Lightshot vs Shottr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lightshot grades higher than Shottr: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lightshot 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 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
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
| 3.0GPALightshotVery good | 2.6GPAShottrGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on Windows and Mac, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. | 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 | AFree outright with no cap listed and nothing locked. | 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 | 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. | 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 | BNo rating on record. You press a key, drag, and save or share. | 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 | CWindows, Mac and browser extensions. All computers, with no phone app and no listed integrations. | 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 | quick area screenshots shared as a link | 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: Lightshot and Shottr. How we grade
Where they differ
- Shottr can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Lightshot also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planmacOSScreenshots
At a glance
| Lightshot | 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 | ||
| Windows | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Skillbrains | Electric Endeavors LLC |
| Price read from | app.prntscr.com | shottr.cc |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
Lightshot
Lightshot$0
The download page offers the app for free on Windows and Mac.
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, Lightshot or Shottr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lightshot is free, and Shottr starts at $12 one-time purchase (Basic Tier).
Which has a free plan, Lightshot or Shottr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Lightshot and Shottr have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lightshot and Shottr run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Lightshot lists a Windows app and a browser extension. Both list a macOS 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.