Better Shot

Better Shot is a free, open-source application for macOS that provides tools for capturing screenshots, recording the screen, annotating images, and applying visual effects. Designed for users who value privacy and local control, the app operates entirely on the user's Mac without requiring accounts, cloud uploads, or subscriptions. It supports both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 14 or later, and can be installed via Homebrew or direct download.

The application enables users to capture their screen in various modes, including region, window, or fullscreen. After each capture, a floating preview appears, allowing immediate editing, copying, or dragging the image into other macOS applications such as Figma, Slack, or Finder. Better Shot also includes a screen recording feature that saves videos as MP4 files, with controls for pausing, resuming, restarting, or discarding recordings. Users can adjust frame rates, toggle cursor visibility, and capture audio during recordings. A minimal floating control pill keeps the interface unobtrusive during capture sessions.

Annotation and editing tools are a central part of Better Shot. Users can add arrows, shapes, text with various fonts, numbered badges, blur regions, and spotlight effects to their captures. Each annotation tool is accessible via keyboard shortcuts, supporting a workflow that does not require leaving the keyboard. The app offers features to adjust padding, corner radius, and drop shadows, as well as background customization through solid colors, gradients, macOS wallpapers, or user-supplied images. Cropping is supported with draggable handles and a rule-of-thirds grid, and the crop is non-destructive, allowing annotations to remain editable until export.

For video editing, Better Shot provides a full editor with a trim timeline, thumbnail strip, transport controls, background picker, and video effects. Edited videos can be exported as MP4 files with all effects applied. The app also includes OCR text extraction and a color picker. Screenshots can be pinned as always-on-top windows, and users can set default effects to be auto-applied to every capture. The platform is licensed under the MIT license, and its source code is available for review, forking, or contribution. All data remains local to the user's device, with no telemetry or uploads involved.