Spectacle
KDE's screenshot and screen recording application for Linux desktops.
These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
About Spectacle
Spectacle captures the entire desktop, the current monitor, the active window, the window under the mouse or a rectangular region. Screenshots can be saved directly, printed or sent to other applications for editing, and each capture mode can have a keyboard shortcut. It also records the screen.
It is part of KDE and installs through Discover or your distribution's package manager. Releases are frequent; version 6.7.5 came out on 2026-09-08.
Strengths
- Captures a region, window, monitor or the whole desktop
- Keyboard shortcuts for each capture mode
- Sends captures straight to other applications
- Regular releases as part of KDE
Limitations
- Linux only
- Fits best on a KDE Plasma desktop
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
- License
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Developer
- KDE
- Platforms
- Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Screenshots and screen recordings on a KDE Plasma desktop
- Categories
- Screen capture
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Spectacle
Compare allSoftware that can replace Spectacle 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 an open-source GPL-3.0 screenshot tool with in-place annotation and a CLI, also on Windows and macOS, but has no video recording.
ksnip
A screenshot tool with annotation that works on Wayland, which several better-known ones still do not.
ksnip is an open-source annotation screenshot tool that works on Wayland and X11 and other platforms, but it has no screen recording.
Shutter
A Linux screenshot program that captures areas, windows, menus or websites and includes an editor.
Shutter is an open-source Linux screenshot program with a built-in editor and tabbed interface, but it records no video.
Xfce Screenshooter
The Xfce desktop's screenshot tool for capturing the screen, a window or a region.
Xfce Screenshooter is an open-source tool for Xfce with delayed capture and custom action scripts, without annotation or video recording.
OBS Studio
The standard free tool for recording a screen and for live streaming, built around scenes and sources.
OBS Studio is a free, open-source recorder for Linux, Windows and macOS with scenes and live streaming, but it does not take screenshots.
Kooha
A simple GTK screen recorder for Linux with a minimal interface, supporting Wayland and X11.
Kooha is an open-source GTK screen recorder for Wayland and X11 that fits GNOME, covering recording but not screenshots.
SimpleScreenRecorder
A Linux screen recorder for capturing programs and games, with live streaming and audio recording support.
SimpleScreenRecorder is an open-source Linux recorder for programs and games with live streaming support, but it does not take screenshots.
Spectacle as an alternative
Listings that name Spectacle as an alternative.
Blue Recorder
A simple desktop screen recorder built with GTK4 and FFmpeg, with Wayland support on GNOME and KDE.
Spectacle is KDE's open-source screenshot and screen recording app for Linux, fitting best on a Plasma desktop and handling screenshots as well as video.
grim
A command-line tool that grabs screenshots from a Wayland compositor.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and recording app, adding video capture but fitting best on a KDE Plasma desktop rather than Sway.
maim
A command-line screenshot tool for X11 that captures the whole desktop, a window or a region.
Spectacle is KDE's open-source screenshot and recording app with keyboard shortcuts for each mode, fitting best on a Plasma desktop.
scrot
A simple command-line screenshot utility for X11 that grabs and saves images using imlib2.
Spectacle is KDE's open-source screenshot and recording app with keyboard shortcuts per capture mode, fitting best on a Plasma desktop.
vokoscreenNG
An open-source screencast recorder for Windows and Linux that captures the screen, an area or a window.
Spectacle is KDE's open-source screenshot and recording tool for Linux, fitting best on Plasma and adding screenshots, but it has no Windows version.
wayshot
A native command-line screenshot tool for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, written in Rust.
Spectacle is a graphical KDE screenshot and recording app with shortcuts for each capture mode, replacing a scriptable command with a desktop interface that fits best on Plasma.
wf-recorder
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots-based Wayland compositors, using ffmpeg for encoding.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and recording app, fitting best on Plasma rather than wlroots compositors, and it also takes screenshots.
wl-screenrec
A command-line screen recorder for wlroots Wayland compositors that encodes video on the GPU.
Spectacle is KDE's graphical screenshot and screen recording app, fitting best on a Plasma desktop rather than wlroots compositors like sway.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Gradia
A GNOME app for annotating screenshots and adding backgrounds so they look good when shared.
Satty
Annotate screenshots in a focused Linux application.
swappy
A Wayland native screenshot editing tool for annotating captures, inspired by Snappy on macOS.
Screenkey
A Linux screencast tool that shows the keys you press on screen while recording.
Show Me The Key
Shows the keys you type on screen, a screenkey alternative that works under Wayland.
