FastStone Capture review (2026): is it worth $29.95?
Windows screen capture, annotation and screen recorder
Black Friday: is there a FastStone Capture sale?
FastStone Capture report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for Windows screenshots and recordings for a one-time price
FastStone Capture grabs windows, menus, regions and scrolling pages on Windows, marks them up and records the screen. It is $29.95 once after a 30-day trial. It runs on Windows only, and recordings save only as MP4 or WMV.
Who FastStone Capture is for
- 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
Who FastStone Capture is not for
- 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
Why FastStone Capture gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for money$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.
- CFree plan and trialA 30-day trial, then a license is needed. There is no free plan for Capture.
- BFeaturesCapture 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.
- BEase of useNo store rating is on record, but it is a program you install and start using with nothing to set up.
- DPlatforms and integrationsWindows only. The vendor lists no Mac, Linux or mobile version, and it needs Windows 10 or 11.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from FastStone Corporation's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/faststone-capture#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/faststone-capture.svg" alt="FastStone Capture: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where FastStone Capture stands among desktop utilities
FastStone Capture's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 69 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 46.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 55 of 186) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 187 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. FastStone Capture’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 55 of 186, level with 131
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 186, level with 66
- BFeaturesAbove 113 of 186, level with 72
- BEase of useAbove 78 of 186, level with 108
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 186, level with 110
Keep FastStone Capture, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace FastStone Capture you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $29.95, paid once.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Capture tools hooked into the operating system.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. FastStone Capture’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is FastStone Capture?
FastStone Capture is a Windows program for taking screenshots of windows, menus, regions and scrolling pages, then marking them up in a built-in editor. It also records the screen to MP4 or WMV files and sells as a one-time license after a 30-day trial.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
FastStone Capture pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, FastStone Capture is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29.95 one-time.
- Starts at
- $29.95 one-time
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 30-day trial, then a license is required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Single license | $29.95one-time | Lifetime license for one user, with free upgrades; the order page also lists a volume discount. |
| Family license | $69.95one-time, for up to 5 computers | Lifetime license for home users covering up to 5 computers. |
Read from faststone.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FastStone Capture before you buy.
Works with
- Microsoft OneNote
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
FastStone Capture alternatives
- FastStone Capture vs Greenshot
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- FastStone Capture vs Snipaste
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- FastStone Capture vs PicPick
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- FastStone Capture vs Screenpresso
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Common questions
Does FastStone Capture have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. FastStone Capture is listed for Windows.
Does FastStone Capture have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. FastStone Capture is listed for Windows.
Is FastStone Capture open source?
FastStone Capture is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.