Taking a screenshot is a very simple action that we all perform on our computers from time to time. That’s why having a good screenshot tool on your Mac is essential, and preferably you should choose one that allows you to complete this task in a wide variety of contexts (i.e. from the desktop, within an app, from a web browser…). Fortunately, there is no shortage of great software products to choose from, and many of those apps are available for free.
Before you make a final decision, you should carefully consider your future needs and pick an app that offers a sufficient level of technical sophistication to meet them. Of course, nothing is preventing you from installing more than one snipping app on your Mac and using a different one for each specific purpose. That’s why you should carefully study the field even if you already have an app of this type on the computer.
As a free and lightweight app for taking quick screenshots, Gemoo Snap can provide you with a variety of screenshot needs: screenshot feedback, screenshot & beautify, quick screenshot, clipboard screenshot, recognize text (OCR), scrolling capture and capture full page, etc.
For those who prefer a simple and quick solution, all Mac computers have a built-in tool that is perfectly capable of taking decent-looking screenshots. This tool was named Grab in the earlier versions of MacOS, but is now called simply Screenshot tool. Regardless of the brand name, it remains a viable option for taking screenshots.
This screen recording software can be used to take screenshots on your Mac with ease, and it also lets you edit them very quickly. It is suitable for individual or enterprise users, and its basic version is free of charge. With Monosnap, you can capture pretty much anything from your screen, including video.
a. Free forever plan
b. Non-Commercial: $2.5/month
c. Commercial: $5/month
G2: 4.3/5 (2 reviews)
“Excellent tool to capture screenshots and ensure also security with the handling of potentially sensitive info”—G2 Verified Customer
Lightshot is another well-known screen capturing software that works excellently on a Mac. It doesn’t take long to learn how to take screenshots with it, as it is designed to be user-friendly and lightweight. It is definitely a good choice for anyone who needs to capture screen content on a regular basis.
“Its a free, lightweight and easy to use software for every day copy and paste needs.” — G2 Verified Customer
“I really love this tool very easy to use. Important part is you can highlight the text , pictures while capturing the image. You can either save or copy up to your requirement. Shortcut keys also can open the tool instantly.” — Capterra Customer
If you are looking for some LightShot alternatives, you can check an ultimate software guide for LightShot alternatives.
Many people consider Snagit to be Lightshot alternative, which is available in the market right now, and it’s not hard to understand why. It is packed with powerful features that give users total freedom when taking or editing screenshots, but it still can be used by practically anyone.
$62.99/license
“I love all of the integral features that are included in Snagit. All of the different things that we can do with the platform is more than just a screen capture tool, it’s an all in one productivity helper!” — G2 Verified Customer
“Ease of use makes this my go-to screen cap software.” — Cpaterra Customer
Using CloudApp for taking screenshots may be a good idea for Mac owners who have professional-level needs. It brings a lot of unique features that are designed so well that even first-time users won’t have any trouble finding and utilizing them.
a. Free plan
b. Individual plan: $9.95/month
c. Team plan: $8/user/month
“It’s so easy! The buttons and functions are clearly labeled and user friendly. Even a tech dummy like me picked up on the usage very fast! I like that the Chrome extension is small and does not take up your whole screen.” — G2 Verified Customer
Many users decide to install Skitch on their Mac and use it as their default snipping tool. This choice could be optimal for anyone who intends to make a lot of simple screenshots and wants to annotate them quickly. While essentially a prototyping tool, it works just fine in the role of screenshot app.
Capterra: 5/5 (3 reviews)
“It is the Best screenshot app i have ever used. I use the free version, but itvhasba really cool integration with evernote paid.” — Capterra Customer
Droplr is another software package that can create screenshots without problems and instantly save them to the cloud. This simple app is free to use and it lets you capture the content of your screen with just a few strokes. Thanks to a large collection of tools, you can also annotate it in any way you please.
a. Individual plan: $6/month
b. Team plan: $7/user/month
“Gif recording is the best of all its features. I use that almost daily and share the instructions recordings to my clients. ” — G2 Verified Customer
“I love Droplr for capturing images to share with collogues and clients. The browser extension works great, and there are many fantastic QoL features like expiry of images, annotations and sorting.” — Capterra User
There are many reasons to consider CleanShot X one of the best snipping tools for Mac, starting from its amazingly simple and intuitive interface. This software brings excellent features to the table, and is definitely an upgrade over any free screenshot tool that you can find online.
a. Individual plan: $29/one-time payment
b. For heavy Cloud users and teams: $8/user/month
Product Hunt: 4.9/5 (3reviews)
“The thing I love the most : great annotations tool, floating thumb that don’t disappear automatically, and the capture OCR.” — Produnct Hunt Verified User
Also Read: 16 Best CleanshotX Alternatives >
Taking a perfect screenshot requires a lot of patience and preparation. You need to use the best snipping app and wait for the right moment before capturing the scene.
Yes, Mac computers have a built-in screenshot app regardless of which version of MacOS they are running. On older computers this tool used to be known as Grab, while more recently it’s been called simply Screenshot app.
There are dozens of apps that are capable of taking screenshots in MacOS, so the right choice might come down to individual needs and preferences. Paid apps like SnagIt are probably among the best-performing candidates.
If you are not happy with how your screenshots look now, you can easily switch to one of the applications described in this article. No matter what level of quality you are looking for, there are software apps compatible with MacOS that can meet your expectations. In fact, you could download a couple of apps from the list and test them firsthand to see which one fits best with your exact circumstances. That way you will be ready for any task and capable of producing great-looking visual materials in literally just a few minutes.