Greenshot: when to install it, and when not to
Greenshot is a long-lived, lightweight screenshot tool for Windows with region, window and full-screen capture, quick annotations, and destinations like…
The short version
Greenshot: The lightweight option if you want one fixed hotkey that grabs a region, opens an editor and copies to clipboard. Older and quieter than ShareX, which for many people is exactly right.
| Licence / price | Free · Open source |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows |
| Category | Media, Recording & Capture — 10 programs |
| Official download | https://getgreenshot.org/downloads/ ↗ |
What it is for
Greenshot is a long-lived, lightweight screenshot tool for Windows with region, window and full-screen capture, quick annotations, and destinations like file, clipboard, printer or email. It sits quietly in the tray and does its job without drama.
When to pick something else
Windows-only, and active development has slowed, so it occasionally lags behind new Windows behaviour. It is less slick than modern rivals for pixelation and cloud workflows, though perfectly adequate for everyday captures.
How it compares in Media, Recording & Capture
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLC Media Player Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Plays the file Windows Media Player refuses to. No codec hunting, no third-party packs, no ads. It also handles DVD, network streams and screen capture, which is more than you will ever need. |
| mpv Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | For people who care about video quality: precise scaling, smooth playback of 4K and high frame rate files, and keyboard control of everything. There is no settings window, which is the point and also the problem. |
| OBS Studio Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | The standard for screen recording and live streaming, used by everyone from Twitch streamers to university lecturers. Expect one evening of setup before it clicks. |
| HandBrake Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Shrinks video files to a fraction of their size with no visible quality loss, and converts almost anything to MP4. Use the presets until you have a reason not to. |
| Audacity Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | A full multi-track audio editor for free: record, cut, remove noise, normalise, export. Ignore the 2021 ownership scare, the licence is settled and the software is fine. |
| Kdenlive Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | The best free video editor that can actually replace a paid one, with multi-track timelines, proxies and keyframes. Steeper than CapCut, and it will not watermark your export. |
| Shotcut Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | The gentler free editor: native format support, no importing step, and a flatter learning curve than Kdenlive. Pick it if you edit occasionally rather than daily. |
| ShareX Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows | Screenshot, annotate, record the screen, then upload and copy a link in one keystroke, with workflows you can script. Far more powerful than Snipping Tool and correspondingly more overwhelming at first. |
| Flameshot Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Blur, highlight and arrow on screen before saving, with a clean and quick interface. The best simple annotating screenshot tool on Windows and the natural choice on Linux. |
Practical notes
- Set the print-screen key to capture a region by default.
- Send captures straight to an editor or clipboard to skip saving.
- Use the OCR-free text tool rather than pasting into a separate app.
Questions people ask
Is Greenshot free?
The older version is free and open source; a newer commercial build exists, so check which you grab.
Does it edit images?
Light annotation only; full editing belongs in a real editor.
Why pick it over the Windows snipping tool?
More destinations and annotation without opening a separate app.
Where it appears in our guides
See the full Media, Recording & Capture explainer for the other 9 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.