ShareX operates as a highly versatile, open-source screen capture and file-sharing productivity app that helps individuals record their screens and instantly export or upload the results. Currently updated to version 19.0.2 as of early 2026, this free utility streamlines everything from basic screenshot collection to complex workflow automation. By configuring specific task sequences, you can capture an image, annotate it with instructions, and send it directly to a remote cloud server in just one keystroke. Whether you need a dependable screen recorder for a quick video demonstration or an advanced desktop tool for managing daily visual communication, it significantly reduces the time spent managing media files manually.
Key Features
- Customizable Screen Capture: Select from multiple capture methods including full screen, specific monitor, active window, custom region, or automated scrolling capture to grab entire web pages.
- Built-in Image Editor: Modify your screenshots instantly by adding text, drawing arrows, placing numbered steps for tutorials, or using the smart eraser and blur tools to obscure sensitive information.
- Automated Workflows: Create custom hotkey routines that automatically save an image to your hard drive, recognize text, and upload the file to your preferred cloud destination like Google Drive, Amazon S3, or a custom server.
- Video and GIF Recording: Record your desktop activity in high-quality video formats or animated GIFs using the integrated FFmpeg encoder, giving you an immediate file ready for sharing.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Extract text directly from images or specific screen regions without leaving the application, utilizing local processing on Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems.
- Desktop Productivity Utilities: Access a suite of mini-tools directly from the system tray, including a screen color picker, on-screen ruler, QR code generator, image combiner, and DNS changer.
Use Cases
This screenshot utility caters heavily to content creators, software developers, and technical support professionals who frequently need to document software bugs, create visual step-by-step tutorials, or share text and code snippets. By automating the entire capture, modify, and export pipeline, professional work teams, educators, and streaming broadcasters can maintain a rapid production pace without ever having to manually sort through local folders or log into external cloud platforms.
For anyone frustrated by the constraints of standard system clipping applications, ShareX delivers an unparalleled degree of configuration and task automation that completely transforms how you capture and distribute digital media.
Version 19.0.2 — January 2026
- Disabled automatic uploading by default for all fresh software installations.
- Introduced an AI-powered "Analyze image" tool (opt-in feature requiring personal API keys for providers like OpenAI or Gemini).
- Upgraded the bundled FFmpeg application to version 8.0.
- Added a new "Spotlight" effect to both the region capture interface and the built-in image editor.
- Integrated a central crosshair indicator into the region capture tool for better visual alignment.
- Refined the Light and Transparent region capture modes for a smoother selection experience.
- Expanded Image History settings by adding "Thumbnail height" and "Automatically load more images" preferences.
- Created a dedicated keyboard shortcut to immediately stop auto-capture tasks.
- Adjusted settings exports to automatically append the computer's name to the output file.
- Allowed users to easily rotate and flip stickers in the image editor using Ctrl + Arrow key shortcuts.
- Transitioned the database framework from System.Data.SQLite to Microsoft.Data.Sqlite.
- Included several new advanced configurations, such as a "Skip files" toggle for the Directory Indexer and a "Scale step" option for pinned screen items.
