Free screen capture tool for Windows
LightShot is a free multi-platform screen capture tool. Lightweight and with an intuitive UI, the app allows you to quickly upload and share captured files to any range of media websites or storage devices. LightShot’s speed and accessibility make it a popular alternative to the Print Screen button.
An all-in-one screenshot tool, LightShot intertwines capture, edit, and share functions in a single free package. Designed to support Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, the app also works on browsers including Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. The app is integral for expediting and simplifying remote collaboration, with a host of features similar to those of Greenshot and Snagit. LightShot is not compatible with Linux by default, but it can be run with the WineHQ emulator.
Quick and easy screenshot capture tool
Recording the image on your PC screen is as simple as pressing the ‘Prt SC’ button. This activates LightShot, and the screen will dim. An instruction reading ‘select area’ then appears next to the cursor. Click and drag the area you want in your screenshot, and it will open right into LighShot’s built-in editor. If you want to reattempt the image capture, you can cancel out by hitting ‘Escape’ or just closing the window.
The interface is one of LightShot’s most outstanding assets. On a single-screen layout, it showcases all available tools and functionalities. These enable you to easily edit in all manner of arrows, brush, blur, shapes, and text. From there the image can be printed, uploaded to the cloud, or shared to social media. No matter what you choose, it’s all handled from the same window, conveniently removing the need for other third-party apps, copious drop-downs, or subwindows.
One of LightShot’s more unusual perks is that you can also use it to take multiple screenshots without having to click the button repeatedly. With an account (either Google or Facebook), you can even go so far as to check your entire screenshot history. This is useful if you need to check the date you initially took the image, if you never saved the file, or if you want to go back and make different edits.
Another of LightShot’s advantages is its efficiency. The app downloads in just a few seconds, takes up very little space, and runs unnoticeable in the background. The program utilizes very few of your computer’s resources and, when called upon, does its job in just a couple of quick clicks. Holding down the Ctrl key when capturing the screenshot will copy the image to the clipboard, where it can be pasted into other programs like Word, Photoshop, or Paint for more extensive edits and tweaks.
By default, LightShot automatically uploads screenshots to the Cloud. While some may consider this a handy step that cuts out the middleman, it’s also a drawback when it comes to data privacy. Each upload creates a shareable link with a short URL, and these images can be instantly saved to a gallery. To temper this, LightShot does not allow the uploading of illegal or NSFW screenshots.
Lightshot vs. Snagit
LightShot is useful, accommodating software for image capture and editing, but there are other options as well. In addition to adding captions, symbols, and the like, Snagit is also an image editor that also allows for the adjustment of the screen capture. This is a feature LightShot does not offer. The biggest difference in Snagit’s favor, though, has to be that it enables video capture. LightShot has no means of capturing video.
Whether Lightshot is the best screenshot app option for you is entirely dependent on what you need from the app. LightShot features screenshot, edit, upload tools in one single interface which is hard to beat. Its lightweight nature makes it even more convenient to use on all devices. While more complex editing capabilities might be achievable with a different program, software like Snagit is not free.
Easily capture, edit, and share images
LightShot is an excellent program that effortlessly carries out a simple need. While it lacks customization options and doesn’t allow for video recording, it captures screenshots with ease. Being able to edit and upload without a third-party app is a huge added bonus. The program also benefits from frequent updates that fix bugs and making various small improvements to the interface.
Overall, LightShot’s UI and utility make it one of the best options on the market, a strong candidate for experts and novices alike. The usefulness of the program extends to browsers too, making it easily incorporated on a variety of devices. LightShot is efficient, reliable, and free, providing a convenient, intuitive solution to a recurring necessity.
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