Screen capture apps can be a simple yet valuable addition to any content marketer’s toolbox. They let you capture your computer screen or any portion of it and add annotation, as well as capture short animated sequences (e.g., to show mouse-click or mouse-over actions) as GIFs.
Content is the basis of a web presence optimization strategy. Screen captures are an effective format for software demos or screen callouts as well as demonstration any on-screen work sequence.
Here are half a dozen of the best free or low cost options for quickly grabbing, saving, and sharing single images or animated actions.
1) Amit Argawal – Screen Capture
Google Review Count: 222
Enter the address (URL) of any web page and the screen capture tool will generate a high-resolution screenshot of the full web page as a PNG image that you can download.
Pricing: free
Showcase reviews: Siasat
2) LICEcap
Google Review Count: 210
LICEcap can capture an area of your desktop and save it directly to .GIF or its own native .LCF format. It can capture single images or screen motion include mouse button presses, with the ability to pause and restart recording and add inserted text messages.
Sample review: An “animated GIF is simple to create and will generally be small in size. How do you create an animated GIF? The program we use is called LICEcap. It is completely free and is available for both Mac and Windows.” — RazorSocial
Pricing: free
Showcase reviews: RazorSocial
3) Droplr
Google Review Count: 210
Snag images or videos of your screen and have them share-ready in a few quick clicks and seconds. Snag an image anywhere on your device or record activity as a GIF or video. Markup screenshots; share only what you want to show and add notes.
Sample review: “If you work within the design space or manage a team, this will simplify your life tenfold. With Droplr, you remove the friction and frustration of sharing files, shortened URLs, screen recordings and even gifs from your busy life.” — Rebekah Radice
Pricing: free, $10 per month, or enterprise pricing by quote
Showcase reviews: Rebekah Radice
4) Snagit
Google Review Count: 169
Tool for screen capture and screen recording on Windows and Mac. Combining traditional screenshots, videos, and image editing.
Sample review: “Snagit (paid) is my preferred tool for making screencasts and annotated screenshots. It’s easy to use; yet it provides the best-looking screenshot annotating tools I’ve ever seen.” — Kathryn Aragon Media
Pricing: $50 per user licence; volume discounts available
Showcase reviews: Kathryn Aragon Media
5) Awesome Screenshot
Google Review Count: 164
Capture all or part of any web page. Add annotations, comments, blur sensitive info, and share with one-click uploads.
Sample review: “Capture screenshots easily with this plugin. Works in Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Perfect for when you need a screenshot for your blog post.” — BuzzBlogger
Pricing: free
Showcase reviews: BuzzBlogger, Entrepreneur
6) Gyazo
Google Review Count: 130
Save screenshots, GIFs, and websites and upload to the cloud with a click. Saved images are automatically organized and searchable by app name, web address, file name, or date.
Sample review: “While it is technically a screen capture tool, you can capture and save GIFs and videos now using Gyazo. This is a great…tool for anyone who takes screen captures and wants to show them off to others.” — HubSpot
Pricing: free or $4 per month
Showcase reviews: Kathryn Aragon Media, HubSpot
Showcase Reviews
BuzzBlogger
Entrepreneur
HubSpot
Kathryn Aragon Media
RazorSocial
Rebekah Radice
Siasat
This was the 18th post in the Best Online Business Tools series.
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#11: The Seven Best File Sharing Tools
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#14: The Five Best Pinterest and Instagram Marketing Tools
#15: The 24 Best Visual Content Creation Tools
#16: The Six Best Online HR, Payroll, and Employee Scheduling Tools
#17: The 20 Best SEO Rank Tracker Tools
#18: The Six Best Screen Capture Tools