Flameshot vs Lightshot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Flameshot and Lightshot share a 3.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Flameshot if
- Fits if you want the same screenshot tool on Windows, Mac and Linux at no cost
- Works for captures that need an arrow and a pixelated email address before you send them
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on GNOME with Wayland and want no fuss, since support is experimental and it asks to share the screen every time
- Not for you if you upload a lot, because the shared Imgur client ID can run into Imgur's hourly quota
- Too light for screen recording or scrolling captures, as neither is listed
- Watch out: downloads are 64-bit only, Macs need screen recording permission first, and GNOME needs an AppIndicator extension
- Not for you if you want it on a phone or in a browser, since it's a desktop program only
Pick Lightshot if
- Fits if you want a free screenshot tool that makes a link
- Works for people who take a screenshot a few times a day
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: sharing uploads your image to the vendor's server
- Not for you if you want screen recording, as none is listed
- Skip it if you use Linux, as no app is listed
- Watch out: the footer shows 2009 to 2022, which suggests updates are rare
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlameshotVery good | 3.0GPALightshotVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, a plain download on all three systems, with the main code under GPLv3+. There's no paid version, and the project says it doesn't even accept direct donations. | AFree on Windows and Mac, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free on Windows, macOS and Linux. Nothing is kept back for a paid tier, because there isn't one. | AFree outright with no cap listed and nothing locked. |
| Features | CThe marked-up screenshot is a narrow job and Flameshot covers it: drag a box, then arrows, text, shapes, highlights, a counter and blur that pixelates, plus a history, Imgur upload and terminal commands. No screen recording or scrolling capture is listed, and Wayland support is still called experimental. | CArea capture, quick edit, upload with a short link and similar-image search. There is no listed scrolling capture or screen recording, so it covers a narrow job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: launch, drag, annotate, save. On a Mac you grant screen recording permission first, and GNOME users need an AppIndicator extension to see the tray icon. | BNo rating on record. You press a key, drag, and save or share. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, macOS and Linux, but it's a desktop program and nothing more: no phone apps, no web version, and the only thing it talks to is Imgur. Three operating systems is still one kind of device. Downloads are 64-bit only. | CWindows, Mac and browser extensions. All computers, with no phone app and no listed integrations. |
| Best for | free marked-up screenshots on any desktop | quick area screenshots shared as a link |
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: Flameshot and Lightshot. How we grade
Price against what you get
Flameshot has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lightshot has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Flameshot for less, and none scores higher than Lightshot for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Flameshot is open source, according to its own site.
- Lightshot also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSScreenshots
At a glance
| Flameshot | Lightshot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and open source, with its main code under GPLv3+. The project says it does not accept direct donations. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Flameshot contributors | Skillbrains |
| Price read from | flameshot.org | app.prntscr.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Flameshot
- GNOME Wayland and Plasma Wayland support is described as experimental, and GNOME 41 or later asks to share the screen on every capture.
- It relies on a system tray; GNOME users need an AppIndicator extension to see the icon.
- The upload tool sends images to Imgur anonymously, and the shared client ID can run into Imgur's hourly quota.
- Downloads are 64-bit only, and on macOS it must be granted screen recording permission before it can capture anything.
Lightshot
- Sharing uploads the image to the vendor's server.
- The site's footer shows a 2009-2022 copyright, which suggests updates are infrequent.
- No Linux app is listed on the page.
Key features
Flameshot
- Area capture with in-place editing
- Launch it, drag a selection box over the area you want and annotate directly on screen before saving the shot, without opening a separate editor.
- Annotation tools
- Arrows, lines, pencil, marker highlights, text, rectangles, circles, solid color boxes and an incrementing counter, plus a blur tool that turns into pixelation at larger sizes.
- Customizable interface
- A configuration dialog sets the interface color, which tool buttons appear, the keyboard shortcuts and how images are saved.
- Command-line interface
- Terminal commands capture a region or the full screen without opening the GUI first, with options for a delay, a save path and copying to the clipboard.
- Upload to Imgur
- Uploads a selection to Imgur after a warning and lets you delete it afterwards. Since version 11.0.0 you can set your own Imgur Client ID for a separate upload quota.
- Tray icon and history
- Runs in the background with a system tray icon for configuration, and keeps a screenshot history that a shortcut opens.
Lightshot
- Area capture
- Select any region of the desktop and capture it in two clicks.
- Instant edit
- Edit a capture while taking it, or later in the online editor.
- Upload and short link
- Uploads the image to the vendor's server and returns a short link right away.
- Similar image search
- Select an image on screen to find similar images.
- Gallery
- A signed-in My Gallery page keeps your uploaded screenshots.
- Browser extensions
- Extensions for Chrome and Firefox are linked from the site, alongside the desktop apps.
Plans
Flameshot
Flameshot$0
The complete app as a Windows installer or portable build, a macOS dmg or Homebrew cask, and a Linux AppImage, Snap, Flatpak or distribution package.
Lightshot
Lightshot$0
The download page offers the app for free on Windows and Mac.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Flameshot or Lightshot?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Flameshot and Lightshot are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Flameshot or Lightshot?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Flameshot and Lightshot have a free plan.
Which platforms do Flameshot and Lightshot run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Flameshot lists a Linux app and only Lightshot lists a browser extension. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.