ksnip
A screenshot tool with annotation that works on Wayland, which several better-known ones still do not.
These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
5 more ways to get ksnip
Other download sites
Run by third parties, not by ksnip (Damir Porobic). Prefer the official page above when it works.
Package managers
- winget
winget install --id ksnip.ksnip - Chocolatey
choco install ksnip - Homebrew
brew install --cask ksnip - Snap Store
snap install ksnip
About ksnip
ksnip captures a region, a window or the whole screen and opens it in an editor with the annotation tools you actually use: arrows, boxes, text, numbered markers for step-by-step instructions, and blur or pixelate for hiding anything private. Finished images can be uploaded directly to an image host.
It is Qt-based and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with support for both X11 and Wayland. The author has publicly asked for a co-maintainer, which is worth knowing before you build a workflow on it.
Strengths
- Works on Wayland as well as X11
- Numbered markers, blur and pixelate for writing instructions safely
- Direct upload to an image host from the editor
- Windows installer and portable build, plus Linux AppImage, DEB and RPM
Limitations
- The author has asked for a co-maintainer, so the future is uncertain
- Releases are slow; 1.10.1 on GitHub dates from March 2023
- No built-in screen recording
- Qt interface is plain next to ShareX or Flameshot
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source under the GPL 3.0.
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Developer
- ksnip (Damir Porobic)
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Annotated screenshots on a Linux desktop running Wayland
- Categories
- Screen capture
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Graphics); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 2 sources on file.
Alternatives to ksnip
Compare allSoftware that can replace ksnip for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Flameshot
A cross-platform screenshot tool that drops annotation controls right on top of the selection.
Flameshot is a more actively polished GPL-3.0 annotation tool with a command line interface, but on Wayland it depends on portal or compositor support that varies by desktop.
Greenshot
A small Windows screenshot tool that captures a region, window or screen and annotates it in one step.
Greenshot provides light open source capture and annotation bound to Print Screen with many export targets, but it is Windows only and releases are infrequent.
ShareX
A Windows capture tool that screenshots, records, annotates and uploads, all driven by hotkeys.
ShareX adds screen recording, GIF capture, OCR and hotkey upload workflows, but it is Windows only and its options can be intimidating at first.
Snipaste
Screenshot tool that pins snips as floating windows on the desktop.
Snipaste runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and pins snips as floating windows, but it is closed source with advanced features behind a paid version.
PicPick
An all-in-one Windows screen capture and image editor that also bundles a colour picker, pixel ruler, protractor and magnifier.
PicPick offers scrolling capture, screen recording and a full annotation editor, but it is Windows only, closed source and free only for personal use.
Shottr
Fast Mac screenshot tool with scrolling capture, OCR, and annotation.
Shottr adds scrolling capture and OCR alongside annotation, but it is macOS only, closed source and puts advanced features in a paid version.
ksnip as an alternative
Listings that name ksnip as an alternative.
CleanShot X
Premium Mac screenshot and screen recording app with built-in annotation.
ksnip is free and open source with annotation, blur and numbered markers across platforms, but it has no screen recording, slow releases and an uncertain maintenance future.
Satty
Annotate screenshots in a focused Linux application.
ksnip captures as well as annotates, supports Wayland and X11, and also runs on Windows and macOS, though its maintenance future is uncertain.
Snagit
Commercial screen capture suite with scrolling capture and batch tools.
ksnip is a free GPL-3.0 annotated screenshot tool on Windows, macOS and Linux with Wayland support, but it has no scrolling capture or batch processing.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
ScreenToGif
Records part of your screen and gives you a frame-by-frame editor before you save the GIF.
NormCap
A screen capture tool that runs OCR on what you select, so you get the text rather than a picture of it.
