Free and open-source screen capture and recording tool for Windows.
Extensive post-capture automation and file sharing capabilities.
Includes a suite of productivity tools like image editor, OCR, and color picker.

Pros

Completely free and open source with no advertisements.
Highly customizable workflow and extensive features for power users.
Supports a wide variety of capture methods and upload destinations.
Lightweight and actively developed for over 18 years.
Includes many useful productivity tools beyond just screen capture.

Cons

Only available for Windows.
Can be overwhelming for new users due to the sheer number of options.
User interface might not be as modern as some paid alternatives.

What is ShareX?

ShareX is a free and open-source screen capture, file sharing, and productivity tool designed for Windows. It allows users to capture screenshots and screen recordings in various ways, from full screen to custom regions, and offers a robust set of annotation tools to mark up captures. Beyond basic capture, ShareX excels in its post-capture workflow, enabling users to automatically perform tasks like adding image effects, opening in an editor, copying to the clipboard, saving to a file, or uploading to a wide range of supported destinations. The tool is built for power users who need advanced functionality and customization. It supports easy GIF recording, advanced custom uploader support, and a customizable workflow system. Its file sharing capabilities extend to uploading files, folders, text, and URLs, with options to shorten URLs and tweet messages directly. ShareX also includes a suite of productivity tools such as a color picker, screen ruler, image editor, video converter, OCR, and QR code scanner, making it a versatile utility for various tasks beyond just screen capturing.

Available on: Windows

Data compiled by Toolradar Pricing checked Nov 1, 2026 · How we evaluate

Source getsharex.com

Ratings Across the Web

4.8 (102 reviews)

ShareX holds an aggregate rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 102 reviews across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra, last checked September 22, 2026.

SourceForge 3 reviews

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Preview

Key Features

Multiple screen capture methods (fullscreen, active window, region, scrolling capture)
Screen recording with GIF support
Comprehensive annotation tools (rectangle, ellipse, text, arrows, blur, pixelate)
Customizable after-capture tasks (save, copy, upload, edit, beautify)
Wide range of upload destinations and custom uploader support
Productivity tools (color picker, screen ruler, image editor, video converter, OCR, QR code)
Drag and drop upload functionality
Watch folder for automatic uploads

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Nov 1, 2026. Source: getsharex.com, read Nov 1, 2026

ShareX plans and prices, checked November 2026
Plan	Price	Details
Free	Free	Completely free Open source No advertisements +20 more Show less Lightweight Over 18 years of active development Trusted by big companies Designed for power users Quick screen capture sharing Easy GIF recording Supports a wide range of destinations Advanced custom uploader support Customizable workflow system Capture methods (Fullscreen, Active window, Active monitor, Window menu, Monitor menu, Region, Region (Light), Region (Transparent), Last region, Custom region) Screen recording Screen recording (GIF) Scrolling capture Auto capture After capture tasks (Show quick task menu, Show "After capture" window, Beautify image, Add image effects, Open in image editor, Copy image to clipboard, Pin to screen, Print image, Save image to file, Save image to file as..., Save thumbnail image to file, Perform actions, Copy file to clipboard, Copy file path to clipboard, Show file in explorer, Scan QR code, Recognize text (OCR), Show "Before upload" window, Upload image to host, Delete file locally) Region capture (Rectangle, Ellipse, Freehand) Annotation tools (Rectangle, Ellipse, Freehand, Freehand arrow, Line, Arrow, Text (Outline), Text (Background), Speech balloon, Step, Magnify Image (File), Image (Screen), Sticker, Cursor, Smart eraser, Blur, Pixelate, Highlight, Crop image, Cut out) Upload methods (Upload file, Upload folder, Upload from clipboard, Upload text, Upload from URL, Drag and drop upload, Shorten URL, Tweet message, Watch folder) After upload tasks (Show "After upload" window, Shorten URL, Share URL, Copy URL to clipboard, Open URL, Show QR code window) Productivity tools (Color picker, Screen color picker, Ruler, Pin to screen, Image editor, Image beautifier, Image effects, Image viewer, Image combiner, Image splitter, Image thumbnailer, Video converter, Video thumbnailer, OCR, QR code, Hash checker, Metadata, Directory indexer, Clipboard viewer, Borderless window, Inspect window, Monitor test)

View full pricing

Is ShareX worth the price?

Great value

ShareX offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as it is completely free and open-source.

This makes it an exceptional value for anyone needing advanced screenshot and file-sharing capabilities without any cost. It's best for power users and individuals or businesses looking for a robust, free solution.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Potential costs for third-party storage services.

Full ShareX pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

ShareX by the numbers

Toolradar data: It is listed as an alternative to 22 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #6 of 88 in Screenshot Tools. As of Nov 2026.

ShareX compared with 88 Screenshot Tools tools on Toolradar, as of Nov 2026
Metric	ShareX	Peer median	Position (1 is best)
Free plan	Yes	76% have one	n/a
Listed as an alternative to	22 tools	1	#6 of 88
User rating	4.8/5 (across the web, 102 ratings)	4.7/5	#1 of 20 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews
Compare-page visits, last 30 days	56 visits	28	#4 of 25 tools with 20+ compare-page visits

Visitors most often compare ShareX with Greenshot and Bandicam (last 30 days, Nov 2026).

Listed as an alternative to: #6 on 2026-10-16 to #6 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 88 tools, 1 is best).

Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Screenshot Tools data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.

Cite this: Toolradar, “ShareX by the numbers”, Nov 2026.

Reviews

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4.8/5

Across 102 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra, SourceForge

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Best ShareX Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

Snagit Paid

Create visual documentation with screenshots, GIFs, and video

4.7

Greenshot Free

Capture, annotate, and share screenshots effortlessly on Windows.

4.7

Lightshot Free

Capture, edit, and share customizable screenshots quickly and easily.

4.7

CleanShot X Paid

Capture, annotate, and share screenshots and recordings

4.9

See all screenshot tools →

Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

ShareX vs Snagit Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins ShareX vs Greenshot Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins ShareX vs Lightshot Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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ShareX FAQ

What specific capture methods does ShareX offer beyond standard fullscreen or active window screenshots?

ShareX provides advanced capture options such as region (light/transparent), last region, custom region, and scrolling capture. It also includes screen recording capabilities, including GIF recording, and an auto-capture feature for continuous monitoring.

Can ShareX perform OCR on captured images or text?

Yes, ShareX includes a feature to recognize text (OCR) from captured content. This allows users to extract editable text directly from images or screenshots.

What kind of image manipulation and annotation tools are available within ShareX after a capture?

After a capture, ShareX offers a range of annotation tools including rectangles, ellipses, freehand drawing, arrows, text with outline or background, speech balloons, and step numbering. Image manipulation options include blur, pixelate, highlight, crop, and cut out sections.

Does ShareX support uploading files to various destinations, and can I customize these uploaders?

ShareX supports uploading files, folders, clipboard content, and text to a wide range of destinations. It also features advanced custom uploader support, allowing users to configure and integrate their preferred upload services.

Beyond screen capture, what productivity tools are integrated into ShareX?

ShareX integrates several productivity tools such as a color picker, screen color picker, ruler, and an image editor with beautifier and effects. It also includes a video converter, OCR, QR code generator, hash checker, and a clipboard viewer.

How does ShareX handle post-capture and post-upload workflows?

ShareX offers customizable workflow systems for both after capture and after upload tasks. After capture, users can choose to show a quick task menu, open in an image editor, copy to clipboard, save to file, or perform actions like scanning QR codes. After upload, options include shortening URLs, sharing URLs, copying URLs to clipboard, or opening URLs.

Source: getsharex.com

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