Kap vs Shottr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kap grades higher than Shottr: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kap 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.
Shottr
Small Mac screenshot tool with annotation, OCR and a ruler
Free plan · from $12 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick Kap if
- Fits if you record short Mac screen clips and share them as GIFs
- Works for people comfortable getting help from a GitHub issue tracker
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Not for you if your Mac is older than macOS 12
- Too light for you if you want to edit video beyond trimming
- Watch out: support goes through GitHub issues, not a paid channel
Pick Shottr if
- Fits if you measure pixels and colors on screen as a designer or front-end developer
- Works for capturing a long page or a whole chat as one scrolling screenshot
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's Mac only and the vendor calls a port unlikely
- Not for you if you want private share links: Shottr Cloud uploads are public to anyone with the URL, with no storage guarantee
- Tight if you're using it free at work, because commercial use requires the $12 license
- Watch out: no Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud or FTP uploads, and a Basic license can't be upgraded to the $30 tier
- Watch out: its pages disagree on the minimum macOS (10.15 or 12), and the interface isn't localized
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAKapVery good | 2.6GPAShottrGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source. No paid plan is listed. | A$12 once for the Basic Tier, covering one user on up to five computers, with no subscription. Utilities here sit at $2.99 a month in the middle, so that's four months' money for keeps. Friends Club is $30 once, though a Basic licence can't be upgraded to it. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, with no limit or trial. | BFree for as long as you want, with most features there. Two catches: after 30 days it starts asking you to consider upgrading, and commercial use requires a license. |
| Features | CRecording with audio, click highlights, trimming and four export formats, plus share plugins. It does the recording job, but the site describes no full video editing. | CScreenshots are its one job: area, fullscreen and scrolling captures, arrows and backdrops, text lifted off the screen, a ruler, a color picker with a contrast checker, pixelate and pin. Uploads go to S3 or its own cloud, but not Dropbox, Drive, iCloud or FTP. |
| Ease of use | BInstall, pick an area and record. Nothing to set up, though no store rating is on record. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a small native app and the tools sit on single keys, like Tab to copy a colour. The interface isn't localised though, and the vendor says it's avoiding other languages for now. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac only, Apple silicon and Intel. No Windows, Linux or phone version. | DMac only. Its pages disagree on the minimum macOS: 10.15 on the homepage, 12 in the knowledge base. It works with Raycast and Alfred and uploads to S3-compatible storage, but not Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud or FTP. |
| Best for | a free Mac screen recorder that exports GIFs | pixel-careful screenshots on a Mac |
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: Kap and Shottr. How we grade
Where they differ
- Kap is open source, according to its own site.
- Shottr can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Kap also covers screen recording.
- Shottr also covers screenshots.
In commonFree planmacOS
At a glance
| Kap | Shottr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $12 one-time purchase (Basic Tier) |
| Free plan | None | Free to use for as long as you want, with most features available. After 30 days the app starts asking you to consider upgrading. Commercial use requires a license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Wulkano | Electric Endeavors LLC |
| Price read from | getkap.co | shottr.cc |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kap
- Mac only; there are no Windows, Linux or mobile versions.
- Requires macOS 12 or later.
- The site describes recording, trimming and export, not full video editing.
- Free and open source, so support runs through the GitHub project's issue tracker rather than a paid channel.
Shottr
- Mac only, and the vendor calls a Windows or Linux version unlikely. Its pages disagree on the minimum macOS: 10.15 on the homepage, 12 in the knowledge base.
- The free version asks you to consider buying after 30 days, and commercial use requires a paid license.
- Shottr Cloud uploads are public to anyone with the URL and carry no storage guarantee. Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud and FTP are not supported.
- The interface is not localized; the vendor says it is intentionally avoiding other languages for now.
Key features
Kap
- Several export formats
- Export a recording as GIF, MP4, WebM or APNG, with optional audio.
- Click highlights and trimming
- Highlight mouse clicks while recording and trim the clip before exporting.
- Plugin sharing
- Plugins send recordings to Giphy, Streamable and Vercel; the site links the plugin projects on GitHub.
- Open source
- The code is public on GitHub under the MIT license, so anyone can read it, report issues or contribute.
- Apple silicon and Intel builds
- Separate downloads are offered for M1-class and Intel Macs; macOS 12 or later is required.
Shottr
- Scrolling screenshots
- Captures a long web page or chat conversation as one image, in any app or window. A manual scrolling mode covers systems where automatic capture does not work.
- Annotations and backdrops
- Adds text, arrows, freehand drawings, highlights, spotlights and a magnifier callout, and the Backdrop tool sets a screenshot on a gradient with shadows and rounded corners.
- Text recognition and QR codes
- A hotkey lets you select an area of the screen; Shottr recognizes the text in it and copies it to the clipboard. The same feature reads QR codes.
- Screen ruler and color picker
- Arrow keys measure horizontal and vertical distances on a screenshot, and the Tab key copies the color under the cursor. A contrast checker supports WCAG 2.0 and APCA.
- Pixelate, erase and pin
- Hides parts of an image behind pixelation or removes them, and pins screenshots as floating, always-on-top borderless windows for reference.
- Upload and link sharing
- Uploads a screenshot to Shottr Cloud or any S3-compatible storage and copies its public URL. Shottr Cloud needs a free access token tied to your email.
Plans
Kap
Free$0
Open-source under the MIT license, with downloads for Apple silicon and Intel Macs and no paid tier.
Shottr
Free$0
Most features with no time limit. After 30 days the app starts asking you to consider upgrading.
Basic Tier$12
one-time purchase
A license for one user on up to five computers. Required for commercial use; the vendor says the activated version gives a better overall experience.
Friends Club$30
one-time purchase
Adds access to experimental features and better support. A Basic license cannot be upgraded to this tier.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kap or Shottr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kap is free, and Shottr starts at $12 one-time purchase (Basic Tier).
Which has a free plan, Kap or Shottr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kap and Shottr have a free plan.
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.