Gyazo vs Lightshot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightshot grades higher than Gyazo: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gyazo grades higher on features and platforms. Lightshot grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gyazo
Screenshot and screen-recording tool that uploads and shares by link
Which one is for you
Pick Gyazo if
- Fits if you send screenshots as links all day and can live with 10 visible images
- Works for short clips and GIFs under 7 seconds
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want to see more than your 10 latest captures without paying
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $6.99 a month
- Watch out: the pricing page showed no amounts when we read it, so $6.99 comes from the iOS App Store
- Watch out: the site carries a notice about a data breach caused by unauthorized access
- Not for you if you want to record longer videos for free, as free video stops at 7 seconds
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
| 2.4GPAGyazoFair | 3.0GPALightshotVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DGyazo Pro is $6.99 a month as listed on the iOS App Store, roughly twice this category's typical monthly price, and the useful limits are lifted only there. | AFree on Windows and Mac, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CUnlimited capturing and uploading are free, but only the 10 latest images are reachable and video stops at 7 seconds. | AFree outright with no cap listed and nothing locked. |
| Features | BCapture, share by link, collections, tags, OCR search and editing on Pro. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job, though several parts need Pro. | 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 | BPress a hotkey and get a link, with nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. | BNo rating on record. You press a key, drag, and save or share. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, with a small integrations list (Obsidian and n8n). | CWindows, Mac and browser extensions. All computers, with no phone app and no listed integrations. |
| Best for | capturing and sharing a screenshot by link | 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: Gyazo and Lightshot. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gyazo starts at $6.99 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lightshot has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Gyazo scores higher, and starts $6.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Gyazo 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
- Gyazo also covers web clipper and screen recording.
At a glance
| Gyazo | Lightshot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $6.99 per month (Gyazo Pro, as listed in the iOS App Store) | Free |
| Free plan | Unlimited screenshot capture and upload, access to the 10 latest images, and video recordings up to 7 seconds. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Helpfeel Inc. | Skillbrains |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | app.prntscr.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gyazo
- The free plan shows only your 10 latest images and limits video to 7 seconds.
- The pricing page did not display amounts when we read it; the $6.99 is from the iOS App Store listing.
- Gyazo Teams has a 5-user minimum, monthly billing only and a 30-day free trial.
- The site carries a notice about a data breach caused by unauthorized access to Gyazo.
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
Gyazo
- Capture and share by link
- Captures upload as they are taken and a link is copied, with previews that expand when pasted into chat.
- Screenshot, video and replay
- Capture an area, record video or GIFs, or use Replay for full-screen clips; Replay is Windows only.
- Collections and tags
- Group captures by theme into collections that each have a shareable URL, and tag them to find them later.
- Search with OCR
- Pro recognizes text inside captures and searches by app name, page, date and file name.
- Editing tools
- Annotate images with arrows and text and trim videos; background removal is capped at 10 images a month.
- Apps and extensions
- Free apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
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
Gyazo
Gyazo$0
Unlimited uploads, access to the 10 latest images, collections, 7-second videos and replay clips.
Gyazo Pro$6.99
per month (App Store price; web price not shown)
Unlimited image access, 10-minute videos, text search in images (OCR), editing, passwords and no ads.
Lightshot
Lightshot$0
The download page offers the app for free on Windows and Mac.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gyazo or Lightshot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lightshot is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6.99 a month for Gyazo. Gyazo starts at $6.99 per month (Gyazo Pro, as listed in the iOS App Store), and Lightshot is free.
Which has a free plan, Gyazo or Lightshot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Gyazo and Lightshot have a free plan.
Which platforms do Gyazo and Lightshot run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Gyazo lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS and Windows apps and a browser extension. 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.