What it does
ksnip is a GPL-3.0 screenshot and annotation application for Linux, Windows and macOS. It includes capture delays, stickers, blur and pixelation, crop and cut-out tools, borders, shadows, watermarks and pinned reference windows.
Capture a region or open an existing image, then crop, remove a horizontal or vertical strip, annotate and save. Tabs hold related captures; a pinned frameless window keeps a reference visible.
Global capture shortcuts work on Windows and Linux desktops using X11. On Linux, Wayland capture depends on the desktop environment; some capture methods ask for confirmation through the desktop's screenshot permission dialog. Text recognition (OCR) requires a separate plugin, documented for Windows and Linux/Unix.
For scripted image handoffs, ksnip accepts piped image data by using a dash in place of a filename. This opens the supplied image for the same annotation workflow. The application is distributed under GPL version 3.
Strengths
- Includes crop, cut-out, annotation and presentation effects.
- Supports tabbed images and pinned reference windows.
Watch out for
- Global hotkeys and capture methods vary across desktop environments.
- Text recognition requires a compatible plugin on Windows or Linux/Unix.
Best for
- Cross-platform teams preparing annotated interface images.
Sources
- GitHub - ksnip/ksnip: ksnip the cross-platform screenshot and annotation tool · GitHub (Oct 28, 2026)
- Command Line · ksnip/ksnip Wiki · GitHub (Oct 28, 2026)
- ksnip/LICENSE.txt at master · ksnip/ksnip · GitHub (Oct 28, 2026)