macshot
A native macOS screenshot and screen recording tool with annotation, auto-redact PII, scroll capture, GIF recording, OCR, and uploads.
What is macshot?
macshot is a native macOS application for taking screenshots and recording the screen. It solves the problem of fragmented workflows by integrating capture, annotation, editing, and sharing into a single, fast tool, offering features like scroll capture, auto-redaction of sensitive information, and OCR without the bloat of Electron-based alternatives.
macOS users who frequently take screenshots or record their screen for work, documentation, tutorials, or communication and want a more powerful, integrated, and privacy-conscious tool than the built-in options.
Developers choose macshot for its native performance, comprehensive feature set that rivals commercial tools, and its commitment to privacy with local processing and no subscriptions, all packaged in a lightweight, menu-bar resident application.
Overview
Feature-packed native macOS screenshot & recording tool: annotate, auto-redact PII, record GIFs, OCR + translate, scroll capture, beautify, and more. No Electron, no subscription.
Use Cases
Best For
- Creating annotated screenshots for bug reports and documentation
- Recording software demos and tutorials as GIFs or MP4s
- Capturing and stitching long web pages or documents via scroll capture
- Redacting sensitive personal information from screenshots automatically
- Extracting and translating text from images for research or localization
- Quickly uploading screenshots to cloud storage or image hosts
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring a cross-platform screenshot tool that works on Windows and Linux
- Users needing advanced video editing features like multi-track timelines or special effects beyond trimming
- Projects that rely on real-time collaborative annotation or cloud-based comment threads
Pros & Cons
Pros
Built with Swift and AppKit, it uses only ~8 MB of memory at idle, offering fast and resource-efficient operation without Electron bloat.
From selection to annotation and sharing with one hotkey, it streamlines the process, reducing the need for multiple applications.
Automatically detects and redacts sensitive data like emails and faces using multiple modes, ensuring privacy without manual effort.
Supports one-click uploads to Google Drive, imgbb, and any S3-compatible service, with instant link copying for easy sharing.
Cons
Exclusively available for macOS, making it unsuitable for teams or users in cross-platform environments.
No built-in options for real-time sharing or collaborative editing, which can be a drawback for team-based workflows.
While it includes trimming and audio control, it lacks advanced video features like effects, transitions, or multi-track editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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DropboxSyncs files across devices with version history
ScapScreenshot annotation and canvas tool with blur, mosaic, and watermark features. App Store
SnipasteSimple but powerful snipping tool. Freeware
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