A Shottr alternative for Mac: honest differences
Read on 6 Oct 2026
Summary
Shottr is a tiny, fast Mac screenshot tool, free to use, with a $12 licence required for commercial use. It has scrolling screenshots, OCR and pixelate. Croptrove is another Mac screenshot app. Its difference is a privacy shield that scans the capture on your device and suggests hiding card numbers, IBANs and API keys. If you only need fast capture and markup, Shottr is hard to beat on size and price. If automatic detection of sensitive data matters to you, try Croptrove.
Comparison
| Shottr | Croptrove | Read on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Basic tier "$12", "License required for commercial use"; single-time purchase | Free to start; Pro one-time $19.99 (1 Mac) or $29.99 (5 Macs) | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Free version | "You can download and use Shottr for free", with a prompt to upgrade after 30 days | No watermark, MP4 recording with no time limit, 7-day history | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Licence scope | "one user and up to five computers" | 1 Mac ($19.99) or 5 Macs ($29.99) | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Size | "tiny (2.3mb dmg) native app" | Not stated on croptrove.com | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Scrolling capture | "Scrolling Screenshots on Mac" | Pro | 6 Oct 2026 |
| OCR | "Text recognition (OCR) & QR" | Search text in your images: Pro | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Hiding data | "Pixelate or remove objects… remove sensitive information" | Privacy shield finds patterns and covers them with a solid fill | 6 Oct 2026 |
Shottr's purchase page also carried a note that the Basic price rises from $9 to $12 on 14 October; on 6 Oct 2026 the page lists $12. Check the page before you decide.
Where Shottr is better
- Price. $12, with one licence for up to five computers. Croptrove Pro is $19.99 for one Mac or $29.99 for five.
- Size and speed. Shottr says it is a "tiny (2.3mb dmg)" app and takes "only 17ms to grab a screenshot".
- Scrolling capture and OCR are included in what Shottr lists. In Croptrove scrolling capture is Pro.
- Pixelate and object removal are part of its markup tools.
Where Croptrove may fit better
- You want the app to find card numbers, IBANs and API keys for you and suggest hiding them (not perfect; review before sharing).
- You want "Hide" to change the pixels in the exported file.
- You want MP4 screen recording with no time limit in the free version.
How to switch from Shottr
- Install Croptrove and allow Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Change capture shortcuts so the two apps do not clash. Croptrove's default area capture is ⌘⇧4.
- Existing screenshots stay where you saved them.
- Try the privacy shield on a sample capture.
- Quit Shottr from its menu bar icon when you are done comparing.
FAQ
Is Shottr free? Shottr says you can download and use it for free, and that a licence is required for commercial use.
Is Croptrove cheaper than Shottr? No. Shottr's licence is $12; Croptrove Pro is $19.99 for one Mac. Croptrove's free version has no watermark and has the privacy shield.
Does Croptrove do OCR? It searches text inside your saved images on your device; that is a Pro feature.
Does the privacy shield catch everything? No. Review the result before you share.
Try Croptrove
Download Croptrove (DMG, macOS 14+) and test the privacy shield on your own screenshots.
Product names belong to their owners. Croptrove is not affiliated with Shottr.