Freedom251 › Screenshot Annotation Software

Ksnip

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

What Ksnip is

Ksnip is a free, Qt-based screenshot tool for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It captures rectangular areas, a previously selected area, an entire or current screen, a focused window, or the window beneath the cursor. Capture options include cursor handling and a configurable delay. Its editor can add pen or marker strokes, shapes, text, stickers, and watermarks, apply image effects, and blur or pixelate selected regions. You can crop images, cut vertical or horizontal slices, and open images from files or the clipboard. Ksnip saves or prints images as PDF or PS, and can upload screenshots to Imgur, FTP, or custom user-defined scripts; Imgur supports anonymous and user modes. A command-line interface can capture screenshots and save them using a configured default location, filename, and format. Linux support includes X11 and several Wayland environments, though portal captures may require compositor confirmation. Global screenshot hotkeys are supported on Windows and X11, not Wayland. OCR requires a separately installed Tesseract plugin, listed for Windows and Linux/Unix. The project is GPL-3.0 licensed, with packages and download options for all three desktop platforms.

Who it suits

Ksnip suits people who need to capture and annotate screenshots across Linux, macOS, or Windows. It also fits workflows that need PDF or PS output, image uploads, command-line capture, or configurable screenshot areas.

What it does well

Captures screens, windows, and selected areas with cursor options.
Adds annotations, effects, and blur or pixelation.
Saves or prints images as PDF or PS.
Uploads to Imgur, FTP, or custom scripts.
Offers Linux, Windows, and macOS distribution options.

What to know first

OCR requires a separately installed Tesseract plugin.
Global hotkeys are unavailable under Wayland.
Wayland portal screenshots may require compositor confirmation.
Some macOS issues affect cursor capture and snipping-area focus.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	Open-source screenshot and annotation tool	Free

As ksnip.org lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Choose a Linux, Windows, or macOS download option.
Install Ksnip for your platform.
Capture an area, screen, or window using the available capture modes.
Annotate or edit the image, then save it or choose an upload destination.

Verdict

Choose Ksnip if you want a free desktop screenshot tool with annotation, redaction, file export, and upload options. Look elsewhere if you need Wayland global hotkeys or OCR without installing a separate plugin.

Questions

Is Ksnip free?

Yes. Its Free plan costs nothing, and the project is GPL-3.0 licensed.

Which platforms does Ksnip support?

Ksnip supports Linux, macOS, and Windows. Downloads include Linux packages, Windows MSI or zipped EXE files, and macOS DMG or Homebrew Cask options.

Can Ksnip redact screenshot areas?

Yes. It can blur or pixelate image regions.

Does Ksnip include OCR?

OCR is available through a separately installed Tesseract plugin, listed for Windows and Linux/Unix.

Can Ksnip upload screenshots?

Yes. It supports Imgur, FTP, and custom user-defined scripts. Imgur uploads can use anonymous or user mode.

Does Ksnip support global hotkeys?

Global screenshot hotkeys are supported on Windows and X11. They are unavailable under Wayland.

Facts from Ksnip's own pages

Annotations: Annotation tools include pen, marker, shapes, text, stickers, blur, pixelation, effects, and watermarks. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Capture: It can capture custom or previously selected areas, screens, and windows, with configurable delay. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Capture modes: It supports rectangular-area, last-area, full-screen, current-screen, focused-window and window-under-cursor captures, with cursor capture options. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Command line: The command-line interface can capture screenshots and save them using a configured default location, filename, and format. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Distribution: The README lists Linux packages including RPM, DEB, APT, Snap, Flatpak, and AppImage, plus Windows and macOS downloads. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Downloads: The project lists Linux RPM, DEB, APT, Snap, Flatpak and AppImage packages, Windows MSI and zipped EXE packages, and macOS DMG and Homebrew Cask options. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Export formats: PDF, PS · raw.githubusercontent.com, 20 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · raw.githubusercontent.com, 20 Sept 2026
Global shortcuts: Global screenshot hotkeys are supported on Windows and X11. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Hotkey limitation: Global hotkeys are listed as supported only on Windows and X11, and are unavailable under Wayland. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Image editing: Ksnip supports cropping, cutting vertical or horizontal slices, opening images from files or clipboard, and saving or printing images to PDF or PS. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Image handling: Users can crop or cut image slices, open images from files or clipboard, and save screenshots as PDF or PS. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
License: The GitHub project lists Ksnip under the GPL-3.0 license. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maintenance: The maintainer says they are seeking co-maintainers after years maintaining the project solo. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
OCR: OCR is available through a separately installed plugin using Tesseract on Windows and Linux/Unix. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Other limitations: The README documents macOS issues including always capturing the mouse cursor and some snipping-area focus behavior. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Platforms: The project lists support for Linux, Windows, and macOS; Linux support includes X11 and Wayland options. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Plugin requirement: Plugins must match Ksnip’s Qt version and build type, and the OCR plugin must be installed separately. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Product: Ksnip is a Qt-based cross-platform screenshot tool with annotation features. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose: Ksnip is a Qt-based cross-platform screenshot tool with annotation features. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Redaction tools: Yes · raw.githubusercontent.com, 20 Sept 2026
Security limitation: On GNOME Wayland 41 and later, screenshots are limited to xdg-desktop-portal because GNOME disallows the native screenshot interface for non-GNOME applications. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs users to GitHub issues for bugs and feature requests and offers Discord and IRC for community discussion. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Uploads: Screenshots can be uploaded to Imgur or FTP, or sent through user-defined scripts. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026

Where Ksnip stands on Freedom251

Screenshot Annotation Software#11 of 76