Open Source Lightshot Alternatives for Linux

Lightshot is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best open source Linux alternative is Flameshot. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Lightshot and 15 are open source and available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Linux alternatives to Lightshot are Ksnip, Spectacle, HotShots and ScreenCloud.

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Lightshot alternatives are mainly Screenshot Capture Tools, but if you're looking for Screen Recorders you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux + Open Source. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Lightshot.
Lightshot iconLightshot
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Captures customizable screen areas, enables instant online upload, sharing via short URLs, quick edits, local saves, and seamless browser add-ons.

More about Lightshot
More about Lightshot
Lightshot alternatives page was last updated May 9, 2025
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  1. Flameshot icon

    Flameshot

     224 likes
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    Flameshot is a free, open-source screenshot tool that is cross-platform compatible, offering customization, editing features, CLI scripting, and direct Imgur uploads for seamless sharing. It provides an intuitive user experience through features like area selection, annotations, and saving options.

    67 Flameshot alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Powerful, yet simple to use open-source screenshot software

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  User friendly
    3.  Customizable
    4.  Privacy focused
    5.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Drawing on screenshot
    2.  Annotate Screenshot
    3.  Edit screenshots
    4.  Selecting part of screen
    5.  Upload directly to Imgur
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Shortcut keys
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Instant edit screenshots
    10.  Blur Filter
    11.  Highlighter
    12.  Filenames patterns

    Flameshot VS Lightshot

     
    Comments about Flameshot as an Alternative to Lightshot
    Top Positive Comment
    ultome
    Dec 2, 2020
    2

    The most lightshot-like app on Linux

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Jan 6, 2023
    3

    Flameshot is open-source and doesn't send info to Yandex.ru as Lightshot do.

    BrenoZ
    Positive Oct 13, 2021
    0

    Adds some fancy features, but the basic, like customize screen capture shortcut, it's not possible on MacOS and probably will never be. (https://github.com/flameshot-org/flameshot/issues/1259)

    Show more comments
    3 of 9 comments
    Lightshot Icon
    Flameshot icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Flameshot is a great Lightshot alternative.

    • Flameshot is the most popular Mac & Linux alternative to Lightshot.

    • Flameshot is Free and Open SourceLightshot is Free and Proprietary
    • Flameshot is Lightweight and CustomizableLightshot is not according to our users
  2. Ksnip icon

    Ksnip

     61 likes
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    Ksnip is a Qt based cross-platform screenshot tool that provides many annotation features for your screenshots.

    53 Ksnip alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Annotations

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Image Annotations
    2.  Annotate Screenshot
    3.  Blur Filter
    4.  Edit screenshots
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Upload directly to Imgur
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Built-in viewer
    9.  Upload Screenshot
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Command line interface
    12.  Tabbed interface

    Ksnip VS Lightshot

     
  4. Spectacle icon

    Spectacle

     34 likes
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    Spectacle is a simple application for capturing desktop screenshots. It can capture images of the entire desktop, a single monitor, the currently active window, the window currently under the mouse, or a rectangular region of the screen.

    185 Spectacle alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE Plasma
    • Snapcraft
    Spectacle screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Annotate Screenshot
    2.  Auto File Naming
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    9.  Upload Screenshot
    10.  Portable
    11.  Keyboard Shortcuts
    12.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts

    Spectacle VS Lightshot

     
    Comments about Spectacle as an Alternative to Lightshot
    Guest
    Positive Jul 28, 2019
    1

    Great integration with KDE Plasma

    Lightshot Icon
    Spectacle icon
    • Spectacle is Free and Open SourceLightshot is Free and Proprietary
    • Spectacle is Privacy focused and LightweightLightshot is not according to our users
  5. HotShots icon

    HotShots

     9 likes
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    Hotshots is a screenshot tool with some editing features. It is particularly suitable for writing documentation (as used in the following chapters) but you can use it to highlight some details on a map image or what ever you want.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Main Interface
    Discontinued

    The project seems no longer developed. Last version, 2.2.0, released in September 2014, can be still downloaded from SourceForge

    HotShots Features

    1.  Upload Screenshot
    2.  Portable
    3.  Edit screenshots
    4.  Share screenshots

    HotShots VS Lightshot

     
  6. ScreenCloud icon

    ScreenCloud

     21 likes
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    ScreenCloud is an easy to use screenshot sharing application. Take a screenshot using one of the 3 hotkeys or simply click the ScreenCloud tray icon. You can choose where you want to save your screenshot.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    ScreenCloud running on Windows 7
    Discontinued

    Last commit and version is from October 2020

    ScreenCloud Features

    1.  Share screenshots

    ScreenCloud VS Lightshot

     
  7. Swappy icon

    Swappy

     2 likes
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    Swappy is a Wayland screenshot editing tool featuring brushes, text, shapes, arrows, and blur. Images can be saved locally or copied directly to the clipboard.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Swappy screenshot editor

    Swappy VS Lightshot

     
  9. MagicCap icon

    MagicCap

     1 like
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    MagicCap is an image/GIF capture suite for Mac and Linux featuring screenshot manipulation options such as blurring.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    MagicCap screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    The project is no longer developed. Last version, v2.1.2, released in December 2019, can be still downloaded from GitHub

    MagicCap VS Lightshot

     
  10. Scup icon

    Scup

     3 likes
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    Easily upload screenshot or files to FTP server and copy its URL address to clipboard.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Discontinued

    The last update is from 2014.

    Scup Features

    1.  Upload Screenshot
    2.  Portable
    3.  Share screenshots
    4.  Sits in the System Tray

    Scup VS Lightshot

     
8 of 15 Lightshot alternatives