FastStone Capture vs Snipaste (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Snipaste grades higher than FastStone Capture: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Snipaste grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FastStone Capture
Windows screen capture, annotation and screen recorder
Snipaste
Screenshot tool that pins images to the screen as floating windows
Which one is for you
Pick FastStone Capture if
- Fits if you want a one-time purchase for screenshots on a Windows PC
- Works for people who capture scrolling pages and mark them up before sending
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, since there is no version for them
- Skip it if you want a free plan: after 30 days a license is required
- Too light for video work beyond MP4 and WMV recordings
- Watch out: it needs Windows 10 or 11
Pick Snipaste if
- Fits if you want to pin a screenshot beside your work while you type
- Works for personal use on Windows, Mac or Linux
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if it is for business use, as that needs a PRO licence
- Watch out: new features arrive only in PRO, and 1.x stays at version 1.16.2
- Watch out: a licence doesn't cover new major versions, and the vendor only promises a discount for a future 3.0
- Tight if you want to use it on several machines: 3 devices is $19.99 and the Microsoft Store licence is a separate purchase
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFastStone CaptureGood | 3.0GPASnipasteVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$29.95 once for a lifetime license with free upgrades, under a year of this category's middle subscription. A family license for up to 5 computers is $69.95. | AFree for personal use, and PRO is $8.99 one-time for one device, far under a year of this category's typical subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day trial, then a license is needed. There is no free plan for Capture. | BThe core snipping, pinning and annotation tools are free for personal use. Business use needs PRO or the older 1.x line. |
| Features | BCapture modes, an editor, a screen recorder, text capture and pinning. The listing names no gap in the core job, though recordings are limited to MP4 and WMV. | BSnipping with UI detection, pinning, annotation and a portable build. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job, though some capture extras are PRO. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but it is a program you install and start using with nothing to set up. | BInstall and press a hotkey, with nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only. The vendor lists no Mac, Linux or mobile version, and it needs Windows 10 or 11. | CWindows, macOS and Linux, computers only. No phone or web version. |
| Best for | Windows screenshots and recordings for a one-time price | pinning screenshots to the screen |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FastStone Capture and Snipaste. How we grade
Where they differ
- FastStone Capture also covers screen recording and video editing.
At a glance
| FastStone Capture | Snipaste | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29.95 one-time | $8.99 one-time, 1 device |
| Free plan | None | Snipaste 2 is free for personal use only, with bug-fix updates and the core snipping, pinning and annotation tools. |
| Free trial | 30-day trial, then a license is required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | FastStone Corporation | Snipaste |
| Price read from | faststone.org | snipaste.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FastStone Capture
- Windows only: the vendor lists no Mac, Linux or mobile version.
- The vendor says it requires Windows 10 or 11.
- After the 30-day trial a license is required; there is no free plan for Capture.
- Screen recordings save only as MP4 or WMV, with MP3 for audio-only.
Snipaste
- Free for personal use only; business use needs a Snipaste 2 PRO license or the older 1.x line.
- Snipaste 1.x stays at version 1.16.2, and new features arrive only in PRO.
- A license does not cover new major versions; the vendor promises a discount for a future 3.0.
- The Windows-only Microsoft Store license and the desktop license are separate purchases.
Key features
FastStone Capture
- Capture modes
- Grab windows, objects, menus, the full screen, rectangular, freehand or fixed-size regions and scrolling windows or web pages.
- Built-in editor
- Annotate with text, arrows, highlights, callouts and step numbers, blur an area, and apply edge effects, resizing and cropping.
- Screen recorder
- Record screen changes, microphone, speaker audio, webcam and mouse clicks to MP4 or WMV, with a timer and a basic video editor.
- Text capture and pinning
- Pull text from an image with OCR and pin a screenshot on top of other windows like a sticky note.
- Send and save options
- Send captures to a file, clipboard, printer, email, an FTP server, or OneNote, Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.
- Screen tools
- Includes a color picker, magnifier, crosshair and screen ruler, plus global hotkeys and automatic file naming.
Snipaste
- Snip with UI detection
- Capture a region with automatic detection of windows and interface elements, pixel-level control, a color picker and multi-screen support.
- Pin as floating windows
- Paste a screenshot, clipboard text, HTML, color info or an image file as a floating window you can zoom, rotate, flip and make translucent.
- Annotation tools
- Free includes rectangles, ellipses, arrows, pencil, marker, text, mosaic, blur and eraser; PRO adds counters, magnify and re-editing.
- PRO capture extras
- PRO adds text extraction, QR and barcode decoding, super-snip with no hotkey, fixed-ratio capture and rounded-corner screenshots.
- Portable and customizable
- Portable builds run without installing, with theme color, tray icon and hotkey settings; PRO adds more hotkey bindings.
Plans
FastStone Capture
Single license$29.95
one-time
Lifetime license for one user, with free upgrades; the order page also lists a volume discount.
Family license$69.95
one-time, for up to 5 computers
Lifetime license for home users covering up to 5 computers.
Snipaste
Free$0
Personal use only. Includes region capture, window detection, pinned image windows and basic annotation.
PRO, 1 device$8.99
one-time, 1 device (Windows, Mac or Linux)
Business use allowed, plus the PRO features such as text extraction, super-snip and more annotation tools.
PRO, 3 devices$19.99
one-time, up to 3 devices (Windows, Mac or Linux)
Same PRO license for three devices; includes minor-version updates, with a discount promised for a future version 3.
PRO, Microsoft Store$19.99
one-time, up to 10 Windows 10 or 11 devices
Tied to your Microsoft account. It is a separate license from the desktop version and not interchangeable with it.
Ways to pay less
FastStone Capture
No public discounts listed.
Snipaste
- Other savings
20% off the second license type
Buyers of the desktop or the Microsoft Store license can email a receipt for 20% off the other version.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FastStone Capture or Snipaste?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FastStone Capture starts at $29.95 one-time, and Snipaste starts at $8.99 one-time, 1 device.
Which has a free plan, FastStone Capture or Snipaste?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Snipaste has a free plan. FastStone Capture does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FastStone Capture and Snipaste run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Snipaste lists macOS and Linux apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.