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There are several reasons why you may need to capture screen of your PC. Perhaps you are making a collage, need to keep some information for later, or sending a client or a colleague some data from your computer screen. Many programs provide image editing, sending, and annotating features, but in most cases you need a screen capture software that does all of this together. That’s why we are here, to do the hard work of testing programs so you don’t have to. We have compiled a list of the best screen capture programs currently available.
Our choices all come loaded with the most popular features and tools to help you get the best experience when you need to take a screenshot.
1. Icecream Screen Recorder – the best solution if you need screenshots and screen recording
For a start, Icecream Screen Recorder is the easiest screen capture software to use with an elegant and intuitive UI, thanks to its fresh, modern aesthetic. You may particularly like that it places a “quick screenshot” tile in the taskbar, for when you need to quickly snap the screen.
If you want to get more intricate and customize your screen capture, Icecream Screen Recorder excels. Selecting the screenshot ability opens an area selection tool, which you can use to select the area of the screen you want to grab. The size of the area can be adjusted manually or through automatic resolution presets.
Once a shot is taken, Icecream Screen Recorder saves it into the file and filename of your choosing. All previous screenshots are stored in a specified place on the app, which accesses your PC’s file systems. Each screenshot taken with this free screen capture software can be copied to the clipboard or uploaded by URL to the server for a simple way of sharing them. Various graphic elements such as text, arrows, steps (numbered markers), rectangles, or random lines of various colors and thickness can be added in the screen capture program by Icecream Apps.
The tool also comes with notable additions such as the ability to screenshot a webcam, use hotkeys for easier program navigation, and select the output image format of the screenshots (JPG or PNG). And of course, it enables you to record the screen as well, and does it perfectly.
A winning personal and professional tool, Icecream Screen Recorder is easy and effective.
OS: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Mac OS
Licensing: Freemium
File Size: 53 MB
Our Rating: 10 / 10
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2. Gyazo – the best screen capture specialized tool
If you want to upload screenshots quickly online or even have a well-rounded mobile screen capture solution, Gyazo is a good start. This free screen capture software does have some interesting abilities of its own.
Speed is one of Gyazo’s ace cards. You can take a screenshot with one click of a mouse or touch of a screen. The screen capture program is designed specifically to work online and uploads your screenshots directly onto a Gyazo-managed storage space online. Of course, if you have no interest in putting your captures online, this will be a pain as you then have to download the screenshot back to your PC. However, if you want your captures to go online, this saves plenty of time.
The webspace is easy to use, and taking a screenshot is as simple as dragging a cross across your screen. If you don’t know how Gyazo works ahead of downloading the screen capture software, the process can be confusing. We did not know how to take a screenshot or what had happened to the capture once it was taken; it was only when returning to the browser window did we see the image was on Gyazo’s webspace.
That complaint aside, the program is a super-fast way to take a quick screenshot and put it online without needing extra uploading steps. There is also a premium version of the screen capture program. For example, it removes ads and gives you editing abilities such as draw, arrow, and notes.
OS: Windows 7, 8.1, 10, Mac OS X 10.7 or later
Licensing: Freemium
File Size: 2 MB
Our Rating: 9 / 10
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3. SnapDraw
For full post-capture editing, SnapDraw is an excellent free screen capture software that comes with a full editing suite that you can use to tweak your screenshots. Sometimes your screenshots need to be spruced up if you are posting them online or using them for professional needs, so SnapDraw can help you out with this task.
Of all the screen capture software tools we tested, SnapDraw was the most complicated to use, or at least the most daunting when first starting out. There is definitely a learning curve here with several options for taking a screenshot. You are able to capture a window, a specific object on the screen, a transparent window, and more. Once a shot is taken, you can edit it with a strong set of features offered by one of the best screen capture software programs from our list.
We are not talking Photoshop or even GIMP levels of editing, but definitely more features than in other free screen capture apps. Borders, fading reflections, filters, and other editing additions can be placed on your screenshot.
Learning how to use SnapDraw is frustrating, but the rewards for mastering it are many as this is a powerful free tool.
OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Licensing: Freeware
File Size: 16 MB
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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4. Screenshot Captor
Screenshot Captor wants to be your one stop shop for screenshots, offering a set of features and abilities that cross several functions. For example, the screen capture program will capture images directly from a webcam, provide scanning tools for documents, and offers you the ability to capture a scrolling window.
All of these high-powered features are functional and interesting, but they also mean that Screenshot Captor is a cluttered and messy free screen capture software. If you can get past the clumsy UI, you will find an excellent suite of screen capturing abilities. Another minor gripe is the two-step installation process that means you must go to the program’s website to activate the free version of the screen capture program.
This almost made us delete the app instantly and move on, but we stayed with Screenshot Captor and were rewarded with a consistently good program. The software can automatically trim margins, capture fixed sizes, and features a semi-advanced image editing suite with crops, blurs, and other effects.
OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Licensing: Free, donationware
File Size: 9 MB
Our Rating: 8 / 10
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5. Nimbus Capture
While most screen capture software tools are light and will run unnoticed for when you need them, capturing something on a website means firing up a separate screen capture program. Sometimes, a quick browser-based screenshot tool is all you need.
As this is a browser solution, it is not quite as feature-rich as other programs in this list, but Nimbus Screenshot makes up for it with speed and ease of use. Nimbus Capture is one of the best screen capture apps available for Windows 10, but it can also be downloaded as an add-on for Firefox and Chrome web browsers.
Captures are customizable, so you can screenshot the entire browser window or select a part of a website you want to grab. Some powerful built-in tools include the ability to edit captures and directly upload them to the cloud.
One obvious limitation is that Nimbus will only capture a browser if you download it on Chrome and Firefox. That said, the Windows desktop version of the free screen capture software is more rounded, even including screen recording abilities.
OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Licensing: Freeware
File Size: 37 MB
Our Rating: 7 / 10
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Depending on what exactly you’re looking for in a screen capture program, you can still find the best screen capture software to satisfy your needs. Some of these tools are web-based, and some are great for more advanced tasks like screen recording or area auto-detection.
Bandicam is also great for screen capture and screen recording!