Windows screen capture tools
Short answer: A Windows screen capture tool should at minimum cover region, window and full-screen capture. Scrolling capture, annotation, OCR and recording are the features that separate the free tools from the paid ones.
Last verified: 2026-08-01
Capability map
| Capability | Free options | Paid options |
|---|---|---|
| Region and window capture | Snipping Tool, ShareX, Greenshot | Snagit, FastStone Capture |
| Scrolling capture | ShareX, PicPick (personal) | Snagit, Screenpresso Pro, Ashampoo Snap |
| OCR | ShareX | Snagit, Ashampoo Snap |
| Screen recording | ShareX, OBS Studio | Camtasia, Bandicam, Snagit |
| PDF export | GoFullPage (web) | FastStone Capture, Screenpresso, Snagit |
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 |
| Snagit | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| PicPick | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | freemium |
| Screenpresso | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unverified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | freemium |
| FastStone Capture | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| Ashampoo Snap | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | paid |
| Bandicam | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | freemium |
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
Snagit
TechSmith
Commercial Windows screenshot and screen capture software with scrolling capture, a polished annotation editor, templates, OCR and screen recording.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
PicPick
NGWIN
Windows screenshot software combining region, window and scrolling capture with an image editor, colour picker, ruler, protractor and whiteboard.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Screenpresso
Learnpulse
Windows screen capture software with scrolling capture, a workspace for organising captures, annotation and export of screenshot documents to PDF or Word.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Scrolling capture
- Annotation
FastStone Capture
FastStone
A small paid Windows capture utility with scrolling window capture, a floating toolbar, editor, screen recorder and direct export to PDF.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Ashampoo Snap
Ashampoo
Paid Windows screen capture software with scrolling capture, OCR, video recording, watermarking and a modern annotation editor.
- Screenshot
- Region capture
- Window capture
- Full screen capture
- Scrolling capture
Bandicam
Bandicam Company
Windows screen recording software with game, screen and device modes, plus still image capture and scheduled recording.
- Screenshot
- Full screen capture
- Region capture
- Screen recording
- Delayed capture