Who is it for?
- Useful for Windows users who capture a screenshot with a hotkey, mark it up right away and share it as a file or link.
- Useful for people who want to automate after-capture steps (copy, upload, shortened link) with their own rules.
ShareX — Screenshots & Annotation
ShareX Team
ShareX is a free, open-source Windows tool that captures and annotates screenshots, records the screen, makes GIFs and uploads the output to destinations you choose.
Why it fits
| Good to know | Desktop |
|---|---|
| Free output | Yes |
| No account needed | Yes |
| No watermark | — |
| Works offline | — |
| Batch processing | — |
| Content language | — |
— Unverified conditions. Official documentation reviewed. The app itself has not been hands-on tested. Matches only documented content-language support, not interface language.
Sources and review date2
Founder feedback and correction
Editorial selection guide
Last checked:
Getting started
- Install ShareX from the official site, GitHub, the Microsoft Store or Steam; a portable build also exists.
- Choose full-screen, active-window, region or scrolling capture with a hotkey or menu; mark it up with shapes, text and blur in the image editor.
- Set the after-capture tasks (copy to clipboard, save to file, upload to a destination); use the recording feature for screen recording or GIFs and check the FFmpeg requirement.
Decision points
- Consider it if you want detailed Windows workflows such as automatic upload and destination choice after capture.
- If annotation is all you need, compare more focused tools such as Greenshot or Flameshot.
Limits
- It is built for Windows only; there is no macOS or Linux version.
- The GitHub description mentions FFmpeg for screen recording; check the recording settings before first use.
- Upload destinations can have their own account, size and quota terms; ShareX's pages do not give them.
Frequently asked questions
Does ShareX need an account or cost money?
The site says it is free, ad-free and needs no account.
Can it record the screen?
Yes; the site lists screen recording and GIF creation, and the GitHub description mentions FFmpeg for screen recording.