Camtasia Snagit vs Snipping Tool on Windows

When taking a screenshot or recording your screen on a PC, it’s easy to assume that the Windows Snipping Tool will be ‘good enough’ to satisfy your screen-capturing needs. But that’s not always true.

Saving time while improving work quality is something we all strive for, and the built-in Snipping Tool doesn’t quite cut it. That’s where Camtasia Snagit steps in. With its wide range of cutting-edge features, Snagit makes it easier than ever to share information through screen captures.

Snagit vs Snipping Tool Comparison Chart

	Snagit	Snipping Tool
Capture screenshots	✅	✅
Grab text (OCR)	✅	✅
Screen recording (with audio)	✅	✅
Record webcam (picture-in-picture)	✅	❌
Share via link	✅	❌
Scrolling capture	✅	❌
Advanced editing & simplification	✅	❌
Step capture (numbered workflows)	✅	❌
Draw/annotate while recording	✅	❌

While there isn’t a free version of Snagit, it does include a free, full-featured trial to get you started. That’s the best way to try out the advanced features for yourself.

Speaking of advanced features, here are our top five reasons you should consider choosing Snagit over basic built-in screen capture software, like the Snipping Tool.

When is Snagit Better than the Snipping Tool?

1. When you need more than basic screenshots

If all you need is a basic screenshot every now and then, the Snipping Tool will likely suffice. However, if you use screenshots frequently in your daily workflow, it may be worth upgrading to a better tool.

With Snagit, you’ll get advanced screen capture features that let you:

• Take a scrolling capture (for scrolling windows and long web pages)
• Record your screen and webcam (for quick, personal how-to videos)
• Create an animated GIF from a video (for quickly showing a process)

Snagit is flexible enough to grow with you and your work. According to a TechSmith study, 97% of those who create images such as screenshots, infographics, and charts to support communication at work say these images make their messages more effective.

Snagit’s editing features also set it apart. Whether you need to trim a video, combine clips, or annotate your footage with customizable Callouts (shapes and text), you can!

With Snagit, you can record your screen and webcam, along with your computer audio and internal or external microphone. And when you want a video but only have a selection of images, don’t worry, with Snagit, you can easily create videos with images. 

On the flip side, when you want to take a single frame from your video and save it as an image, you can create a video thumbnail.

​2. When you’re worried about wasting time

The Snipping Tool seems quick, but it hides a “time tax.” Once you capture, you have to open another app just to do basic edits. Its limited pen and highlighter tools often result in messy, unprofessional visuals.

Snagit stops the app-switching. It includes professional callouts, arrows, and stamps that transform haphazard screenshots into clean, clear documentation in seconds.

3. When you need image editing capabilities

Snagit is loaded with professional-looking shapes, arrows, callouts, and stamps to keep your markups looking slick. They’re all customizable, too.

With annotation tools and special effects, Snagit simplifies editing and makes it easy to enhance your images. 

You can also redact sensitive information, simplify screenshots, and create numbered document steps.

4. When you want to share content (without the headache)

Let’s be honest: taking a screenshot is only half the battle. You still have to get it to someone. 

With the Snipping Tool, you’re stuck in the “Save As” loop. You save the file, locate it, drag it into an email, realize the file size is too large, and… you get the picture. It slows you down.

Snagit cuts the busy work. With one click, you can create a share link for your image or video. 

• Copy & Paste: Instantly get a URL to drop into Slack, Teams, or an email.
• No Clutter: Stop filling your desktop (and your coworkers’ inboxes) with heavy attachments.
• Keep control: You decide who can view it, and you can update the image later without breaking the link.

It’s the difference between “Check the attachment” and “Here, look at this.”

5. When you need to explain a process (step-by-step)

If you’re trying to show someone how to do something specific, the Snipping Tool will make you work for it. You’ll be stuck in a manual loop of Click. Win+Shift+S. Save. Paste. Repeat.

It’s tedious, and if you miss a step, you have to start over.

Snagit’s step capture feature does the heavy lifting for you. It works like a smart recorder for your clicks. Just go through your process and Snagit automatically takes a screenshot every time you click and instantly organizes them into a step-by-step guide complete with steps and descriptions.

It turns a 20-minute documentation headache into a 2-minute task. The Snipping Tool simply cannot do this.

The bottom line

If you need to capture a receipt or a funny meme, the Snipping Tool is free and fine. But if your screenshots and recordings are actual work, Snagit isn’t just an upgrade. It’s a completely different weight class. Download a free trial and see for yourself today.