ScreenshotEdits vs Snip & Sketch (2026)
Windows' built-in Snipping Tool vs a dedicated Mac screenshot editor. Different platforms, different scopes, different goals.
Quick verdict
Snipping Tool is what you get for free on Windows — decent capture with basic annotation. It's gotten better in Windows 11 with screen recording and OCR. But it still can't blur, can't beautify, and the editing tools are bare-bones. ScreenshotEdits is the Mac equivalent of what Snipping Tool should be: fast capture plus actual editing tools. These two tools don't compete directly since they're on different platforms, but they represent different philosophies on what a screenshot tool should do.
Feature comparison
Built-in OS tool vs dedicated screenshot editor.
| Feature | ScreenshotEdits | Snipping Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | macOS | Windows 10/11 |
| Price | Free (€19 to remove watermark) | Free (built into Windows) |
| Type | Dedicated screenshot editor | Built-in OS utility |
| Screenshot capture | Built-in + paste from clipboard | Region, window, fullscreen, freeform |
| Screen recording | No | Yes (basic, Windows 11) |
| Blur / redaction | Gaussian blur, pixelate, solid fill | None |
| Annotation tools | Arrows, text, shapes, highlights | Pen, highlighter, ruler |
| Background beautification | Gradients, shadows, padding, corners | None |
| Crop | Yes | Yes |
| Delay capture | No | Yes (3, 5, 10 second delay) |
| OCR / text extraction | No | Yes (Windows 11) |
Capture modes
Snipping Tool
Snipping Tool offers four capture modes: rectangular region, freeform, window, and fullscreen. The delay timer (3, 5, or 10 seconds) is useful for capturing menus and tooltips that disappear on click. Windows 11 added screen recording and OCR text extraction. For a built-in tool, it covers capture well.
ScreenshotEdits
ScreenshotEdits doesn't try to replace macOS's capture. Use Command+Shift+4 for region, Command+Shift+3 for fullscreen, or Command+Shift+5 for the full toolbar (including delay and video). Then paste into ScreenshotEdits with Command+V. macOS capture is already good — we focus on what comes after.
Editing capabilities
Snipping Tool
The editing is minimal: a pen tool, a highlighter, a ruler for straight lines, and crop. You can draw on your screenshot with your mouse or stylus. There's no text tool, no arrows, no shapes, no blur, and no way to add backgrounds or shadows. For anything beyond basic markup, you're opening Paint or another app.
ScreenshotEdits
Every editing tool you'd need for screenshots: blur and pixelate for hiding sensitive info, text and arrows for callouts, crop and resize for framing, gradient backgrounds and shadows for making screenshots look polished. You can go from raw capture to presentation-ready in 15 seconds.
OCR and text extraction
Snipping Tool
Windows 11's Snipping Tool has a "Text actions" button that runs OCR on your screenshot. You can select and copy any text visible in the image. It also offers a "Quick redact" feature that detects emails and phone numbers automatically. Microsoft keeps improving this — it's one of the best features of the modern Snipping Tool.
ScreenshotEdits
No OCR. For text extraction on Mac, you'd use macOS's built-in Live Text (available system-wide since macOS Monterey) or a dedicated tool. ScreenshotEdits focuses on visual editing, not text extraction.
Who should use Snipping Tool?
Who should use ScreenshotEdits?
Verdict
Snipping Tool and ScreenshotEdits live on different platforms, so this isn't a direct choice you'd make. But the comparison illustrates a gap: Windows gives you a capable built-in capture tool with improving features (OCR, recording). macOS gives you great capture but leaves editing to third-party apps.
ScreenshotEdits fills that Mac gap. It picks up where Command+Shift+4 leaves off — blur, annotate, beautify, export. If you're on Windows and Snipping Tool does what you need, there's no reason to look elsewhere. If you're on Mac and want the editing tools that Snipping Tool doesn't have anyway, ScreenshotEdits is built for that.
Related comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Snip & Sketch?
Microsoft merged Snip & Sketch into the updated Snipping Tool in Windows 11. It's the same app with a new name and some UI improvements. If you're on Windows 11, you already have it — press Win+Shift+S.
Is Snipping Tool available on Mac?
No. Snipping Tool is Windows-only. macOS has its own built-in screenshot tool (⌘⇧3/4/5) which handles capture. ScreenshotEdits adds editing on top of macOS's capture.
Can Snipping Tool blur screenshots?
No. Snipping Tool offers basic annotation — pen, highlighter, ruler, and crop. There's no blur, no pixelation, and no redaction tool. You'd need a separate app for that on Windows.
Does Snipping Tool support screen recording?
Yes, as of Windows 11 2022 Update. Snipping Tool can record a selected area of your screen. It's basic — no editing, no annotation during recording — but it works.
What's the Mac equivalent of Snipping Tool?
macOS's built-in screenshot tool (⌘⇧3 for full screen, ⌘⇧4 for region, ⌘⇧5 for the full toolbar) is the equivalent. For editing, Mac users add ScreenshotEdits or similar tools.
Can Snipping Tool extract text from screenshots?
Yes, on Windows 11. The latest Snipping Tool includes OCR that can select and copy text from screenshots. It works surprisingly well for a built-in tool.
Why would I need ScreenshotEdits if macOS already has a screenshot tool?
macOS captures screenshots well but doesn't edit them. You can't blur sensitive info, add gradient backgrounds, annotate with arrows and text, or add shadows and rounded corners. ScreenshotEdits fills that gap.
The screenshot editor Mac deserves
Free to start. Blur, crop, annotate, beautify. No account needed.
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