Best Free Screen Capture Utility

On the standard Windows operating system, pressing the Print-Screen key will copy an image of the entire screen to the clipboard, holding the Alt key and pressing the Print-Screen key will capture the currently selected window. Vista and Windows 7 come with a screen capture utility pre-installed. Other operating systems may also offer a similar utility for screen capture.

As an alternative to the utilities that come with the OS, the freeware products in this review cover most of the following useful features and functions which users might find they need:

• Capture full screen or freely selected screen areas
• Auto detect windows and control objects such as button, box, toolbar, tab, etc
• Snap scrolling windows, allow delayed captures
• Re-size screen shots or create thumbnails and other extra features.

This article's focus is on screen captures. If your priority is editing, after the capture, then check out Best Free Digital Image Editor. Several of the editors listed also perform screen captures.

I've eliminated many products because they can't adapt to my screen settings, eg I have the custom text size set to 150%.  I feel that I should not have to optimize the screen settings for the screen capture tool.  Instead, I should optimize the screen for myself and the item I want to capture. The utility should be able to adapt. As evidence that this is not impossible there are several utilities listed below which meet this criteria.

Screenshot Captor supports multiple screens, full screen, window, rectangular area, and fixed area captures from either hot keys or from the programs menu. The cursor can be included or excluded. It's the only capture facility that can take a self-portrait. The software can acquire images from a scanner.

Once captured the program can automatically do the following to the image: keep, save, print, move to the clipboard, display in the built-in editor, email, or upload to hosting services.

The built-in editor is rich with features. You might not find it necessary to use an image editor.

Requests for free registration on start up.

DuckCapture supports snapping a region, window or object, scrolling window and fullscreen. You can choose which snapping mode you like with a hot key or by mousing over the program icon in the system tray.

With this program you can choose to select an image outline, set output target to the clipboard or auto-save to a file.

I found this program easy and intuitive to use, but it lacks a simple built-in image editor and a setting for a delayed capture.

SnapDraw is a screenshot capture, editor and annotation tool.  It only supports window or full screen capture, but the image can be cropped with the built-in editor. There is no delayed capture setting. Operates from either a hot key or the notification icon.

Where it excels is in the built-in editor. There are many tools available such as callouts, magnifying lenses, 3D perspective, and reflections.

Images can be saved to clipboard, file, email or FTP. There is no direct to printer option.

Lightscreen captures screen, window and area from hotkeys or tray icon. It supports screenshot delay, cursor and multi-monitor. Auto-saves its outputs to file or clipboard. No other output functions are supported.

Cropper makes it fast and easy to grab parts of the screen from either a hot key or from the notification icon. Fullscreen, active window and rectangular area are supported. No auto-save, auto-scroll, or delayed capture. A screenshot and a thumbnail can be created simultaneously. 

Output can be directed to the clipboard, printer or an image file.

Microsoft's Snipping Tool comes already installed in Windows Vista and Windows 7. A capture must be initiated by first launching the program. From there one can select a screen capture type or press Escape and the PrintScreen button hot key. Full screen, active screen, rectangular area, and freehand area seletions are supported. No auto-save, auto-scroll or delayed capture.

Output is displayed in the editor window and sent either to email or an image file. The editor is limited to two tools--a freehand highlighting tool and a freehand line drawing tool. There is no printer output function.

Screen Grab Pro features one-click grab of desktop, active window and region from the main interface or hot keys. It also allows for timer operation and copies images to the clipboard or external editor. 

I liked that it had an option to automatically open the external editor after saving the file.

Lowers screen resolution when attempting to capture a rectangular region so nealy half of the right and bottom sides are unavailable.

Requires an email address for registration. 

Jing only supports rectangular screen captures.  However, it can also capture a video of activity within the selection.  Delayed capture, hotkeys, auto-save, and scrolling windows are not supported. Output to clipboard, file, and Screencast.com.   Includes an image editor but not a video editor.

Requires registration with Screencast.com.

To be reviewed:

SnapCrab: http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/snapcrab/

The following screen capture tools were brought up in comments here or noted from other sources. Some tools don't properly handle the text size setting thereby effectively cropping 225% of the screen with a 150% text screen setting. They may work fine if your text setting is normal (100%).

• Puush
• CaptureIt Plus
• Capture View
• EasyCapture
• FastStone Capture (Last Free Version)
• FoxArc Screen Capture
• Gadwin PrintScreen
• Greenshot
• Horizon33
• LightShot
• MWSnap
• PrintKey 2000
• PrtScr
• Screen Capturer
• ScreenHunter Free
• Screenpresso
• Shotty
• SnapShot
• VVCap
• ZScreen

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You might want to check out these articles too:

• An Amazing Screenshot Editor & Annotation Tool
• Best Free Digital Image Editor
• Best Free All-In-One Design Tools
• Screen Captures: 40+ Tools and Tips
• Best Free Screen Session Recorder
• Best Free Color Picker

This software category is maintained by volunteer editor meetsangvikar. Registered members can contact the editor with any comments or questions they might have by clicking here.

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