Best Awesome Screenshot alternatives (2026)
The best free Awesome Screenshot alternative is ScreenshotEdits — a native Mac app with blur, annotations, crop, backgrounds, and 15+ editing tools. No browser extension needed. No cloud uploads. No privacy trade-offs.
Why look for an Awesome Screenshot alternative?
Awesome Screenshot has been a popular Chrome extension for years. But browser extensions come with inherent limitations — and this one has some specific issues worth considering.
Slow and bloated
As a browser extension, Awesome Screenshot runs inside Chrome and shares its memory. Users frequently report lag, slow renders on large pages, and the extension freezing when Chrome is under load.
Browser extension limitations
Awesome Screenshot can only capture browser content. Desktop apps, system menus, Finder windows, and anything outside Chrome are off-limits. A native app captures everything on your screen.
Privacy concerns with cloud uploads
Screenshots are uploaded to Awesome Screenshot's cloud by default. The extension was temporarily removed from the Chrome Web Store in 2020 over security concerns. Native offline tools avoid this entirely.
Paid plan at $6/month
Awesome Screenshot's free tier is limited — restricted annotations, capped storage, and watermarks on some features. The full version costs $6/month ($72/year). That's a lot for screenshots.
Top Awesome Screenshot alternatives
Five tools worth considering, from native apps to better browser extensions.
ScreenshotEdits
Our pickA native Mac app built for one thing: making screenshots look good, fast. Unlike Awesome Screenshot, it runs outside the browser — so it captures anything on your screen and never slows down Chrome. Blur, crop, arrows, text, backgrounds, shadows, and more. Everything stays on your Mac.
- Blur, pixelate, annotations, arrows, text, shapes
- Gradient backgrounds and device mockups
- 100% offline — no cloud, no accounts, no tracking
- Export at 1x, 2x, or 3x resolution
Price: Free (€19 one-time to remove watermark)
Platform: macOS
What it doesn't do: full-page scrolling capture, video recording, or Windows/Linux support.
Lightshot
A lightweight native app for Mac and Windows that takes screenshots with a simple hotkey. Drag to capture a region, add basic annotations (arrows, text, highlight), and optionally share via a link. Much faster than any browser extension and works across your entire screen.
Price: Free
Platform: Mac, Windows
Best for: Quick captures with minimal editing. A direct Awesome Screenshot replacement for simple use cases.
Nimbus Screenshot
If you need to stay in the browser, Nimbus is a cleaner alternative to Awesome Screenshot. It offers full-page capture, annotations, screen recording, and cloud storage. The Chrome extension is lighter and the UI is less cluttered. Still a browser extension with the same fundamental limitations, though.
Price: Free tier (limited). Pro at $5/mo.
Platform: Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Best for: Users who need full-page scrolling capture from a browser extension.
Markup Hero
A web-based annotation tool with a native app and browser extension. Upload a screenshot or paste a URL, then annotate with arrows, text, highlights, and shapes. Every markup gets a shareable link — useful for team collaboration. Lighter and cleaner than Awesome Screenshot.
Price: Free tier (limited). Pro at $4/mo.
Platform: Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome
Best for: Teams who need shareable annotated screenshots with collaboration features.
ShareX
The most powerful free screenshot tool on Windows. ShareX does everything Awesome Screenshot does and far more — screen capture, GIF/video recording, OCR, scrolling capture, upload to 80+ destinations, and custom workflows. It's open source and completely free. The trade-off is a steep learning curve.
Price: Free and open source
Platform: Windows only
Best for: Windows power users who want maximum features at zero cost.
Comparison table
All five alternatives compared side by side.
| Feature | ScreenshotEdits | Lightshot | Nimbus | Markup Hero | ShareX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free / €19 | Free | Free / $5/mo | Free / $4/mo | Free |
| Platform | Mac | Mac, Windows | Chrome extension | Web, all | Windows |
| Blur / redact | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Annotations | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backgrounds | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Full-page capture | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cloud upload | No (local) | Optional | Yes | Yes | 80+ hosts |
| Offline-only | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Native app | Yes | Yes | No | Optional | Yes |
Free Awesome Screenshot alternatives
You don't need to pay $6/month for screenshots. Here are the best free options by platform.
Mac
ScreenshotEdits
Native app with full editing — blur, annotations, backgrounds, crop, resize. Captures anything on screen, not just browser content. Free with a small watermark.
Cross-platform
Lightshot
Fast and simple — hit a hotkey, capture a region, add quick annotations. Works on Mac and Windows. No account required.
Windows (power)
ShareX
Everything Awesome Screenshot does and more — free and open source. Screenshots, GIFs, OCR, scrolling capture, custom workflows.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Awesome Screenshot?
ScreenshotEdits is the best free Awesome Screenshot alternative for Mac — it runs as a native app (not a browser extension) with blur, annotations, backgrounds, and 15+ editing tools. On Windows, ShareX is free and open source with even more features.
Is Awesome Screenshot safe to use?
Awesome Screenshot requires broad browser permissions and uploads screenshots to their cloud by default. In 2020, the extension was temporarily removed from the Chrome Web Store over security concerns. If privacy matters, native apps like ScreenshotEdits keep everything local on your machine.
Why is Awesome Screenshot so slow?
As a browser extension, Awesome Screenshot runs inside Chrome and competes for memory and CPU with your tabs. Heavy pages, multiple extensions, and cloud upload processing all slow it down. Native apps like ScreenshotEdits and ShareX run independently and are significantly faster.
Does Awesome Screenshot work outside the browser?
Awesome Screenshot is primarily a Chrome/Firefox extension and can only capture browser content. It can't capture desktop apps, menus, or system dialogs. For full-screen capture, you need a native app like ScreenshotEdits, ShareX, or Lightshot.
Is Awesome Screenshot free?
Awesome Screenshot has a free tier with limited features — basic capture, limited annotations, and restricted cloud storage. The paid plan costs $6/month ($72/year). ScreenshotEdits offers more editing tools for free with no cloud restrictions.
What can I use instead of Awesome Screenshot for full-page captures?
For full-page (scrolling) captures, Nimbus Screenshot (Chrome extension, free tier) or CleanShot X (Mac, $29) are better options. For screenshot editing without scrolling capture, ScreenshotEdits gives you more tools for free.
Ditch the extension
ScreenshotEdits is a native Mac app — faster, more private, and more capable than any browser extension.
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