Screenshots, or even partial screenshots, also referred to as”snipping,” are a practice that many users engage in daily for various reasons. It can be to capture evidence of a transaction online or chat on the web, offer technical support to family members and colleagues, or even keep an idea in mind for a future project. Regardless of the motivation, there are numerous Snipping tools for MacBooks. We’ll present you with the best snipping tool for Mac and provide all the details you require to choose the best screenshot app for Mac
Is There a Snipping Tool on My Mac?
Yes! There’s a snipping tool that’s built into your Mac. It’s known as Screenshot, and it’s located within the Utilities folder within your Applications folder. The screenshot feature allows you to capture the entire screen, or a specific portion of the screen that you specify as active, or even the window you are currently in. You can define the location you want to save screenshots, establish the timer, or use it to record screen videos.
Quick keyboard shortcuts:
- Command + Shift + 3 → Capture the full screen
- Command + Shift + 4 → Capture a selected area
- Command + Shift + 4 + Space → Capture a specific window
- Command + Shift + 5 → Open full screenshot/video options
Best Snipping Tool for Mac
Suppose your snipping tool is not working. Third-party snipping tool for Mac offer additional features, like the ability to create GIFs from recordings or move through windows to capture everything on a single screenshot. These are the top MacBook snipping tools.
1. Clean Shot X
Clean Shot is the best snipping tool for Mac. In addition to taking pictures, videos, images, and GIFs, it also lets you hide Desktop icons and copy text from screenshots, and easily view screenshots that you have taken recently.
Utilizing CleanShot X, an effective MacBook snipping tool that lets you annotate screenshots or create transparent backgrounds, or create the desktop image you want to customize. To record video, it records mouse actions, keyboard shortcuts, and even your MacBook’s camera. Its integrated editor lets you cut videos, adjust audio, and change resolution. After you’re done, you can save your clips straight to your Mac or share them through your CleanShot cloud.
There are also advanced options and features. For instance, you can view recent screenshots in the History section and sort them according to type. Additionally, you can clip screenshots onto your Mac’s screen, and then adjust their size and opacity to ensure they’re always visible when you work.
Pros:
- Capture full screen, windows, selected regions, or scrolling content
- Annotate, highlight, blur, and add shapes or text
- Screen recording and GIF creation
- OCR text extraction from screenshots
- Cloud storage and sharing
Cons:
- Paid tool (no fully free version)
- May feel complex for casual users
- macOS only
Price:
- One-time payment: $29 (basic license)
- Pro/Subscription: $8/month for cloud storage & advanced features
Also read: Best Browser for Mac 2025: Which One Tops the List?
2. Monosnap
Monosnap is another incredibly popular snipping tool for Mac and, like Clean Shot, has plenty of options to edit videos and screenshots after they have been taken. It also allows you to annotate images or blur sensitive details, and upload videos directly to YouTube.
The 8x magnifier is available for those who need to be more precise with the area they’re looking at, and a highlight tool for screen-based videos. Additionally, it covers essentials with features like recording timed. If you decide to upgrade to the premium edition, you will be able to upload directly to cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box.com. The paid version comes with 10GB of storage space on Monosnap’s cloud service.
Pros:
- Free basic version available
- Capture images and record videos
- Highlight, blur, and text annotations
- Cloud sharing via Dropbox, Google Drive, Box
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Advanced editing and cloud features require a paid subscription
- Editing tools are basic compared to premium apps
- Limited for heavy users
Price:
- Free version available
- Paid subscription: $2.50–$5/month
3. Xnapper
Xnapper is to make your screenshots and videos appear as professional as possible. It includes all the essential features that you would expect from a screenshot tool, but what makes it stand out is how it puts the screenshots on a background that you like and lets you center it by pressing. It also enables you to create a corner of your screen, include watermarks, and adjust the radius of your border or alter the padding or shadow.
It also features a handy redaction tool that utilizes optical character recognition (OCR) to identify data such as email addresses or credit card numbers within an image, allowing users to erase them by clicking. Additionally, OCR will enable users to copy and paste text directly out of a screenshot. You can also add annotations to images, look up your history, and even create presets for various kinds of images.
Pros:
- Automatically adds rounded corners, shadows, and backgrounds
- Built-in OCR and redaction for sensitive info
- Annotation tools included
- Simple, easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- No video or GIF capture
- The free version may leave a watermark
- Limited advanced editing compared to CleanShot X
Price:
- One-time purchase: $29.99
4. Droplr
Droplr is a snipping tool for Mac users who wish to save their videos and screenshots to the cloud. In reality, whenever you snap a photo or record something, it’s automatically uploaded to Droplr’s cloud-based storage, and the URL is copied to your clipboard on your Mac, making it easier to share. The 100GB storage capacity is included in the basic tier of the paid-for service. However, there’s no free version, except for the trial.
Droplr provides all the essentials. It allows you to capture screenshots of any part of your screen, windows, or a page, and also record videos. It is also possible to annotate the screenshots and apply designs to them. You can record with your MacBook camera while recording the screen, and save the video as a GIF.
Pros:
- Cloud storage with shareable links
- Supports screenshots, video recording, and GIFs
- Fast collaboration and sharing for teams
Cons:
- Free tier is limited in storage and features
- Internet connection required
- Advanced editing tools are limited
Price:
- Free trial available
- Paid subscription: $8/month (individual), $9/month per user (team)
Also read: 10 Best Clipping Software: Record and Stream Gameplay Easily
5. Textsniper
TextSniper is a Snipping tool for Mac that is different from others. While they provide text recognition as an add-on feature, Textsniper places it at the core of the application. Actually, the primary goal of Textsniper is to let you extract text from images.
The keyboard shortcut allows you to take a small portion of the screen. Textsniper transforms the text within the image and saves it to your clipboard. It can be pasted wherever you’d like. Textsniper is also able to convert barcodes and QR codes into text. You can make use of it to make your Mac read the text as an image.
Pros:
- Fast and accurate OCR text extraction
- Minimalist, easy-to-use interface
- Saves time typing text manually
Cons:
- Only extracts text; no editing or video capture
- OCR accuracy may vary with complex fonts
- Not suitable for general screenshot editing
Price:
- One-time purchase: $7.99
Comparison Table: Best Snipping Tool for Mac
| Tool | Key Features | Price | Pros / Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| CleanShot X | Screenshots, screen recording, GIFs, OCR, cloud | ???? $29 / $8/month Pro | ✅ Advanced editing, OCR, cloud ❌ , Paid, complex, macOS only |
| Monosnap | Screenshot & video capture, annotations, cloud | ???? Free / $2.50–$5/month | ✅ Free option, cloud sharing ❌ Basic editing, limited advanced features |
| Xnapper | Stylish screenshots, OCR & redaction, annotations | ???? $29.99 | ✅ Professional visuals, OCR ❌ No video/GIF, watermark-free version |
| Droplr | Cloud-based screenshots & videos, GIF support | ???? $8/month Individual / $9/month Team | ✅ Cloud sharing, team collaboration ❌ , Free tier limited, needs internet |
| TextSniper | OCR text extraction from screenshots, images, and PDFs | ???? $7.99 | ✅ Fast text extraction ❌ . No editing/video, OCR may vary |
Wrap Up
There are many great MacBook screenshot apps, which include the integrated Screenshot utility. We cover the list of the top five snipping tools for Mac that make easy capture screenshots, annotate, and share instantly.
FAQs: Snipping Tool for Mac
What is the best snipping tool for MacBook?
The best snipping tool for MacBook depends on your needs. Top options include CleanShot X, Monosnap, Xnapper, Droplr, and TextSniper. They offer screenshot, annotation, video recording, and OCR features.
Can I record videos using a snipping tool for MacBook?
Yes. Tools like CleanShot X, Monosnap, and Droplr allow video recording, GIF creation, and capturing your MacBook camera.
How do I annotate screenshots on a MacBook?
Most snipping tools, including CleanShot X, Monosnap, and Xnapper, let you add text, highlight, blur, shapes, and arrows directly on your screenshots.
Can I extract text from screenshots on MacBook?
Yes. TextSniper and CleanShot X include OCR (Optical Character Recognition) features to extract text from images and PDFs.
Are snipping tools for MacBook compatible with older macOS versions?
Most snipping tools support macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and above, but check each app’s system requirements to ensure compatibility.
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