ShareX is the best open-source screenshot tool for Windows. It is the only one of the three that lists screen and GIF recording and scrolling capture of any window, it has the most complete annotation and redaction tools, and it can upload to many destinations, including ones you define yourself.
If you only need to capture, mark up and save, Greenshot covers region, window and fullscreen capture with annotation and redaction, and it had the most recent release of the three. If you also work on macOS or Linux, Flameshot runs on all three systems with the same editor.
Our picks
Scores
1–5 per criterion · select a score for its reasoning and any sources| # | Product | Capture modes | Annotation and redaction | Saving and sharing | Active maintenance | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ShareX | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4.5 |
| 2 | Greenshot | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Flameshot | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3.0 |
How each criterion is scored
Capture modes
How many of five capture modes the tool documents: a selected region, a single window, the full screen, a scrolling capture of a long page, and screen recording (video or GIF).
- 5 All five
- 4 Four of the five
- 3 Three of the five
- 2 Two of the five
- 1 One of the five
Annotation and redaction
How many of five markup tools the tool documents: arrows or shapes, text, a highlighter or marker, blur or pixelate for hiding private details, and numbered steps.
- 5 All five
- 4 Four of the five
- 3 Three of the five
- 2 Two of the five
- 1 None or one of the five
Saving and sharing
Where a capture can go after it's taken, from saving a file to uploading it to services you choose.
- 5 Many upload destinations, plus custom destinations you can add yourself
- 4 Several built-in destinations, such as e-mail, printers, other apps or photo sites
- 3 File and clipboard, plus one built-in upload service
- 2 Save to a file and copy to the clipboard
- 1 Save to a file only
Active maintenance
How recent the latest release is on GitHub, counted from the date of the evaluation.
- 5 Within the last month
- 4 Within the last 3 months
- 3 Within the last 6 months
- 2 Within the last 12 months
- 1 More than 12 months ago, or no releases
ShareX does more than any other tool here. Besides region, window and fullscreen capture it has scrolling capture and screen and GIF recording. Its annotation tools include arrows, text, speech balloons, step numbers and highlights, and blur, pixelate and a smart eraser hide sensitive information before you share.
After capture, ShareX can upload images, files and text to many destinations, and advanced users can define custom uploaders for services that are not built in. Its latest release, v21.0.0, came out on 3 July 2026.
Pros
- Scrolling capture plus screen and GIF recording
- Blur, pixelate and smart eraser tools for hiding private details
- Uploads to many destinations, with custom uploaders for the rest
Cons
- Windows only
Who should skip: Anyone who also needs the same tool on macOS or Linux.
Greenshot describes itself as a light-weight screenshot tool for Windows, and it sticks to that. You capture a region, a window or the full screen, then annotate, highlight or obfuscate parts of it before exporting it to a file, the clipboard, e-mail, an Office program or a photo site.
It is also the most recently updated of the three: version 1.3.328 was released on 19 October 2026.
Pros
- Region, window and fullscreen capture
- Annotate, highlight and obfuscate parts of a screenshot
- Exports to file, printer, clipboard, e-mail and Office programs
Cons
- Scrolling capture works only for web pages in Internet Explorer
- No screen recording listed
Who should skip: Anyone who needs to record the screen or capture long pages.
Flameshot’s strength is that it is the same tool on every system you use. On Windows it captures with Print Screen, which the README notes is fixed, or Win + Shift + X, which you can change. The in-app editor has a keyboard shortcut for each tool, including arrows, rectangles, text and a pixelate tool for redaction.
It ranks third on Windows because the rest of the workflow is thin: sharing means the clipboard, a file or an Imgur upload. Its latest release, v14.0.0, came out on 19 June 2026.
Pros
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
- In-app editor with arrows, shapes, text, a marker and pixelate
- Built-in upload to Imgur
Cons
- No scrolling capture or screen recording listed
- Imgur is the only upload destination listed
- On Windows, the Print Screen shortcut is fixed and can't be changed
Who should skip: Anyone who needs uploads to their own storage.
Questions
Which of these can record the screen?
ShareX. It is the only one of the three that lists screen recording and GIF recording.
Which can hide passwords or personal details in a screenshot?
All three. ShareX has blur, pixelate and a smart eraser, Greenshot can obfuscate parts of a screenshot, and Flameshot has a pixelate tool.
Key facts and sources
3 products
Licenses, requirements, starting prices and sources used for scores.
No license, platform or price facts on record yet.
No license, platform or price facts on record yet.
No license, platform or price facts on record yet.
