Best Snipping Tools for Mac in 2022

One of the most common tasks that a user does on Mac is screen captures. This is done to save portions of the screen that contains an important text or image. Although you can use the default snipping tool on your Mac, the issue is it has limited features compared to other snipping tools.

This guide will show the best snipping tools for macOS. We will also include the pros and cons of each app, and their pricing plans. Let’s get started.

How to Choose The Best Snipping Tool for Mac?

There are various factors that you should look at before picking a snipping tool. From affordability to features, these can all contribute to your choice in buying the best snipping tool for your Mac. Here are a few factors to consider:

💻 Functionality – Compared to the preinstalled screenshot app on your Mac, does it have better features? You’ll also need to see if it can capture snippets in any situation.
♻️ Affordability – If both snipping tools have the same features but are different in price, you’re better off picking the more affordable one.
🔑 Ease of use – To make the most out of your snipping tool, it needs to be as uncomplicated to use as possible. Pick a snipping tool that can be a great go-to option instead of the free screenshot tool on your Mac.

10 Best Snipping Tools For Mac

SoftwareFeaturesPrice
1. SnagIt
  • Scrolling screenshots
  • Annotation tools
  • OCR support
Starts at $62.99/year (15 days free trial)
2. TextSniper App
  • Basic editing tools
  • OCR support
Starts at $7.99 (7 days free trial)
3. Movavi Screen Recorder
  • Supports 1080p screen recording resolution
  • Scrolling capture
Starts at $39.95 (Unlimited free trial)
4. Monosnap
  • Scrolling capture
  • Cloud storage
  • Cheaper subscription costs
Starts at $2.5/month (Unlimited free trial)
5. Greenshot
  • Screen capturing tool
  • Lightweight app
Free and Open source
6. Lightshot
  • Screen capturing tool
  • Lightweight app
Free and Open source
7. SnapNDrag
  • Basic screenshot and photo editing tools
  • High-quality snippets
Starts at $16.99 (Unlimited free trial)
8. Capto
  • Scrolling capture
  • Various screenshot modes
  • Has video editing tools
Starts at $29.99 (14 days free trial)
9. ShareX
  • Basic screenshot tool
  • Highly customizable
  • Scrolling screenshots
Free and Open source
10. PicPick
  • Screen capturing tool
  • Various photo editing and graphic design tools
Starts at $2.5/month (Unlimited free trial)

1. SnagIt

ℹ️ Best for: Screen recording and adding annotations

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: Yes | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: Yes | Has Mac Version: Yes

snagit

SnagIt is a free screen recording and screen capturing tool for macOS. You can use its screen capturing tool in various situations, including panoramic screen capture. It’s easy to use and only requires three steps.

Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Content is shareable via the app
  • Has a variety of basic snipping tools
  • Can do scrolling screenshots
Cons:
  • Grab Text feature sometimes doesn’t work
  • Have to pay first on each upgraded feature before using
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – 15 days
  • Individual – $62.99/year
  • Business – $62.99/year
  • Education – $37.99/year
  • Government & Non-profit – $53.99/year
Free Download

2. TextSniper App

ℹ️ Best for: Editing snippets

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: Yes | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: No | Can Share Content: Yes | OCR: Yes | Has Mac Version: Yes

textsniper

TextSniper is a great snipping tool for Mac users that features an effective OCR feature. This allows it to recognize texts from scanned images. Its beginner-friendly interface makes it ideal for daily use.

Pros:
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • App is available in various languages
  • Affordable compared to other snipping apps
Cons:
  • Major features require more payment to unlock
  • OCR is sometimes inaccurate on complicated symbols
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – 7 days
  • License for 1 Mac – $7.99 (one-time payment)
  • License for 3 Macs – $9.99 (one-time payment)
  • Unlimited License – $11.99 (one-time payment)
Free Download

3. Movavi Screen Recorder

ℹ️ Best for: Screen recording for video conferences and virtual meetings

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: Yes | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: No | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

movavi

Another easy-to-use screen capturing tool is Movavi Screen Recorder. It features a great set of tools for screen recording that you can use to record video conferences and online videos. You can take snippets on your Mac with just one click.

Pros:
  • Beginner-friendly interface
  • Can screen record at 1080p high-quality
  • Has a video editing tool that you can purchase
Cons:
  • Software crashes were reported by some users
  • Limited features on the trial version
  • Exporting feature is buggy
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – Unlimited
  • Personal License – $39.95 (one-time payment)
  • Business License – $49.95/year
Free Download

4. Monosnap

ℹ️ Best for: Storing snips in their cloud

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: Yes | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: No | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

monosnap

Monosnap is a handy snipping tool for Mac computers that comes with its own cloud storage. You can use their cloud to store and share your snippets without worrying about them taking up too much space on your Mac. It’s a quick way to produce high-quality screenshots.

Pros:
  • Can screen record GIFs and videos
  • Customizable screenshot hotkeys
  • Can capture on various parts of the screen
Cons:
  • Limited features on the trial version
  • Cost can get higher once you access more advanced features
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – Unlimited
  • Non-Commercial – $2.5/month if billed yearly, $3/month if billed monthly
  • Commercial – $5/month if billed yearly, $10/month if billed monthly
Free Download

5. Greenshot

ℹ️ Best for: Lightweight screenshot app

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: No | Scrolling Capture: No | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

greenshot

Greenshot is an open-source snipping tool available for both Mac and Windows OS. It has the basic screenshot options and annotation tools, and you can also share your content through various platforms such as MS Office programs, Picasa, Flickr, etc.

Pros:
  • Straightforward interface
  • Does not take up too much memory space
Cons:
  • The app cannot open two screenshots at once
  • Mediocre screenshot quality compared to other paid snipping tools
Pricing plans:
  • Paid for Mac users at $1.99
Free Download

6. Lightshot

ℹ️ Best for: Taking simple screenshots from an app, website, or a video

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: No | Scrolling Capture: No | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: No | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

lightshot

Lightshot is another lightweight screenshot tool for Mac and Windows computers. It captures screenshots efficiently and can be used to take consecutive screenshots without lagging. It has a beginner-friendly interface and is free.

Pros:
  • Lightweight and easy to use
  • Free and can be downloaded from the App Store
  • Has basic editing tools for snippets
Cons:
  • No capture modes
  • Has no advanced editing and annotation tools
Pricing plans:
  • Free
Free Download

7. SnapNDrag

ℹ️ Best for: Taking screenshots from videos, websites, emails

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: No | Scrolling Capture: No | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

snapndrag

SnapNDrag is one of the older screenshot tools on Mac that can provide quality snippets. It has the basic annotating and editing tools necessary to edit your screenshots. You can also share the snippet via Mail, Messages, and social media platforms.

Pros:
  • Quick way to take quality screenshots
  • Has basic editing and annotating tools
  • Customizable hotkeys
Cons:
  • Screenshots have basic quality compared to other snipping tools
  • The app interface can be buggy, as reported by some users
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – Unlimited
  • SnapNDrag Pro – $16.99 (one-time payment)
Free Download

8. Capto

ℹ️ Best for: Generating screenshots and creating small screen recordings

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: Yes | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

capto

Capto is a screenshot tool on Mac that can also be used as a screen recording and video editing app. It has various screenshot modes and sharing options. You can also add annotations to your snippets using its editing tool.

Pros:
  • Powerful software for taking screenshots and screen recordings
  • Has advanced editing tools
  • Supports HD screen recording
Cons:
  • Instances of poor audio quality on screen recordings
  • Limited file support
  • Problems with handling larger media files
Pricing plans:
  • Free Trial – 14 days
  • Single User License – $29.99 (one-time payment)
Free Download

9. Skitch

ℹ️ Best for: Evernote users or lightweight screenshots that don’t require too much editing

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: No | Scrolling Capture: No | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: No | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

skitch

If you’re the type to mark your screenshots, then Skitch is the best snipping tool available. It’s also owned by Evernote, so the integration between both apps are seamless. Outside of that, it’s a simple snipping and markup tool with limited features.

Pros:
  • Integrates seamlessly with Evernote
  • Free and can be found in the App Store
  • Lots of photo marking tools
Cons:
  • Lacks an eraser
  • Cannot record video
Pricing plans:
  • Free
Free Download

10. Droplr

ℹ️ Best for: Taking high-quality screen recordings

💡Screen Capture: Yes | Screen Record: Yes | Scrolling Capture: No | Ease of Use: Yes | Image Editing: Yes | Annotation Tools: Yes | Can Share Content: Yes | Optical Character Recognition: No | Has Mac Version: Yes

droplr

Droplr is one of the better tools on this list for screen recording and creating short GIFs. Lastly, users have access to a cloud link that they can share easily with others, which is perfect for apps that make it difficult to send complete photos.

Pros:
  • 4k quality screen-recording
  • Premium add-ons
  • Has a mobile app version
Cons:
  • Cannot annotate until photos are uploaded, making it feel slow
  • GIF customization is lacking
Pricing plans:
  • Pro Plus – $6 per month
  • Team – $7 per user/month up to 15 users
  • Enterprise – Custom quote, 16+ users
Free Download

How to Snip on Mac

Taking snippets on Mac is easy as long as you know the right keyboard shortcuts. There are three ways to take a snip on your Mac computer:

  • taking a screenshot of the entire screen
  • taking a screenshot of a selected area
  • taking a timed screenshot

To take a screenshot of the entire screen, this is what you need to do:

  1. Press the keys Command + Shift + 3.
  2. A small thumbnail will appear at the bottom-left where you can edit and save the image.

To take a screenshot of a selected area, follow these steps:

  1. Press the keys Command + Shift + 4 on your keyboard. A small bullseye icon will appear on the screen to replace the cursor.
    screenshot selected area
  2. Click on the top-left corner of your desired area.
  3. Then, hold and drag to cover the rest of the area that you want to screenshot.
  4. Release once the whole area has been covered.
  5. A screenshot thumbnail will appear on the bottom-right corner of your screen.
    screenshot thumbnail
  6. Click it to edit and save.
    screenshot edit

Lastly, here are the steps to take a timed screenshot:

  1. Press the keys Command + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot app interface.
  2. Then, click on options and check either 5 or 10 seconds. You can now take a screenshot with a delay based on your selected time.
    screenshot selected time

Where to Find Your Saved Screenshots on a Mac

By default, your screenshots will be saved in the Desktop folder on your Mac. However, you can change this by going to the Options menu on the Screenshot app. To do this, just follow these steps:

  1. Open the Screenshot app by selecting the Spotlight search feature on your Mac and typing in screenshot. Alternatively, you can press the keys Command + Shift + 5 on your keyboard.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Under Save To, the checked folder will be your default folder destination for screenshots.
  4. To change it, select another folder and close the app. Your saved screenshots will now be saved in your selected folder destination.

FAQ

You can use the snipping tool on Mac by pressing the Command + Shift + 4 keys for a selected area and Command + Shift + 3 for the entire screen. To open the Screenshot app interface, press Command + Shift + 5.
The best Mac snipping tool that’s for free and available on the App Store is Lightshot since it can do most basic snippets and is a great snip tool for MacBook Pro. Here are our other choices:

  • SnagIt
  • TextSniper App
  • Movavi Screen Recorder
  • Monosnap
  • Greenshot
  • SnapNDrag
  • Capto
  • Skitch
  • Droplr
Yes, there is a free snipping tool for Mac. Besides the built-in Screenshot app, you can use Lightshot and Greenshot. Both are free snipping tools for Mac and can be downloaded via the App Store. ShareX is another popular and free screen capturing tool but is only available on Windows.
The best free snipping tool for Mac is Lightshot. Even though it is free, it is updated regularly. It is used by many Mac users because it can provide high-quality screenshots efficiently. You can also use it to edit your snippets using basic, built-in editing tools. Here are our alternative choices:

  • SnapNDrag
  • Monosnap
  • Movavi Screen Recorder
If you’re wondering how to snip on Mac using a Windows keyboard, you’ll need to follow a similar process with a Mac keyboard. To screenshot a selected area, press Windows key + Shift + 4. To screenshot the entire screen, press the Windows key + Shift + 3.
The Screenshot tool is a free and built-in feature on Mac that you can use to capture your entire screen, a portion, or a window on your screen. You can add edits to it using the app before saving it as a screenshot in your destination folder.

On Macs that are running macOS Mojave or later, you can add a timer or delay to your screen capture and choose a different folder destination for your screenshots via the Screenshot tool.

  1. Lightshot — free, lightweight screenshot tool with a beginner-friendly interface
  2. SnapNDrag — free, quick, and allows sharing screenshots to Mail, Messages, and other social media platforms
  3. Droplr — 4k screen recording, mobile app available, GIF creation
Mako Young is a writer for all things tech. He's been writing about Macs for years and has been using Macs for more than a decade. When he isn't reading about the latest news on Apple, he's busy studying cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, cloud computing, and other IT-related sectors. His exceptional work graces technology and Apple-related blogs like How-To Geek, Macgasm, onMac, PhotoWorkout, and many more.
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