The TextSniper Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about TextSniper in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
TextSniper
The Insider’s Guide
Mac menu bar tool that copies text from any part of the screen
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from TextSniper’s own pages.
Made by Valerijs Boguckis · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from TextSniper’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on TextSniper’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 7 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade
TextSniper is a small Mac app that recognizes text inside a screen selection and copies it to the clipboard. You press a shortcut and drag over a video frame, PDF, image or any other area whose text cannot be selected, much like taking a screenshot. It also reads QR codes and barcodes and can speak the captured text aloud. It is sold as a one-time purchase, directly or through the Mac App Store, and is included in Setapp.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about TextSniper, taken from its own pages and our grades.
If you can take a screenshot you can use this: one shortcut, one drag, nothing to set up.
- 1
Best for copying text you can't select on a Mac screen
The vendor says it can misread symbol-heavy text such as code, major upgrades cost extra, and the homepage prices don't match the checkout.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $7.99 one-time purchase (license for 1 Mac).
- 3
You can try it first
Free for 7 days through Setapp's trial; direct purchases carry a 7-day money-back guarantee
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
Screen text capture
Press the shortcut, drag over any part of the screen, and the text inside the selection is recognized and copied to the clipboard, ready to paste into another app.
- 6
On-device recognition
The App Store listing says recognition runs on the device with no internet connection, and the privacy policy says screenshots and text are not stored or sent to outside servers.
- 7
QR code and barcode reader
Captures a QR code or barcode shown on screen and converts it to text. An option in the settings opens captured links automatically.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 7 of 94
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
TextSniper at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $7.99 one-time purchase (license for 1 Mac)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free for 7 days through Setapp's trial; direct purchases carry a 7-day money-back guarantee
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Valerijs Boguckis
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for copying text you can't select on a Mac screen
TextSniper copies text you can't select on a Mac, from a paused video or a scanned PDF: press the shortcut, drag over the words and they're on the clipboard. It's $7.99 once for one Mac, but there's no trial of its own, only Setapp's week or a 7-day refund. The vendor says it can misread symbol-heavy text such as code, major upgrades cost extra, and the homepage prices don't match the checkout.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $7.99 once for one Mac, $9.99 for three. That's a one-off well under a year of what paid utilities here charge, so you're square after about three months. Watch for later: the vendor says major upgrades cost extra. |
| Free plan and trial | D | Nothing free from the vendor. No free version, no trial of its own, just a 7-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial. The only free run is Setapp's week, and that means signing up to somebody else's subscription. |
| Features | C | Drag over the screen, get the text. It reads QR codes and barcodes and will speak the text aloud too. It does that one job fully, but it is a small job, and the vendor says symbol-heavy text like code can come out wrong. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. If you can take a screenshot you can use this: one shortcut, one drag, nothing to set up. It sits in the menu bar with no Dock icon. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only, macOS Catalina or newer, and no integrations at all. One operating system, nothing to connect it to. An iPhone camera can feed text to the Mac, but there's no iPhone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who TextSniper is for
- Fits if you copy text out of videos, screenshots, scanned PDFs and slides
- Works for people who want text recognition done on the Mac, with no internet connection
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you mostly capture code, since the vendor says symbol-heavy text can be misread
- Not for you if you want a free go first, because the only trial is Setapp's week
- Tight if you're still on macOS Catalina, where it only reads English
- Watch out: the homepage shows $6.99 and $11.99, while the checkout is $7.99 and the US App Store $9.99
- Watch out: it's a one-time buy, but the vendor says major upgrades cost extra, and there's no iPhone app
Good to know
Good for
- Copying text out of videos, screenshots, scanned PDFs and slides
- Mac users who want text recognition that runs on the device
- Buyers who prefer a small one-time price to a subscription
Worth knowing
- Mac only, requiring macOS Catalina or newer, and the languages it recognizes depend on the macOS version installed.
- There is no standalone trial: the vendor points to Setapp's free week and offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases.
- The vendor says it can misread text with a lot of symbols, such as computer code.
- A license is bought once, but the vendor says major upgrades and features come at an additional upgrade cost.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$7.99 one-time
To start
TextSniper is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $7.99 one-time purchase (license for 1 Mac).
That's a one-off well under a year of what paid utilities here charge, so you're square after about three months.
License for 1 Mac
$7.99
one-time purchase
A direct license for a single Mac, sold through Gumroad. One button on the homepage still shows $6.99; the checkout price is $7.99.
License for 3 Macs
$9.99
one-time purchase
A direct license for up to three Macs, sold through Gumroad and described as suited to multi-device, home and office use.
Unlimited License
$9.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
The Mac App Store version. The homepage lists it at $11.99, but the US store listing shows $9.99.
Setapp
$14.99
per month, through a Setapp membership
TextSniper with the rest of the Setapp catalog, free for 7 days. Setapp also lists a TextSniper-only subscription from $6.00 a year.
Trying it first
Free for 7 days through Setapp's trial; direct purchases carry a 7-day money-back guarantee
Read from textsniper.app on Oct 9, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $9.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | ₹ 699 | $7.23 | 28% less |
| Canada | $12.99 | $9.13 | 9% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 169ribu | $9.45 | 5% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 599.00 | $9.54 | about the same |
| Germany | 9,99 € | $11.19 | 12% more |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | $11.97 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £9.99 | $13.21 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Mac menu bar tool that copies text from any part of the screen. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, one-time purchase, menu bar app.
It reads QR codes and barcodes and will speak the text aloud too.
- Screen text capture
- Press the shortcut, drag over any part of the screen, and the text inside the selection is recognized and copied to the clipboard, ready to paste into another app.
- On-device recognition
- The App Store listing says recognition runs on the device with no internet connection, and the privacy policy says screenshots and text are not stored or sent to outside servers.
- QR code and barcode reader
- Captures a QR code or barcode shown on screen and converts it to text. An option in the settings opens captured links automatically.
- Text to speech
- Has the Mac read recognized text aloud, with a dedicated shortcut for capturing text with speech switched on.
- Languages by macOS version
- English only on macOS Catalina, growing to more than 25 languages on recent macOS versions, with vertical Chinese, Japanese and Korean text recognized from macOS Sonoma.
- Menu bar access and shortcuts
- Runs from the menu bar without a Dock icon, and the capture shortcut can be changed. An iPhone or iPad camera can also be used to capture text and send it to the Mac.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
TextSniper is made by Valerijs Boguckis.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/94
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
TextSniper's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 7 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. TextSniper’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 94
- DFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 94
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 94
- BEase of useAbove 33 of 94
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
TextSniper sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $7.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. TextSniper’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Shottr, CleanShot X, Microsoft PowerToys and ShareX
The 4 tools TextSniper is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Shottr
Free plan · from $12 one-time
Small Mac screenshot tool with annotation, OCR and a ruler.
- Shottr has a free plan. TextSniper does not, though it has a free trial.
- TextSniper also covers menu bar app.
- Shottr also covers screenshots.
- 2.0GPA
CleanShot X
From $35 one-time
Mac screenshot and screen recording app with a one-time license.
- TextSniper also covers menu bar app.
- CleanShot X also covers screen recording, video editing and screenshots.
- 2.8GPA
Microsoft PowerToys
Free
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11.
- Microsoft PowerToys has a free plan. TextSniper does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only TextSniper lists a macOS app.
- Only Microsoft PowerToys lists a Windows app.
- 2.6GPA
ShareX
Free
Free, open-source screenshot and screen recording for Windows.
- ShareX has a free plan. TextSniper does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only TextSniper lists a macOS app.
- Only ShareX lists a Windows app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is TextSniper free?
No, TextSniper is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free for 7 days through Setapp's trial; direct purchases carry a 7-day money-back guarantee.
How much does TextSniper cost?
TextSniper lists 4 plans. License for 1 Mac: $7.99 one-time purchase.
What platforms does TextSniper work on?
TextSniper is available on macOS.
Does TextSniper have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. TextSniper is listed for macOS.
Does TextSniper have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. TextSniper is listed for macOS.
Is TextSniper open source?
TextSniper is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does TextSniper work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Who makes TextSniper?
TextSniper is made by Valerijs Boguckis.
What are the alternatives to TextSniper?
The closest alternatives to TextSniper in our directory are Shottr, CleanShot X, Microsoft PowerToys and ShareX.
How does TextSniper compare with other desktop utilities?
TextSniper's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 7 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 10.
Could I make my own version of TextSniper?
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from TextSniper’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from TextSniper's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-01.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Valerijs Boguckis. Prices change, so check textsniper.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- TextSniper, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/textsniper
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "TextSniper: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/textsniper
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/textsniper/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after TextSniper, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 95 desktop utilities we grade, compared
- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Ninite Insider's GuideInstalls and updates many Windows apps at once3.2 GPA
- 7-Zip Insider's GuideFree, open-source file archiver with the 7z format3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what TextSniper’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. TextSniper is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Valerijs Boguckis. Prices and plans change: check textsniper.app before you buy.