Is there a Snipping Tool for Mac?

Not by that name. macOS has its own screenshot tool: press Shift+Command+4 to capture part of the screen, or Shift+Command+5 for all options. Apps like Scrannotate add a faster editor with blur and numbered markers.

What is the Mac shortcut for Snipping Tool?

Shift+Command+4 is the closest match to Windows+Shift+S. Add Control (Shift+Control+Command+4) to copy the capture to the clipboard instead of saving a file.

Where do Mac screenshots go?

By default, to your desktop. You can change the location from the Options menu in the Shift+Command+5 toolbar.

Does Scrannotate work on Apple Silicon Macs?

Yes. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later.

Snipping Tool for Mac: Shortcuts and a Faster Alternative

Snipping Tool for Mac: the shortcuts, and a faster option

Switched from Windows and miss Windows+Shift+S? Here is how snipping works on a Mac, where the built-in tool falls short, and what to use instead.

Short answer

There is no Snipping Tool app on Mac. The built-in equivalent is Shift+Command+4 to capture part of the screen (add Control to copy it to the clipboard) and Shift+Command+5 for all options. For capture and markup in one step, with blur and numbered markers, Scrannotate does it for $14.99 once.

The Scrannotate editor with a capture marked up using numbered markers, a highlight, an ellipse, a blurred strip, text and an arrow. — The Scrannotate editor. Every tool in the panel shows its one-key shortcut.

The built-in way to snip on a Mac

Macs do not have an app called Snipping Tool, but macOS has the same basics built in. These shortcuts work on every recent version of macOS:

Shift+Command+4: drag to capture part of the screen. This is the closest match to Windows+Shift+S.
Shift+Command+4, then Space: capture a single window.
Shift+Command+3: capture the whole screen.
Shift+Command+5: open the screenshot toolbar with all the options, including screen recording.
Add Control to any of these to copy the screenshot to the clipboard instead of saving a file to your desktop.

To mark up a screenshot, click the thumbnail that appears in the corner. The Markup window lets you draw, add shapes and text, and crop.

Where the built-in tool falls short

The Mac tools are fine for an occasional screenshot. People who capture all day, or who just switched from Windows, tend to hit the same walls:

Copying to the clipboard means remembering an extra key, and saving drops files all over your desktop.
Markup opens as a separate step after the capture, not in the same motion.
There is no blur or pixelate tool for hiding passwords, emails or customer data.
There are no numbered step markers for how-to screenshots.

Scrannotate: snipping and markup in one motion

Scrannotate works the way Windows users expect a snipping tool to work, with a better editor attached. Press your hotkey, drag over the area, and the editor is already open around your capture. Add an arrow with A, a box with R, text with T or blur with B. Press copy and it is on your clipboard, ready to paste into Slack, email or a ticket.

It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 11 or later, and the same app is available on Windows, so the workflow is identical on both machines. It costs $14.99 once on the Mac App Store.

Mac screenshot options compared

	Scrannotate	macOS Screenshot + Markup
Price	$14.99 once	Free
Capture and annotate in one step	Yes	No, Markup is a second step
Blur sensitive details	Yes	No
Numbered step markers	Yes	No
Edit marks after placing them	Yes	Yes, until you close Markup
Same tool on Windows	Yes	No