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Home/Categories/Business & Productivity/ShareX
icon of ShareX

ShareX

Open source alternative to Snagit and CloudApp

ShareX is a free, open-source screenshot and screen recording tool for Windows with automated workflow triggers, 80+ upload destinations, and annotation tools. GPL-3.0 licensed.

37.5K starsC#GPL-3.0Active this month
Visit websiteGitHub repo
image of ShareX
Contents
  1. 01Who ShareX is for
  2. 02The problem it solves
  3. 03How it solves it
  4. 04Strengths and trade-offs
  5. 05ShareX vs alternatives
  6. 06Tech stack
  7. 07FAQ
  8. 08Similar open-source tools
TL;DR

ShareX is a Windows screenshot, screen recording, file sharing, and productivity tool. It replaces Snagit or CleanShot-style paid capture workflows for power users who need hotkeys, scrolling capture, OCR, annotation, and 80+ upload destinations.GPL-3.0 · C# · 37.5K stars · Active this month

who it's for

Who ShareX is for#

QA engineers filing visual bugs

Use ShareX hotkeys, annotation, OCR, and upload destinations to create reproducible bug reports quickly.

Skip if:

Skip if the team needs a browser-based feedback widget tied to issue tracking.

Support teams sharing screenshots

Use capture actions and upload workflows to create consistent screenshots and links for customer replies.

Skip if:

Skip if your company policy forbids third-party image or file hosts and you cannot configure a private destination.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Basic screenshot tools break down when support, QA, documentation, or creator work needs repeatable capture, annotation, upload, and link sharing. Paid tools add licensing cost, while macOS-only tools leave Windows teams without the same workflow depth.

how ShareX solves it

How it solves it#

Screen capture and recording

ShareX captures or records any screen area with a single keystroke, including workflows such as scrolling screenshots and GIF or video capture.

Upload destinations

The README describes uploading images, text, and files to a wide range of destinations, with docs for S3, Google Cloud Storage, Cloudflare R2, and custom uploaders.

Productivity tooling

ShareX includes OCR, actions, image effects, keybinds, command-line arguments, and annotation workflows for high-volume capture tasks.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • No paid feature tiersShareX is GPL-3.0 licensed and free, making it practical for Windows teams that need advanced capture without per-seat software cost.
  • Automation depthHotkeys, actions, uploaders, and command-line support let technical users turn capture into a repeatable pipeline rather than a manual save-and-upload process.

Trade-offs

  • -Windows-focused experienceShareX is strongest on Windows. Teams that need the same native capture workflow across macOS and Linux should test alternatives before standardizing.
versus alternatives

ShareX vs alternatives#

ShareX vs Snagit

ShareX wins for Windows power users who want free capture automation, OCR, and many upload destinations. Snagit is still a better fit for teams that want commercial support, a simpler editor, and a managed asset library.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
C#
frequently asked

FAQ#

Is ShareX free?

Yes. ShareX is GPL-3.0 licensed and free to use.

Does ShareX record video?

Yes. ShareX supports screen recording and GIF capture in addition to screenshots.

What platforms does ShareX target?

ShareX is primarily a Windows screenshot and recording application.

also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

Flameshot

Flameshot

Open source screenshot tool with annotation and upload

30KC++GPL-3.0
Capso

Capso

Free open-source screenshot and recorder for macOS

830SwiftApache-2.0
Kap

Kap

Open source screen recorder for macOS with web tech

19.2KTypeScriptMIT
PDF4QT

PDF4QT

Open source PDF editor and viewer for Windows and Linux

1.4KC++MIT
LiVES

LiVES

Live video editing and VJ performance tool for GNU/Linux

100CGPL-3.0
diagrams.net

diagrams.net

Create technical diagrams, flowcharts, and architecture maps in a

5.4KJavaScriptApache-2.0

Repository

Stars
37.5K
Forks
3.7K
License
GPL-3.0
Latest
v20.1.0
Last commit
19 days ago
Last verified
May 13, 2026
Repo
ShareX/ShareX ↗

Additional details

Language
C#
Open issues
634
Contributors
299
First release
2013

Categories

Business & ProductivityDesign & CreativeDeveloper Tools

Tags

Screen RecordersWorkflow AutomationFile SharingLink Management & ShortenersDocumentationGraphic DesignDeveloper Tools