Best Free Snipping Tools for Windows in 2026

When people say "I need a snipping tool," they mean a screenshot tool that lets them select a region of the screen and capture it. This page lists five free options for Windows, including Microsoft's own Snipping Tool.

This page is published by Maxisnap. It is not an independent review.

What Maxisnap Includes

Tool	Annotations	Video	Cloud	Native scrolling	Best For
Maxisnap	Arrows, blur, text, shapes, numbered pins	Yes	Yes	Yes (vertical panes)	Complete workflow

For Maxisnap, this table describes the Windows app. A Mac version is also available, for macOS 13 or later.

Windows Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool is Microsoft's screenshot and screen recording app included with Windows, with annotation tools and text extraction.

In Windows 11, press Win + Shift + S, select a region, and the capture goes to your clipboard.

Current Windows 11 versions include pen and highlighter markup, rectangles, and arrows, as described in Microsoft’s Snipping Tool guide. Text Actions can copy recognized text and redact detected sensitive text. The feature set differs from the older Windows 10 tool, so check the version installed on your PC.

Current Windows 11 versions can record a selected screen area with audio and microphone support, as described in Microsoft’s Windows release announcement. The recording can also be opened in Clipchamp for further editing. Available controls depend on the installed Snipping Tool version.

support.microsoft.com

Maxisnap

Our pick. Maxisnap covers the full screenshot workflow: capture (area, window, fullscreen), annotate (arrows, text, shapes, blur, steps, freehand), and share (built-in cloud with link). On Windows it now also records screen video — a region or the full screen, with system audio and microphone mixed into one track, plus export to MP4, GIF, or WebM with a built-in trimmer. Capture, annotation, and local recording are free without watermarks; Cloud sharing uses the published free storage, retention, and upload limits.

Maxisnap combines region, full-screen, and vertical scrolling capture with annotation, Windows screen recording, and Cloud sharing. The current installer supports 64-bit Windows 10 (1903+) and Windows 11. A Mac version is also available, for macOS 13 or later.

Maxisnap includes a single Blur tool with a fixed effect. It has no separate Gaussian mode or intensity setting. For sensitive information, crop it out or use a fully opaque redaction tool in another editor, then inspect the exported file.

Download Maxisnap and you have a fully functional screenshot workflow immediately. Paid plans exist for more Maxisnap Cloud storage and ad-free sharing.

ShareX

ShareX is a free and open source screenshot tool for Windows that combines screen capture, screen recording, file sharing and productivity tools.

ShareX's official site lists automated after-capture tasks, uploading to many destinations, and copying the resulting link to the clipboard.

getsharex.com · Maxisnap vs ShareX

Greenshot

Greenshot is a free and open source, light-weight screenshot tool for Windows for capturing, annotating and exporting screenshots.

getgreenshot.org · Maxisnap vs Greenshot

Lightshot

Lightshot is a free screen capture tool from Skillbrains for Windows and Mac that captures a selected area and shares it by short link.

Press the hotkey, drag to select, and add a quick annotation before copying or using the available sharing workflow. See the source-linked Lightshot comparison for current platform and feature details.

If you accidentally upload private information, Lightshot’s FAQ explains how to request removal through support or the image’s abuse-report button. Removing the hosted image cannot recall copies that someone has already saved.

app.prntscr.com

Our Recommendation

Maxisnap fits Windows users who want capture, vertical scrolling capture, annotation, recording, and an optional share-link workflow in one app.

ShareX may suit you better if you want a free and open source tool with OCR and custom uploaders. Snipping Tool may suit you better if you want the app that is included with Windows.

Maxisnap is not affiliated with the other products named on this page. They are described as their official sites presented them in October 2026; check each official site for current features, pricing and platforms.