PrintScreen.ly vs Lightshot — honest comparison
Looking for a Lightshot alternative? Here's an honest PrintScreen.ly vs Lightshot comparison — what each one does well, and where the other one wins. Lightshot is free, tiny, instant, available on Windows and Mac, and has a large install base and a browser extension. Its weak points are a thin annotation set and a public-facing image host (prnt.sc) that's widely documented as browsable by sequential link. PrintScreen.ly adds a real markup editor and a private account library, with a $399 lifetime. For raw simplicity, Lightshot wins; for privacy and editing, read on.
| At a glance | PrintScreen.ly | Lightshot |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $9.99/mo | Free |
| Most popular plan | $95.99/yr | Free |
| Lifetime license | $399 | Free |
| Platforms | Mac · Windows · Web · iOS (companion) · Android (companion) | Windows · Mac · Browser extension |
Pick Lightshot if
- ·The lightest, fastest possible grab — Lightshot is tiny and instant; PrintScreen.ly is heavier by comparison.
- ·Completely free with a huge install base — it's everywhere and costs nothing.
- ·A browser extension as a first-class workflow. PrintScreen.ly has no browser extension.
- ·If a quick arrow is all you ever add and the screenshot is disposable, Lightshot's minimal flow is genuinely enough.
Pick PrintScreen.ly if
- +Uploaded screenshots stay private to your account. Lightshot's prnt.sc host is widely documented as browsable by sequential link — fine for throwaway shots, a real concern for anything sensitive. (Stated factually — a documented characteristic of prnt.sc, not an accusation.)
- +A real 8-tool markup editor with a fixed palette, crop, unlimited undo, and on-device text grab (OCR) versus Lightshot's minimal annotation set and no OCR.
- +A private synced library and cross-device clipboard across Mac, Windows, and web.
- +You own the sync layer once at $399 instead of relying on a public-style host.
Full feature comparison
Verified 2026-05-16. Source linked at the bottom.
| Feature | PrintScreen.ly | Lightshot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/mo or $399 lifetime | Free |
| Instant-light simplicity | Good | Best-in-class |
| Region capture | Yes | Yes |
| Window / fullscreen / scrolling capture | Yes (scroll on Mac + Windows) | Limited |
| Markup editor | Yes (8 tools) | Minimal |
| Cloud upload host privacy | Private account library | Public-style host (prnt.sc is browsable by sequential link) |
| Screen recording | Yes — MP4 on Mac + Windows (no GIF) | No |
| OCR / grab text | Yes (on-device) | No |
| Browser extension | No | Yes |
| Private synced library | Yes (Pro, 2 GB) | No |
| Cross-device clipboard | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Mac / Windows | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
| Mobile companion | Yes (soft-launch) | No |
Bottom line
Lightshot's whole pitch is "as light and instant as possible, for free," and it delivers — for a quick grab and a fast public link, it's hard to beat and we won't pretend otherwise. The honest concern isn't features, it's the public-style image host: prnt.sc links are widely documented as browsable, which is fine for throwaway shots and bad for anything sensitive. PrintScreen.ly trades Lightshot's featherweight simplicity for a real markup editor and a private account library you own with a one-time license. If your screenshots are disposable, Lightshot is great. If they aren't, that's our buyer.
FAQ
Are Lightshot (prnt.sc) screenshots private?+
prnt.sc is a public-style host with sequentially browsable links — a widely documented characteristic. PrintScreen.ly's synced library is private to your account.
Does PrintScreen.ly have a browser extension?+
No. Lightshot does; PrintScreen.ly does not. If a browser extension is core to your workflow, Lightshot is the better fit.
Is PrintScreen.ly free like Lightshot?+
No — PrintScreen.ly is a paid app with a 7-day free trial, then $9.99/mo, $95.99/yr, or a $399 lifetime (which also unlocks 9 other Bravely utilities). Lightshot is free; PrintScreen.ly's case is the 8-tool editor, OCR, and a private synced cross-device library.
More PrintScreen.ly comparisons
Pricing verified 2026-05-16. Lightshot pricing source. Subject to change.