Greenshot for Mac Is Stuck in 2020: 5 Apps That Do the Job

Looking for Greenshot for Mac? Here's the reality: Greenshot does have a Mac App Store version, but it's a small side app with far fewer features than the beloved Windows version, and it hasn't been updated since June 2020. If you're a Windows user switching to Mac (or just looking for a reliable screenshot tool), you'll need a proper alternative like ScreenSnap Pro.

Quick picks: ScreenSnap Pro is the best overall ($39 one-time, with screenshots, screen recording and a video editor in one app). Shottr is the best free option, and Flameshot is the best open-source one.

The good news? macOS has great screenshot apps that match or beat what Greenshot does on Windows. I've tested the best options so you can find your perfect fit, whether you want something free, feature-packed, or somewhere in between.

Why Greenshot Isn't Really Available on Mac

Let's clear up the confusion first.

Greenshot is a fantastic free and open-source screenshot tool for Windows. It's been a go-to choice for millions because it's:

• Completely free.
• Lightweight and fast.
• Packed with annotation tools.
• Easy to set up with your own shortcuts.

But here's the catch: the Mac version is stuck in 2020.

The Greenshot in the Mac App Store comes from the Greenshot team, but it's a separate, much smaller app. It costs $1.99, and its own listing warns that it is not as feature-rich as the Windows version. Most importantly, it hasn't been updated since June 2020 (version 1.2.19).

The Windows version is a different story. It went quiet after 2017, but work restarted in 2025, and version 1.3.323 shipped in October 2026. Current development is Windows only.

A Mac app with no updates since 2020 matters because:

• No fixes for the macOS versions released since then.
• Missing features that newer screenshot tools offer.
• Potential security concerns with outdated software.

If you loved Greenshot on Windows, you need a true alternative for your Mac: something actively maintained with a similar workflow.

What Made Greenshot Great (Features to Look For)

Before we look at the options, let's pin down what makes Greenshot so good. Your Mac replacement should offer these core features:

Quick Region Capture

Greenshot's strength was capturing just what you wanted (a specific region, window, or full screen) with a single keyboard shortcut. No fumbling through menus.

The best alternatives let you hit a shortcut, draw a selection, and you're done.

Built-in Annotation

This is where Greenshot shined. Right after capture, you could:

• Add arrows pointing to important elements.
• Draw shapes to highlight areas.
• Add text labels and callouts.
• Blur sensitive information.
• Apply numbering for step-by-step guides.

The key was the immediate part. You didn't have to open a separate app or go through multiple steps. Capture → annotate → save happened in one fluid motion.

Good alternatives give you the same kind of editing right after capture. Check out our guide on how to annotate screenshots on Mac professionally for more details.

Direct Folder Saving

Greenshot users love saving screenshots straight to a set folder rather than just the desktop. This keeps your workflow organized, especially if you take dozens of screenshots daily.

Think about it: if you're documenting a software bug, you want those screenshots in a "Bug Reports" folder, not cluttering your Desktop. Greenshot made this automatic: you set it up once and never think about it again.

Customizable Shortcuts

Power users rely on muscle memory. Greenshot let you pick which keys start which capture modes. The best Mac apps let you do the same.

Common shortcuts Greenshot users rely on:

• Print Screen. Capture full screen.
• Alt + Print Screen. Capture active window.
• Ctrl + Print Screen. Capture selected region.

On Mac, you'll be mapping similar functions to ⌘ + Shift combinations, but the principle remains the same: quick access without touching the mouse.

Best Greenshot Alternatives for Mac

I've tested lots of screenshot tools to find the ones that truly match, and often beat, Greenshot. Here are the top 5 options:

1. ScreenSnap Pro: Best Overall (One-Time Purchase)

Price: $39 one-time | My Pick

If you're looking for the most complete Greenshot replacement on Mac, ScreenSnap Pro is my top recommendation. It covers the core of what Greenshot does, then adds a screen recorder and a video editor in the same app, for one payment.

Why It Feels Like Greenshot:

• Instant annotation. Capture and edit in one smooth flow.
• Keyboard shortcuts. Custom hotkeys for all capture modes.
• Direct save options. Choose where files go.
• One-time payment. Just like Greenshot's "free forever" model, but with professional support.

What You Get That Greenshot Doesn't Have:

• 500+ beautiful backgrounds with padding and shadow for presentation-ready screenshots.
• Screen recording to MP4 at up to 60fps, with webcam, mic and system audio.
• A built-in video editor (since v5.0.0) with a multi-track timeline, one-click silence removal and auto zoom that follows your cursor.
• GIF recording for quick tutorials (see our guide to recording GIFs on Mac).
• Scrolling Capture for long pages, PDFs, and chats in any app.
• Full-page website capture from a URL.
• One license with 2 seats, in any mix of Mac and Windows.

It also has OCR, pinned screenshots, a Quick Access Overlay for lightning-fast edits, and optional cloud upload that gives you a quick share link.

Annotation tools include: 17 tools: arrow, rectangle, filled rectangle, ellipse, filled ellipse, line, path, blur, pixelate, magnifier, highlighter, spotlight, pencil, eraser, text, callout and counter (for numbered steps), plus emoji.

The Quick Access Overlay (called Quick Preview in the app) deserves special mention. After each capture, a small thumbnail appears in a corner of your screen (bottom right by default). Drag it into any app, or hover over it to edit, pin, copy text or upload. There's no need to switch apps or navigate menus. This mirrors Greenshot's immediate-editing philosophy perfectly.

Pricing Comparison with Greenshot:

Greenshot is free on Windows, but the Mac version costs $1.99 and hasn't been updated since 2020. ScreenSnap Pro costs $39 once. That includes lifetime updates, 2 seats (Mac, Windows or one of each) and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you still use a Windows PC, you can run the same app on both.

Limitations:

• Not open source, and there's no free version.
• Needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
• No Linux version.

Best for: Content creators, professionals, and anyone who wants a polished screenshot and recording workflow without subscription fees.

For a detailed comparison with other premium tools, check out our best screenshot apps for Mac guide.

From the makers of this site

Tired of plain screenshots? Try ScreenSnap Pro.

Beautiful backgrounds, pro annotations, GIF recording, and instant cloud sharing, all in one app. Pay $39 once, own it forever.

See pricing and features

2. Shottr: Best Free Option

Price: Free for personal use, $12 one-time for commercial use | Download

Shottr is the closest thing to a "Greenshot for Mac" in spirit: it's free, fast, and doesn't try to do too much.

Greenshot-Like Features:

• Quick region and window capture.
• Built-in annotation tools.
• OCR text recognition, a nice bonus.
• Scrolling capture for long pages.
• Lightweight and fast.

The scrolling capture feature is something Greenshot never quite nailed on Windows. Shottr lets you capture entire web pages or documents that extend beyond your screen, which is incredibly useful for documentation.

Limitations:

• Cloud upload only works through S3, and it needs to be activated first.
• No GIF/video recording.
• Basic backgrounds only.
• Limited sharing options.
• After 30 days, the free version starts asking you to upgrade.

Why It's Great for Developers:

Shottr includes a pixel measurement tool and color picker, which are perfect for UI/UX work. It also copies colors in various formats (HEX, RGB, HSL), features that make it popular in the dev community.

Best for: Developers and power users who want free and functional without the extras.

We wrote a detailed ScreenSnap Pro vs Shottr comparison if you're torn between these two.

3. Flameshot: Best Open Source

Price: Free (Open Source) | Download

If you loved Greenshot because it was open-source, Flameshot is your spiritual successor. It's available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Greenshot-Like Features:

• Region selection with on-screen annotation.
• Arrows, shapes, text, and blur tools.
• Numbered step counter and a pin tool.
• Custom keyboard shortcuts.
• Direct save to folder.
• Active project with a big community.

The markup tools appear right on your screen: you draw your region, and the tools pop up at once along the edge. This feels very similar to Greenshot's workflow.

Limitations:

• Interface can feel a bit clunky on Mac (it was designed for Linux first).
• No cloud upload in the official builds (the old Imgur uploader has been off since v13).
• Relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, confusing at first.
• No screen or GIF recording.
• The current release (v14) runs on Apple Silicon Macs only, and a fix for Intel Macs is in the v15 beta.

Installation Note:

On Mac, you'll install Flameshot via Homebrew (brew install --cask flameshot) or the .dmg from its website. It works well but may require granting screen recording permissions in System Settings.

Best for: Open-source advocates and users who want cross-platform consistency.

4. CleanShot X: Most Features

Price: $35 one-time (Basic, 1 year of updates) or $10 per user/month billed annually (Pro) | Download

CleanShot X is the "everything and the kitchen sink" option. It has every screenshot feature you could want.

What It Offers:

• Scrolling capture.
• OCR text recognition.
• GIF and video recording.
• A video editor with smart zooms (new in version 5.0).
• Cloud storage with shareable links.
• Self-hiding desktop icons during capture.
• History browser for past captures.

Why It's Different from Greenshot:

• Updates after the first year cost $19/year, and the Pro plan is a subscription.
• More complex interface.
• Powerful but potentially overwhelming.
• Mac only, and it needs macOS 13 or newer.

Best for: Power users and professionals who need every feature and don't mind paying again for updates.

For more affordable alternatives to premium tools, see our best CleanShot X alternatives guide.

5. macOS Built-in Screenshot: Simplest Option

Price: Free (Built into macOS)

Don't overlook what's already on your Mac. The built-in screenshot tool has improved significantly since macOS Mojave.

What macOS Offers:

• ⌘ + Shift + 3: Full screen capture.
• ⌘ + Shift + 4: Region selection.
• ⌘ + Shift + 5: Screenshot toolbar with options.
• Basic Markup tools from the floating thumbnail.
• Timer options for delayed capture.
• Screen recording of the full screen, a window or a selected area.

The ⌘ + Shift + 5 shortcut brings up a toolbar at the bottom of your screen where you can choose capture type, set a timer, and select where to save. It's much more intuitive than the old method.

Limitations:

• No editor opens on its own: you click the floating thumbnail to open Markup.
• No cloud upload.
• Basic editing only, so no blur, pixelate, or numbering.
• No backgrounds or styling options.

Best for: Casual users with simple screenshot needs who don't want to install additional software.

If you're coming from Windows and want something familiar, check out our snipping tool for Mac guide.

Feature Comparison Table

Here's how these Greenshot alternatives stack up:

Which Alternative Should You Choose?

Your ideal Greenshot replacement depends on what you prioritize:

Choose ScreenSnap Pro if:

• You want the most polished Greenshot-like tool.
• Beautiful screenshots matter (backgrounds, clean exports).
• You prefer one-time payment with lifetime updates.
• You also record screen videos or GIFs and want to edit them in the same app.
• You still use a Windows PC (one license covers 2 seats).

Choose Shottr if:

• Budget is $0 (for personal use).
• You need scrolling capture and OCR.
• Simplicity matters more than polish.
• You're a developer who values efficiency.

Choose Flameshot if:

• Open source is non-negotiable.
• You use multiple operating systems.
• You're comfortable with keyboard-driven workflows.
• You want a tool built by its community.

Choose CleanShot X if:

• You need every feature possible.
• Paying $19/year to keep getting updates doesn't bother you.
• You take hundreds of screenshots weekly.
• You want the most powerful option available.

Stick with macOS built-in if:

• Your needs are truly basic.
• You rarely annotate screenshots.
• You don't want to install anything.

For enterprise users looking for Snagit alternatives, we've covered that in our best Snagit alternative for Mac guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Greenshot is still great on Windows, but its Mac version hasn't kept up. Mac users now have great options that match Greenshot's core features and often go further.

The biggest change for Windows-to-Mac switchers is usually the keyboard shortcuts. Once you've remapped your muscle memory from Print Screen to ⌘ + Shift + 4, the workflow becomes second nature.

My pick:

If I had to recommend just one: ScreenSnap Pro offers the best balance of Greenshot-like simplicity with modern features. The one-time $39 payment means you own it forever (no subscriptions), and one license covers 2 seats across Mac and Windows. The instant annotation, beautiful backgrounds, screen recorder and video editor make it worth the investment.

For zero-budget situations, Shottr gives you a lot for free (for personal use), most of all OCR and scrolling capture.

If you're torn, start with Shottr (it's free) and upgrade to ScreenSnap Pro when you want polish, screen recording and video editing.

Either way, you don't have to miss Greenshot on your Mac. You can have something better.

Looking for more screenshot tips? Check out our guide to the best screenshot apps for Mac for a complete comparison of all your options.