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Flameshot
Powerful screenshot software
System UtilitiesFreeOpen SourceReplaces Snagit ($63)
Quick Take: Flameshot
4.2
In 2026, Flameshot remains the definitive open-source choice for macOS users who prioritize utility over native aesthetics. While it lacks the polish of CleanShot X and the scrolling capabilities of Shottr, it dominates in three key areas: advanced annotation (blur/pixelate/count), developer-friendly automation (CLI), and cross-platform consistency. It is a tool built for function, not form. The setup requires a minor dance with macOS permissions, but once configured, it is a robust, reliable workhorse. If you are a developer, sysadmin, or technical writer who needs to markup screenshots rapidly without spending a dime, Flameshot is an essential install.
Best For
- •Software Developers
- •Technical Writers
- •Linux/Mac Hybrid Users
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask flameshotWhat is Flameshot?
In the crowded landscape of macOS screenshot utilities in 2026, Flameshot stands out not for its native aesthetic, but for its raw, utilitarian power and open-source philosophy. Originally created by Jeremy Gaultier and now maintained by the community under the Flameshot Org, this tool is built on the C++ and Qt framework. While many Mac users gravitate toward paid, polished tools like CleanShot X, Flameshot has carved a permanent niche for developers, sysadmins, and privacy advocates who demand a tool that is free, scriptable, and cross-platform. Flameshot functions as an overlay-based capture tool. Unlike the native macOS screenshot utility (Command+Shift+4), which simply saves a file or copies to the clipboard, Flameshot freezes your screen and presents a rich sidebar of annotation tools immediately. You can draw, blur, pixelate, and pin images to your screen without ever leaving the capture overlay. For Mac users in 2026, specifically those on Apple Silicon (M-series) chips, Flameshot offers a fully native, highly performant experience that rivals premium software features without the subscription fatigue. Its core value proposition lies in its CLI (Command Line Interface). Flameshot is one of the few screenshot tools that can be fully controlled via terminal scripts, making it indispensable for automated workflows, documentation generation, and integration with macOS Shortcuts. It bridges the gap between a simple 'snipping tool' and a professional technical documentation assistant.
Deep Dive: Flameshot's Open-Source Journey and Technical Foundation
Understanding how Flameshot evolved from a Linux-first utility into a cross-platform screenshot powerhouse trusted by developers worldwide.
History & Background
Flameshot was created by Jeremy Gaultier in 2017 as a simple, powerful screenshot tool for Linux desktops. The initial motivation was to provide an open-source alternative to proprietary tools like Greenshot and ShareX that offered instant annotation without a separate editing step. The project quickly gained traction on GitHub, and community contributors expanded support to Windows and macOS over the following years. By 2023, the project transitioned to the Flameshot Organization on GitHub, ensuring long-term maintenance beyond any single developer. The macOS port benefited significantly from Apple Silicon optimizations in 2024, moving from Rosetta-translated builds to fully native ARM64 binaries.
How It Works
Flameshot is built on C++ with the Qt framework providing the cross-platform GUI layer. The capture mechanism uses platform-specific screen recording APIs—on macOS, this means interfacing with the CGWindowListCreateImage API and the newer ScreenCaptureKit framework introduced in macOS 12.3. The annotation overlay renders directly on a full-screen transparent window, allowing real-time drawing with minimal latency. Qt's signal-slot mechanism handles tool switching and undo operations, while the CLI interface exposes D-Bus commands on Linux and standard process arguments on macOS.
Ecosystem & Integrations
The Flameshot ecosystem is modest but practical. Configuration files stored at ~/.config/flameshot/flameshot.ini are easily version-controlled and shared across machines. Community-contributed scripts on GitHub demonstrate integrations with tools like Tesseract OCR for text extraction from screenshots, custom upload backends for private cloud storage, and Alfred and Raycast workflows for keyboard-driven capture workflows on macOS.
Future Development
The Flameshot development community has discussed several ambitious features for future releases, including scrolling capture support (the most requested feature), basic video and GIF recording capabilities, and deeper macOS integration through ScreenCaptureKit. While no formal timeline exists for these features, the active contributor base and steady release cadence suggest continued evolution throughout 2026.
Key Features
Instant In-App Annotation
Flameshot’s signature feature is its overlay editor. The moment you drag your mouse to select an area, a toolbar appears around the selection. You can immediately add arrows, text, boxes, and circles. Uniquely, it offers both a 'Blur' tool (for soft obscuring) and a 'Pixelate' tool (for strictly hiding sensitive data like API keys or faces), which preserves the professional look of documentation.
Pin Recording to Screen
Borrowing a favorite feature from Windows tools like Snipaste, Flameshot allows you to 'pin' a screenshot to your desktop. The captured image floats above all other windows as a picture-in-picture overlay. This is invaluable for designers referencing a mock-up while coding, or writers transcribing text from an image without constantly switching tabs.
Command Line Interface (CLI)
Flameshot exposes a robust CLI that allows you to trigger captures programmatically. In 2026, this integrates powerfully with macOS Shortcuts and Automator. You can write scripts to capture specific screens, save to specific timestamps, or immediately pipe the output to other applications, making it the most 'hackable' screenshot tool on the market.
Imgur Integration
For quick sharing, Flameshot includes a direct 'Upload to Imgur' button. With a single click, your annotated screenshot is uploaded, and the direct URL is copied to your clipboard. While simple, it removes the friction of saving a file, opening a browser, and manually uploading it for support tickets or Reddit threads.
Step Counter Bubbles
A feature specifically designed for tutorial creators, the Counter tool automatically places numbered bubbles (1, 2, 3...) with each click. This eliminates the need to manually type numbers and draw circles around them, significantly speeding up the creation of 'Step-by-Step' guides or technical documentation.
Configuration & Theming
Unlike native Mac tools, Flameshot is highly themeable. You can adjust the interface color (purple, standard, or custom hex codes) and button opacity. You can also customize the filename pattern (e.g., %Y-%m-%d_capture) and choose exactly which buttons appear in the surrounding wheel, keeping your workspace clutter-free.
Who Should Use Flameshot?
1Software Developer / DevOps Engineer
A developer debugging a UI glitch on a staging server uses Flameshot's CLI commands mapped to a custom keyboard shortcut. They instantly capture the error, use the 'Pixelate' tool to hide the client's PII (Personal Identifiable Information), and use the 'Pin' feature to keep the error visible on their secondary monitor while they hunt for the bug in their IDE code on the primary screen. The workflow is entirely keyboard-driven, matching their terminal-centric workflow.
2Technical Support Specialist
Working through a queue of tickets, a support agent needs to explain to a user how to configure email settings. Instead of recording a video, they take a screenshot of the settings panel. They use the 'Step Counter' tool to click three times—labeling the buttons '1', '2', and '3'—and draw a highlight box around the 'Save' button. They hit Cmd+C to copy the annotated image and paste it directly into the chat window, resolving the ticket in under 30 seconds.
3Cross-Platform Designer
A designer who switches between a MacBook Pro for design and a Linux workstation for rendering prefers Flameshot because it offers a unified experience. Their configuration file is synced via Git, so their keyboard shortcuts and color settings are identical on both macOS 16 and Ubuntu. They use the color picker tool to grab hex codes from web pages and pin reference images to the screen to ensure design consistency across operating systems.
How to Install Flameshot on Mac
Installing Flameshot on macOS requires a few extra steps compared to standard apps due to Apple's strict screen recording permissions. The recommended method in 2026 is via Homebrew.
1
Install via Homebrew
Open your Terminal and run the following command: `brew install --cask flameshot`. This pulls the latest stable DMG verified for Apple Silicon.
2
Grant Permissions
Launch Flameshot. macOS will block it from seeing your screen. Go to **System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording**. Find 'Flameshot' in the list and toggle the switch to **ON**.
3
Restart the App
After granting permissions, you must manually quit and restart Flameshot for the changes to take effect. If it still shows a blank desktop, toggle the permission off and on again.
4
Set Keyboard Shortcut
Since macOS reserves standard shortcuts, you must manually bind a key (like F1 or Option+S) to launch `flameshot gui` via a third-party tool like Raycast or BetterTouchTool, or use the menu bar icon.
Pro Tips
- • If the screen goes black upon capture, remove Flameshot from the 'Screen Recording' list entirely and re-add it.
- • Enable 'Launch at Startup' in Flameshot's configuration to ensure the menu bar icon is always ready.
- • Use the command `flameshot config` in the terminal if the GUI preferences window refuses to open.
Configuration Tips
Fix the 'Purple' Look
By default, Flameshot uses a bright purple theme. Go to Configuration > Interface Editor. Set the 'Main Color' to a neutral grey or blue to make it look more professional and integrated with the macOS dark mode aesthetic.
Master the 'Spacebar' Trick
When you are selecting an area, hold the **Spacebar** to move the entire selection box around without resizing it. This is a hidden power-user gesture that saves time when you miss the framing slightly.
Automate with Shortcuts
Create a macOS Shortcut that runs the shell script `/opt/homebrew/bin/flameshot gui --raw | pbcopy`. This forces Flameshot to open, lets you annotate, and instantly copies the result to your clipboard without saving a file, mimicking the standard Mac clipboard workflow.
Alternatives to Flameshot
While Flameshot is the king of FOSS, macOS has a rich ecosystem of competitors that may suit different users better.
S
Shottr
Shottr is the direct competitor for performance. It is a tiny, native macOS app that is significantly faster than Flameshot. It includes the scrolling capture feature that Flameshot lacks and has a Text Recognition (OCR) tool. However, Shottr is closed-source and operates on a freemium/paid model, unlike the fully open Flameshot.
C
CleanShot X
CleanShot X is the premium standard for Mac. It offers video recording, GIF creation, cloud hosting, and a beautiful native UI. It is superior to Flameshot in every aesthetic and feature regard (including scrolling), but it costs a significant one-time fee or subscription. Choose CleanShot for polish, Flameshot for free utility.
M
Mac Native Tool (Cmd+Shift+5)
Apple's built-in tool is always available and requires no installation. It has basic markup features but lacks Flameshot's advanced tools like pixelation, step counters, and pinning. It also lacks a CLI, making it useless for advanced automation workflows.
Pricing
Free, Open-Source
Flameshot is completely free and licensed under GPLv3. There are no paid tiers, no subscriptions, and no 'Pro' features locked behind a paywall. The entire feature set—including commercial use for businesses—is available at $0. Users can optionally donate to the project maintainers via GitHub Sponsors or Ko-fi to support continued development, but this is purely voluntary.
Pros
- ✓Completely free and open-source (GPLv3)
- ✓Powerful in-app editing (Pixelate, Blur, Counter)
- ✓Pin-to-screen functionality (Picture-in-Picture)
- ✓Robust Command Line Interface (CLI) for automation
- ✓Cross-platform consistency (Linux/Windows/macOS)
- ✓Native support for Apple Silicon (M-series chips)
- ✓Direct Imgur upload saves local storage space
Cons
- ✗No scrolling capture (a major omission in 2026)
- ✗User Interface uses Qt, which feels 'non-native' on macOS
- ✗Cannot record video/GIFs (strictly screenshots only)
- ✗Requires manual permission troubleshooting after OS updates
Community & Support
The Flameshot community is active, primarily centered around GitHub. As of 2026, the project has over 30,000 stars. Support is community-driven; there is no dedicated support team. Users rely on GitHub Issues for bug reporting and Reddit (r/flameshot) for usage tips. Documentation is adequate but technical, reflecting its Linux roots. The project sees regular updates, though macOS-specific bugs often take longer to resolve than Linux issues due to the developers' primary focus on the Linux ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions about Flameshot
No, this remains the single biggest limitation of Flameshot on macOS. Unlike Shottr or CleanShot X, Flameshot cannot stitch together long web pages or chat logs into a single vertical image. The underlying Qt framework has difficulty handling the scrolling behavior on macOS's window server. If scrolling capture is a dealbreaker for you, you will need to use a secondary tool like Shottr or a browser extension specifically for that purpose, while keeping Flameshot for your standard annotation needs.
Our Verdict
4.2/5
In 2026, Flameshot remains the definitive open-source choice for macOS users who prioritize utility over native aesthetics. While it lacks the polish of CleanShot X and the scrolling capabilities of Shottr, it dominates in three key areas: advanced annotation (blur/pixelate/count), developer-friendly automation (CLI), and cross-platform consistency. It is a tool built for function, not form. The setup requires a minor dance with macOS permissions, but once configured, it is a robust, reliable workhorse. If you are a developer, sysadmin, or technical writer who needs to markup screenshots rapidly without spending a dime, Flameshot is an essential install.
Best for:Software DevelopersTechnical WritersLinux/Mac Hybrid Users
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Productivity ApplicationsNote-Taking & Knowledge ManagementTask & Project Management
8+ years in operations management · PMP certified
Related Technologies & Concepts
Jeremy GaultierQtHomebrewImgurShottrCLIApple Silicon
Jeremy Gaultier (Original creator of the Flameshot project), Qt (The underlying framework used to build Flameshot's interface), Homebrew (The primary package manager used to install Flameshot on macOS), Imgur (Third-party service integrated for instant cloud hosting of screenshots), Shottr (Key competitor offering scrolling capture features missing in Flameshot), CLI (Core feature allowing Flameshot to be scripted via terminal), Apple Silicon (Hardware architecture (M-chips) that Flameshot natively supports)
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Feb 15, 2026
- 1linuxtechmore.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 2flameshot.org
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 3flameshot.org
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 4youtube.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 5github.io
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 6github.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 7ycombinator.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 8reddit.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
- 9github.com
Accessed Feb 15, 2026
Research queries: Flameshot CLI commands macOS examples; Flameshot scrolling capture feature status; Flameshot screenshot tool creator history; Flameshot macOS limitations 2024 2025