Greenshot
Greenshot is a free, open-source Windows screenshot capture and annotation tool, maintained by three volunteer developers since 2007 and funded solely by user donations and website advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLauf, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Greenshot does
Greenshot is a free, open-source screenshot capture and annotation utility for Windows, originally built in 2007 on Microsoft's .NET Framework 2.0 and maintained as a community project. The product enables users to capture selected regions, windows, fullscreen content, or scrolling web pages (Internet Explorer), then annotate, highlight, or obfuscate the resulting image in a built-in editor before exporting to a configured destination. Export destinations include the local filesystem, printer, clipboard, email (MAPI / Outlook), Microsoft Office applications, and a wide set of cloud services via native plugins covering Flickr, Picasa, Imgur, Photobucket, Google Photos, Dropbox, Box, Jira, Confluence, and a generic External Command interface for custom integrations.
The codebase has evolved through .NET Framework 2.0 to 4.X and toward .NET Core, with a Mac OS X port released in January 2017. A proprietary .greenshot file format preserves editable annotations between sessions. Development is performed by three volunteer core developers (Thomas Braun, Jens Klingen, Robin Krom) based in Lauf, Germany, with no corporate entity, no paid staff, and no institutional funding. Distribution is purely digital via direct download from getgreenshot.org (installer and portable ZIP), SourceForge, and the PortableApps platform, supported by GitHub for source hosting and community contributions.
The business model is non-commercial: the software is offered at zero cost under an open-source license, and the project sustains itself through voluntary user donations (PayPal, direct bank transfer to ING-DiBa, Amazon wishlist) and Google AdSense advertising on the project website. Greenshot serves project managers, software developers, technical writers, testers, and general consumers who need lightweight, free screen-capture tooling; the customer base is horizontal and long-tailed, with cumulative downloads exceeding 2.5 million and historical monthly downloads of 100,000+ during the 2012-2013 peak.
Greenshot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Greenshot
- Legal name
- Greenshot
- Website
- https://getgreenshot.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Greenshot is a free, open-source Windows screenshot capture and annotation tool, maintained by three volunteer developers since 2007 and funded solely by user donations and website advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Greenshot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lauf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Greenshot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Donations: Greenshot accepts voluntary donations via PayPal, direct bank transfer (Thomas Braun, ING-DiBa AG, Germany), and Amazon wishlist. Donations compensate for hardware, software, telecommunication costs, and developer time.
- Advertising Revenue: Google AdSense advertisements displayed on the website generate revenue to support development. Ads are carefully positioned to not obstruct page use and are clearly marked as advertisements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free - No cost to download and use |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Greenshot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Greenshot is a free, open-source, lightweight screen capture software for Windows that allows users to capture screenshots and quickly annotate or edit them before saving or sharing. Distributed under the GNU GPL license, it is targeted at individual end users such as project managers, software developers, technical writers, and testers who need a fast, no-cost alternative to commercial screenshot utilities.
Product overview
Greenshot is a single, unified open-source screenshot capture tool for Windows with integrated image editing capabilities. The core Greenshot application provides screenshot capture of regions, windows, fullscreen, and scrolling web pages, combined with a built-in image editor for annotation, highlighting, and obfuscation. Export flexibility comes through built-in destination plugins connecting to image hosting services (Flickr, Picasa, Imgur, Photobucket, Google Photos), cloud storage (Dropbox, Box), productivity tools (Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Office, Outlook), and a configurable External Command Plugin for custom integrations. Additional modules include the OCR Plugin (requiring Microsoft Office). Greenshot is distributed via installer, portable ZIP, and PortableApps platform, with the 1.4 series currently in development featuring planned OCR-based text redaction and Windows Graphics Capture API integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Greenshot Free, open-source screen capture application for Windows that lets users capture screenshots, annotate them with the built-in image editor, and send them to configurable destinations such as file, clipboard, email, printer, OCR, or external commands. Designed for individual end users on Windows who need lightweight, no-cost screenshot capture.
- Greenshot Portable A standalone, no-installation portable version of the Greenshot screen capture application for Windows, suitable for running from USB drives or restricted corporate machines where installation is not permitted.
- Greenshot PortableApps Edition The PortableApps-formatted distribution of Greenshot, packaged for the PortableApps.com platform so it can be installed and managed as part of a portable Windows apps suite.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2 million cumulative downloads as of 2012
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Greenshot
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Greenshot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature6 records
Greenshot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GitHubcoreGitHub hosts Greenshot's source code repository, issue tracking, security advisories, and GitHub Pages for the official website. The project uses GitHub for version control, pull requests, and community contributions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Greenshot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Droplr: Droplr is a SaaS screenshot/screen-recording and file-sharing tool with a built-in cloud, short links, and team analytics. It targets the same 'capture-to-share' workflow as Greenshot, delivered as a paid, hosted service.
- Screenpresso: Screenpresso is a commercial Windows screenshot and screen-recording tool with annotation, publishing, and an editor. It targets the same documentation/support workflows as Greenshot but on a paid, professionally maintained footprint.
- PicPick: PicPick is a freemium Windows screenshot and image-editing utility with color picker, ruler, and protractor extras. It overlaps Greenshot on the core capture/annotate loop and extends into adjacent designer/developer toolsets.
- Cloudapp / Nimbus Capture: Nimbus Capture is a browser- and desktop-based screenshot and screen-recording tool with built-in cloud sharing and team workspaces. It represents the cloud-native, SaaS-style competitor to a desktop binary like Greenshot.
Direct peers
- Lightshot: Lightshot is a lightweight, free screenshot tool for Windows/Mac with quick annotation and sharing via prntscr.com. It directly overlaps Greenshot on simplicity and share-to-web flows, targeting the same general productivity users.
- Monosnap: Monosnap is a free cross-platform (Windows/Mac) screenshot tool with built-in sharing to its own cloud and integrations with cloud storage. It competes with Greenshot on cross-platform capture and quick share destinations.
- ShareX: ShareX is a free, open-source screenshot and screen-recording tool for Windows with built-in annotation, OCR, and a large library of upload destinations. It competes head-to-head with Greenshot in the same PLG, power-user niche.
Broad incumbents
- SnagIt (TechSmith): SnagIt is the long-standing commercial leader in screenshot capture and annotation, bundled with Camtasia and a broader creator/content suite. It represents the monetized incumbent alternative that a packaged Greenshot enterprise SKU would compete against.
- Microsoft Snipping Tool: Microsoft's built-in Snipping Tool (and Snip & Sketch) provides native capture and light annotation on every Windows PC. It is the default option that Greenshot must displace and continues to improve with each Windows release.
Regional players
- CleanShot X: CleanShot X is a premium macOS-only screenshot and screen-recording utility with annotation, scrolling capture, and quick share. It is the Mac counterpart to Greenshot in the same niche, comparable in role but not in OS territory.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Greenshot social profiles
Digital presenceGreenshot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Greenshot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Greenshot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Greenshot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Greenshot
What does Greenshot do?
Greenshot is a free, open-source, lightweight screen capture software for Windows that allows users to capture screenshots and quickly annotate or edit them before saving or sharing. Distributed under the GNU GPL license, it is targeted at individual end users such as project managers, software developers, technical writers, and testers who need a fast, no-cost alternative to commercial screenshot utilities.
Is Greenshot a public or private company?
Greenshot is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Greenshot founded?
Greenshot was founded in 2007.
Where is Greenshot based?
Greenshot is headquartered in Lauf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Greenshot make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are advertising Revenue.
Who are Greenshot's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Droplr, Screenpresso, PicPick and Cloudapp / Nimbus Capture. Direct peers are Lightshot, Monosnap and ShareX. Broad incumbents are SnagIt (TechSmith) and Microsoft Snipping Tool. CleanShot X is listed as a regional player.
Does Greenshot have an API?
No public API is recorded for Greenshot.