives for Windows?
Ans: My best Snipping Tool alternatives include Droplr, PicPick, ScreenPresso, and Snagit.