Short answer
Longshot's site calls it a tool for screenshots, OCR, screen measuring, pinning, recording and color picking: vertical and horizontal scrolling capture, an offline OCR algorithm, automatic element snapping for measurements, pinned images and recording with audio; its pricing page says about CNY 78 as a one-time purchase, currently through the Mac App Store with a direct-download version in preparation. Shotbox skips measuring and recording but, after each capture, indexes the text on your Mac, titles and sorts the shot and finds it again weeks later from one word, free with no account. For a full-featured one-time-purchase screenshot tool pick Longshot; for finding old screenshots pick Shotbox. Third-party facts checked 2026-10-16.
The differences at a glance
| Longshot | Shotbox | |
|---|---|---|
| What it mainly does | Per its site and store page: region/window capture, vertical and horizontal scrolling screenshots, annotation (mosaic, step numbers), pinned images, offline OCR, screen element measuring, color picker, light screen and audio recording | Reads the text in screenshots on your Mac, titles, sorts and de-duplicates them, so you find the original weeks later from one word; also text capture, annotation, scrolling capture and pinned images |
| Platform and requirements | macOS 12.0 or later; Mac App Store; interface includes Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese | macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel (DMG from the website, not on the App Store) |
| Price | Its pricing page says about CNY 78, one-time purchase, currently via the Mac App Store, with a direct version in preparation | Free, no account |
| Where data goes | The site says an offline OCR algorithm; a full account of network use and data flow: not verified, see its privacy policy | Recognition, titling and sorting all happen on the Mac; screenshots and the text in them never leave it; only anonymous usage statistics (no screenshots or content) are sent, on by default and switchable off in settings |
| After the capture (check date) | The site does not mention searching past screenshots by text or automatic sorting | This is the core: recognition, titling, sorting and de-duplication, found again weeks later from one word |
Third-party entries come from the other product's official pages (read on 2026-10-16) and are its own statements, not our tests. Prices and requirements change, so check the official page on the day you download. "Not verified" means we did not see it on an official page, not that it does not exist. Our own column comes from our home page and privacy policy.
When to pick Longshot
- You want a full-featured tool with element measuring, recording and horizontal scrolling capture and are willing to pay once.
- Your Mac is on macOS 12 and cannot meet Shotbox's macOS 13 requirement.
- You prefer buying and managing apps through the Mac App Store.
When to pick Shotbox
- You want it free and do not want to pay for a screenshot tool.
- What you care about is finding screenshots weeks later, with recognition on the Mac and screenshots never leaving it.
- You want screenshots titled, sorted and de-duplicated automatically.
Limits of Shotbox
- Shotbox does not record the screen, make GIFs or share to the cloud.
- Shotbox is installed from a DMG on the website, not the App Store, and the first run needs Screen Recording permission (every region-capture tool does).
- On-device OCR does well on clear print; handwriting, decorative fonts and dense multi-column layouts produce errors, so check amounts and code against the original.
Three things to test yourself before you commit
- Make a horizontal scrolling capture in Longshot and capture the same page in Shotbox to compare the flows.
- Three weeks later search Shotbox from one word and see whether you find a shot you took.
- Check your system: Longshot needs macOS 12 or later and Shotbox needs macOS 13 or later.
Moving over from Longshot, or using both
Both only read the screen and do not conflict, so there is nothing to migrate. Screenshots Longshot saves are ordinary image files that Shotbox's index does not pick up automatically; run older ones through Shotbox's capture entry again if you want them searchable, or keep Longshot for annotation and measuring and Shotbox for archiving. Change one hotkey if they clash. Because neither app touches the other's files, you can run both for a few weeks and keep whichever one you actually reach for.
FAQ
Does Longshot cost money?
Its pricing page says about CNY 78 as a one-time purchase, currently through the Mac App Store. Shotbox is free with no account.
Can Longshot record the screen?
Its site lists light screen and audio recording; Shotbox does not record the screen at the moment.
Is the OCR in Longshot offline?
Its site says an offline OCR algorithm. Shotbox also does recognition, titling and sorting on the Mac.
Can I install both?
Yes: Longshot for measuring and recording, Shotbox for archiving and finding.
Sources and check dates
- Longshot 官网首页 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Longshot 价格页 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Longshot Mac App Store 页面（国区，Apple iTunes Lookup 读取） (checked 2026-10-16)
