There has been a rise in the demand for Screen Capture softwares by Windows users, ever since softwares like Skitch have made lives easier for Mac users. Although Skitch itself is not available for Windows, there are a number of other screen capture softwares that let users take screenshots of their screens and perform various other operations on them.
In this article we will take a look at the top 5 screen capture softwares for Windows that are available for free:
1. MWSnap
A small hassle-free freeware application that makes it extremely easy to capture screenshots and edit them according to the need of the user. Though the interface may not be too appealing, it certainly performs the function it is built for. The best part is that MWSnap does not require any expertise and is very user-friendly. Users can capture a selected area of the screen, a particular window/menu or the entire desktop. Not only can you capture images from screen, but also edit them in a number of ways, including rotating them, adding custom frames and shapes etc.
2. ScreenHunter
ScreenHunter is an uncomplicated screen capturing tool for Windows. Sporting an intuitive and simple interface , it is extremely convenient to use even for novice users. There are three versions available for download – ScreenHunter Pro, Plus and Free. Though ScreenHunter would have been at the top of out list, the free version only allows users to capture any part of the desktop, window or full screen and save them, it does not provide features for editing and annotating the images captured by users.
3. Jing
This is one of the softwares that I have been using for a while now and I personally like the features offered in it. Though one of the pre-requisites of using it is that you should have Microsoft .NET Framework installed on your system, the program can automatically connect to Microsoft’s website and install it for you. Jing lets users take screenshots of their screens and also share them instantly with their friends on major social networking sites likes Flickr, Twitter and Facebook. You can also annotate the images with text, arrows and highlight tool to emphasize some points in the images.
4. Snippy
An attractive small freeware software that is good for capturing screenshots though it doesn’t have any of the advanced features like annotating and editing images that some of the other screen capture softwares offer. It is best to use for those who want to insert screenshots into emails with the click of a button. You just need to click on the Snippy icon on your taskbar and mark the region of the screen you want to copy. That particular portion will be cut-out and available in the clipboard area, from which you can paste it anywhere you want.
5. WinSnap
Another popular screen capture utility that comes embedded with a number of features apart from taking screenshots. The best part about WinSnap is that unlike most of the screen capture softwares, it allows users to capture non-rectangular and transparent windows as well. Another impressive feature is it’s support for watermarks on the images. You can also automatically resize images as per your choice or create thumbnails with those images. In addition to these, a bundle of other effects are also available that allow users to customize, annotate and edit the screenshots they have captured.
Do you know any other screen capture software for Windows that deserves to be featured in this list? Do let us know.