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  "description": "Free, GPL-3.0 native Mac screenshot and screen recording tool: 19+ annotation tools, a built-in video editor, OCR with translation, automatic PII redaction, scrolling capture and beautify.",
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    "url": "https://github.com/sw33tLie"
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  "license": "GPL-3.0",
  "offers": {
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    "name": "macshot",
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    "description": "Free, GPL-3.0 native Mac screenshot and screen recording tool: 19+ annotation tools, a built-in video editor, OCR with translation, automatic PII redaction, scrolling capture and beautify.",
    "shortDescription": "Free, open-source native screenshot and recording tool for macOS.",
    "answer": "macshot is a screenshot and screen recording tool written in Swift and AppKit, which makes it the unusual one in its category: no Electron, no web views, no subscription. It covers the whole loop — capture, annotate with 19+ tools, record the screen at up to 120fps and edit the result in a built-in video editor, run OCR and translate the text, auto-redact personally identifiable information, stitch a scrolling capture, and dress a screenshot up with one of 30+ gradient backgrounds before sharing it. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, lives in the menu bar, and is localised into 40 languages. The current stable release is 4.3.0; the 4.4.0 line is in beta.",
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    "categories": [
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    "tags": [],
    "platform": [
      "macOS"
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    "minOsVersion": "macOS 12.3",
    "architecture": [
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      "x86_64"
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    "featured": false,
    "pricing": "open-source",
    "pricingDescription": "Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. There is no paid tier, no subscription, no account and no telemetry.",
    "license": "GPL-3.0",
    "currentVersion": "4.3.0",
    "releaseDate": "2026-09-23",
    "openSource": true,
    "website": "https://macshot.io",
    "github": "https://github.com/sw33tLie/macshot",
    "download": "https://github.com/sw33tLie/macshot/releases/download/v4.3.0/MacShot.dmg",
    "developer": {
      "name": "sw33tLie",
      "website": "https://github.com/sw33tLie"
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    "features": [
      "Area, window and fullscreen capture, run from a menu bar app rather than a separate window",
      "19+ annotation tools including shapes, arrows, text and a marker pen",
      "Automatic redaction of personally identifiable information, so credentials and names are blurred without hunting for them",
      "Screen recording at up to 120fps, with a built-in video editor for trimming the result",
      "OCR that extracts text from a capture and can translate it",
      "Scrolling capture for assembling a long page or document into one image",
      "Beautify: 30+ gradient backgrounds and framing for presentable screenshots",
      "Upload and share a capture directly from the app",
      "Written in Swift and AppKit, with no Electron or web views, so it starts and captures quickly",
      "Localised into 40 languages"
    ],
    "useCases": [
      "Annotating a screenshot for a bug report or a design review",
      "Sharing a screenshot that contains tokens, emails or names that must be redacted first",
      "Recording a short demo clip and trimming it without opening a video editor",
      "Pulling text out of an image, including text in another language",
      "Capturing a page longer than the screen in one image"
    ],
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    "integrations": [],
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      {
        "text": "Free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no paid tier, subscription, account or telemetry.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Native Swift and AppKit rather than Electron, so it is small and starts quickly.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Screen recording includes a full video editor, so a clip can be trimmed without another app.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "Automatic PII redaction is unusual at any price, let alone free.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
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        "text": "Ships a universal build covering Apple Silicon and Intel, and is localised into 40 languages.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
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      {
        "text": "Requires macOS 12.3, so older Macs are out of support.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "The 4.4.0 line is still in beta, and upgrading to it from 4.3.x can break Screen Recording permissions until the app is removed and re-added.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "text": "macOS only, and not on the App Store, so updates come from GitHub or the site.",
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    "whoIsItFor": [
      "Anyone who wants a screenshot tool with recording and editing built in rather than bolted on",
      "People who share screenshots containing sensitive data and need redaction to be automatic",
      "Users who would rather pay nothing and run open-source software than subscribe"
    ],
    "notFor": [
      "Anyone who needs plugin or workflow integration with a launcher such as Raycast or Alfred, which macshot does not advertise",
      "People on macOS 12.2 or earlier, since the current release requires macOS 12.3",
      "Users who want a cross-platform tool, as macshot is macOS only"
    ],
    "limitations": [
      "Requires macOS 12.3 or later",
      "Version 4.4.0 is still in beta. The developer's signature changed at beta.3, so upgrading from 4.3.x or from beta.1/beta.2 can leave Screen Recording looking enabled while capture fails; the fix is to remove macshot in System Settings and add it back from Applications",
      "Licensed under GPL-3.0, which is a consideration for anyone redistributing it",
      "macOS only; the README lists no Windows or Linux build",
      "The App Store does not carry it, so installation and updates run through GitHub or the website"
    ],
    "firstUse": {
      "installation": {
        "value": "Download MacShot.dmg from macshot.io or the GitHub releases page, open it and drag the app into Applications. An offline build is published alongside the standard one.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "firstLaunch": {
        "value": "macshot asks for Screen Recording permission on first launch, and may also ask for Accessibility or Input Monitoring depending on which capture features you use.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "systemIntegration": {
        "value": "Sits in the menu bar rather than the Dock, and registers the system permissions needed to capture the screen. It does not replace the system screenshot shortcuts unless you rebind them.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      "appleSilicon": {
        "value": true,
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    },
    "updates": [
      {
        "version": "4.3.0",
        "date": "2026-09-23",
        "summary": "Current stable release. The 4.4.0 line that follows it is still in beta.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      },
      {
        "version": "4.2.1",
        "date": "2026-07-10",
        "summary": "Maintenance release on the 4.2 line, published a day after 4.2.0.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      },
      {
        "version": "4.2.0",
        "date": "2026-07-09",
        "summary": "Feature release that followed a long beta series through June and July 2026.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "question": "Is macshot free?",
        "answer": "Yes. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no paid tier, subscription, account or telemetry.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Which macOS version does macshot need?",
        "answer": "macOS 12.3 or later, according to the product site. The current release is 4.3.0, published on 23 September 2026.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Does macshot run natively on Apple Silicon?",
        "answer": "Yes. The site states Apple Silicon and Intel support, and the release is a single universal build.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Should I upgrade to the 4.4.0 beta?",
        "answer": "Only if you want the newest features. The developer warns that the app's code signature changed at beta.3, so upgrading from 4.3.x or from beta.1 or beta.2 can leave Screen Recording appearing enabled while capture fails. The fix is to remove macshot with the minus button in System Settings and add it back from Applications.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "Is macshot built on Electron?",
        "answer": "No. The developer states it is pure Swift and AppKit with no Electron and no web views, which is why it is small and fast compared with cross-platform screenshot tools.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
        "source": "official",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "question": "What licence is macshot under?",
        "answer": "GPL-3.0. That is a copyleft licence, which matters if you intend to redistribute it.",
        "status": "verified",
        "source": "repository",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "target": "shottr",
        "type": "compared_with",
        "reason": "Both are Mac screenshot and annotation tools with scrolling capture and OCR, but macshot is GPL-3.0 and adds screen recording with a video editor, while Shottr is closed source with a paid commercial licence.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "cleanshot-x",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both capture, annotate and share screenshots on macOS, but CleanShot X is a paid app with cloud hosting while macshot is free, open source and local.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "target": "snipaste",
        "type": "competitor",
        "reason": "Both take and annotate screenshots with pinning, but Snipaste is closed source and charges for business use from version 2.0 while macshot is GPL-3.0 and free for all use.",
        "verifiedAt": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
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    "sources": [
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        "id": "macshot:official",
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        "url": "https://macshot.io",
        "title": "macshot — official website",
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        "id": "macshot:repository",
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        "url": "https://github.com/sw33tLie/macshot",
        "title": "macshot — source repository",
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          "Anyone who wants a screenshot tool with recording and editing built in rather than bolted on",
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          "Anyone who needs plugin or workflow integration with a launcher such as Raycast or Alfred, which macshot does not advertise",
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          "Version 4.4.0 is still in beta. The developer's signature changed at beta.3, so upgrading from 4.3.x or from beta.1/beta.2 can leave Screen Recording looking enabled while capture fails; the fix is to remove macshot in System Settings and add it back from Applications",
          "Licensed under GPL-3.0, which is a consideration for anyone redistributing it",
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        "status": "verified",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "id": "software:macshot.advantage.1",
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        "status": "developer-stated",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "id": "software:macshot.advantage.2",
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        "value": "Screen recording includes a full video editor, so a clip can be trimmed without another app.",
        "status": "developer-stated",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "id": "software:macshot.advantage.3",
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        "status": "developer-stated",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "id": "software:macshot.advantage.4",
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        "status": "verified",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "status": "verified",
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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        "lastVerified": "2026-10-05"
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    ],
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-05T00:00:00.000Z",
    "lastReviewedAt": null
  }
}