What Lightshot does

Lightshot is a cross-platform screenshot capture utility developed and operated by Skillbrains, a private Russian corporation headquartered in Novosibirsk. Founded in 2009, the product enables users to capture selected screen regions via a hotkey, edit the resulting image through an integrated Pixlr-based editor, copy to clipboard, save locally in PNG/BMP/JPG format, or upload to the company's prntscr.com hosting service for sharing via short links. Distribution spans a native Windows executable, a Mac App Store application, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, and Linux compatibility via Wine, supported by localization into 20+ languages.

The underlying technology stack is a lightweight client-side capture tool backed by a cloud-hosted screenshot gallery (prntscr.com / prnt.sc) and a Similar Image Search feature. The product is offered entirely free to end users with no paid tiers; monetization is advertising-led, through both third-party ad cookies placed on user devices and direct advertiser relationships managed via [email protected].

The company's go-to-market is product-led, relying on organic discovery through app stores, browser extension marketplaces, and viral sharing of screenshots generated within the tool itself. The customer base consists of a long tail of individual consumers and SMB users — primarily general-purpose screenshot takers — with no disclosed enterprise contracts, logos, or segment-specific pricing. Operating geographies are global with no documented restrictions, and the company remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

Lightshot

Legal name

Skillbrains

Website

https://app.prntscr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lightshot, operated by Skillbrains (Novosibirsk, Russia), is a free cross-platform screenshot capture tool for Windows, Mac, and major browsers, monetized via advertising and serving a global long-tail of individual consumers and SMB users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Novosibirsk

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Third-party advertisers place cookies on user devices to serve customized ads based on anonymous browsing data. The company also explicitly invites advertisers to contact them at [email protected] for advertisement opportunities.
2. Browser extension monetization: Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera provide additional distribution touchpoints for advertising inventory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lightshot is a free, cross-platform screenshot capture and sharing utility that lets users select any area of their desktop and capture it with a PrntScr hotkey, then upload it to a server for an instant short shareable link. The tool supports local save in PNG, BMP, and JPG formats, clipboard copy, online editing through Pixlr Editor integration, and a similar image search feature. It is distributed as a Windows desktop app, a macOS desktop app on the Mac App Store, and as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, with cloud-hosted screenshot history available via prntscr.com.

Product overview

Lightshot is a screenshot capture and sharing tool available across multiple platforms as desktop applications, browser extensions, and a cloud-based gallery service. The core product line consists of the Lightshot Desktop Application for Windows and Mac, along with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Users capture screen regions via hotkey, then edit with Pixlr Editor integration, save locally in PNG/BMP/JPG formats, or upload to prntscr.com for sharing via short links. The product includes a Similar Image Search feature for finding visually similar images. All platforms share the same prntscr.com gallery for screenshot history and social sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• prntscr.com: Screenshot hosting and sharing platform operated by Skillbrains alongside Lightshot application.

Products and services

• Lightshot Desktop Application (Windows) A free Windows screenshot capture application that lets users select any area of their desktop and capture it with the PrntScr hotkey, then save locally in PNG/BMP/JPG, copy to clipboard, or upload to prntscr.com for sharing via a short link. Targeted at individual users and small teams needing fast screen capture and sharing.
• Lightshot Desktop Application (Mac) A free macOS screenshot capture application distributed through the Mac App Store that provides the same PrntScr-style capture, edit, and share workflow as the Windows version, activated via the Shift+Cmd+9 hotkey and supporting sharing to Facebook and Twitter. Targeted at macOS individual users and small teams.
• Lightshot Chrome Extension A free Google Chrome browser extension that brings Lightshot's screenshot capture, online editing, and short-link sharing features into the browser so users can capture visible page content directly. Targeted at Chrome users who want in-browser capture without leaving the browser.
• Lightshot Firefox Add-on A free Mozilla Firefox browser add-on that provides Lightshot's screenshot capture, editing, and sharing capabilities directly within the Firefox browser. Targeted at Firefox users needing in-browser capture and quick sharing.
• Lightshot Opera Extension A free Opera browser extension that enables Lightshot's screenshot capture, online editing, and short-link sharing functionality directly inside the Opera browser. Targeted at Opera users needing in-browser screen capture.
• prntscr.com Cloud Gallery A cloud-based screenshot hosting and gallery service at prntscr.com where Lightshot users can sign in to track, caption, share via short links, and remove their uploaded screenshots. Targeted at Lightshot users who want persistent history and shareable URLs for their captures.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CloudApp: Screenshot and short video recording tool with cloud sharing, GIF creation, and team collaboration features. Serves the same capture-and-share use case as Lightshot but with a B2B/team SaaS monetization model and richer workflow integrations.
• ShareX: Free, open-source screen capture and sharing tool supporting region capture, annotation, and multiple sharing destinations. Overlaps directly with Lightshot's core functionality and targets the same free-tool-seeking user base, though ShareX is more feature-rich.
• Snagit (TechSmith): Premium commercial screenshot and screen recording tool with advanced editing, scrolling capture, and video. Represents the paid-tier product alternative to Lightshot, serving the same use case (capture-edit-share) with a B2B/individual license model.
• Gyazo: Free screenshot and screen recording tool with cloud-hosted gallery and short sharing links. Closest behavioral competitor to Lightshot — same capture + cloud-share workflow, multi-platform support, and free-with-ads model.
• Greenshot: Free, lightweight Windows screenshot tool with region capture, annotation, and quick sharing. Direct functional analog to Lightshot on Windows with comparable feature set (capture, edit, export) and similar free/adware monetization heritage.
• Skitch (Evernote): Free screenshot capture and annotation tool with instant sharing. Directly comparable to Lightshot's capture-edit-share workflow, particularly on macOS, and historically bundled with the Evernote ecosystem.
• Monosnap: Free screenshot tool with cloud storage and sharing, available on macOS, Windows, and via web. Direct competitor in the capture-edit-share workflow with freemium monetization and similar cross-platform footprint.
• PicPick: All-in-one screen capture and image editing tool for Windows with region/full-window/scrolling capture. Directly competes with Lightshot on Windows with a stronger editing suite and freemium model.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Snipping Tool: OS-bundled screenshot capture utility shipped with Windows. Not a standalone commercial peer, but the most significant free alternative that competes for the same capture-and-share moments without requiring a third-party install.

Emerging players

• Dropbox Capture: Screenshot and screen recording tool from Dropbox focused on team collaboration workflows. Targets the same capture-and-share use case as Lightshot but with a B2B productivity positioning and integration into the Dropbox ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lightshot