Mac screenshot tools
ShotShot vs ksnip
Compare ksnip with ShotShot’s canvas, where you can drag and rearrange each screenshot independently.
When ksnip makes sense
ksnip is a Qt-based screenshot and annotation app with a macOS package. Its project documentation describes platform-specific capture support and optional plugins; do not assume every Windows or Linux feature exists on Mac. ksnip project documentation
Can you freely rearrange each image?
Stitching joins images side by side or top to bottom. A free canvas lets you place each image anywhere and move it again later. These are different editing workflows.
| ksnip | ShotShot |
|---|---|
| The project describes screenshot annotation, but we have not verified a freely rearrangeable multi-image canvas on macOS. Its OCR plugin documentation is specifically labeled for Windows and Linux/Unix. ksnip project documentation | Drag each image anywhere on the shared canvas, including after adding other images. Move, resize, rotate, overlap, and reorder images independently. Add arrows and text in the space around them. Row and column layouts are optional, not fixed constraints. |
When to choose ShotShot
Choose ShotShot if you want Mac-native editing and built-in local text extraction alongside a multi-screenshot canvas. Choose ksnip if its open-source, cross-platform approach is the main requirement.
Drag each screenshot anywhere on the canvas.
In ShotShot, each screenshot stays a separate object. Place images wherever you need them, leave gaps for labels, overlap them, and drag them again as you edit. Your composition is not locked into a side-by-side row or a top-to-bottom strip.
- Capture or import. Take a screenshot, then add another capture to the same canvas. You can also paste or import existing images.
- Drag freely. Move, resize, rotate, and stack each image independently. Grid, row, column, and before/after layouts are optional starting points. You can still move images afterward.
- Explain. Add arrows, step numbers, and text across the composition. Use liquid glass text and shapes when they help the explanation.
- Send. Copy or export the whole canvas. Save a
.shotshotdocument to change the images and annotations later.
Local image tools, in the same editor
Native and direct
ShotShot runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, on macOS 13 or later. Capture, arrange, annotate, and export in one app for a fast everyday workflow.
Liquid glass text
Give text, arrows, lines, rectangles, ellipses, and step markers a liquid glass material. Standard solid annotations are available too.
Remove backgrounds
Apple Vision isolates a foreground subject locally. Requires macOS 14 or later; an image needs a detectable subject. This uses Apple’s on-device Vision framework, with no image upload required.
Extract text
Read text from images with Apple Vision OCR and copy it into your work. Recognition runs on your Mac.
Upscale 4×
Apple’s on-device super-resolution enlarges the selected image. Requires macOS 26 or later, supported hardware, and a supported source no larger than 1920 × 1920 pixels.
Keep images local
Capture, editing, OCR, background removal, upscaling, and export run locally. Licence checks and update checks use the network. See the privacy policy.
ShotShot focuses on still-image composition. It does not offer screen recording, scrolling capture, or hosted share links. “Fast” describes the intended workflow; we have not run comparative speed benchmarks.
Make your next explanation in one canvas.
Capture two screenshots, arrange them, and add the arrows and text that make the point.
Download for macOS See pricing and licence detailsSources and comparison limits
ksnip project documentation. ShotShot features are described on the product page and in its feature reference.
“Not documented” means the cited source does not confirm a feature. It does not mean the app cannot do it. Features and plans can change; check the vendor’s current documentation. Product names belong to their respective owners.