Kirinuki
Back to Kirinuki
TextSniper alternative for Mac
Kirinuki works the way TextSniper does: press ⇧⌘2, drag a box over anything on screen, and the text is on your clipboard. It costs $4.99 once instead of $7.99 or $9.99, it freezes the screen while you select, and it has a Code Mode for the code TextSniper's own FAQ says it can misread.
Why TextSniper users switch to Kirinuki
- It costs less. Kirinuki is $4.99 once, taxes included, with updates included. TextSniper is $7.99 for one Mac on its site and $9.99 on the US Mac App Store, and its FAQ says "major upgrades and features come at an additional upgrade cost".
- The screen holds still. The moment you press ⇧⌘2, every display freezes, so you can select a subtitle in a video that keeps playing, or a notification before it slides away. TextSniper's site doesn't mention freezing the screen.
- Code comes out as code. Press ⌘K while selecting and Code Mode keeps indentation and exact spacing, turns off autocorrect and keeps a closing brace that sits alone on its line. TextSniper's FAQ says it "can have misreads when there are a lot of symbols such as you might find in computer code."
- Files too. Drop an image or a PDF (up to 200 pages) on the menu bar icon, use the Finder Quick Action "Extract Text with Kirinuki", or open an image that's already on your clipboard.
- Shortcuts app actions. Kirinuki adds "Capture Text" and "Extract Text from Image" to Apple's Shortcuts app, plus a
kirinuki://captureURL. - A longer refund. 14 days, no reason needed, against TextSniper's 7-day money-back guarantee on direct purchases.
What carries over: the same default shortcut, Keep Line Breaks on by default with ⌘L to toggle it, Additive Clipboard, Custom Words, Capture Previous Selection, reading the text aloud, and QR codes and barcodes.
TextSniper vs Kirinuki
As checked on each app's own site and App Store listing on October 31, 2026. "Not mentioned" means the app's site doesn't say, not that the feature is missing.
| TextSniper | Kirinuki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 for 1 Mac on textsniper.app, $9.99 on the US Mac App Store, or on Setapp | $4.99 once, taxes included |
| Licenses | 1, 3 or unlimited Macs, depending on the tier | One per Mac; deactivate to move it to a new Mac |
| Updates | "Major upgrades and features come at an additional upgrade cost" | Included |
| Refund | 7 days (direct purchases) | 14 days, no reason needed |
| Trial | 7 days through Setapp | None; the 14-day refund instead |
| Default shortcut | ⇧⌘2 | ⇧⌘2, changeable |
| Freezes the screen while you select | Not mentioned | Yes, every display |
| Code | FAQ: can misread code symbols | Code Mode (⌘K): indentation, exact spacing, no autocorrect |
| QR codes and barcodes | Yes | Yes, also found inside any ⇧⌘2 capture |
| Keep Line Breaks | Yes, on by default | Yes, on by default (⌘L while selecting) |
| Stack several captures | Additive Clipboard | Additive Clipboard |
| Read aloud | Yes | Yes (⌘S while selecting) |
| Custom Words | Yes | Yes |
| Repeat the last area | Capture Previous Selection | Capture Previous Selection |
| Images and PDFs | Images and non-searchable PDFs (App Store listing) | Drop on the menu bar icon, File › Open, Finder Quick Action; PDFs up to 200 pages |
| Shortcuts app | Not mentioned | "Capture Text" and "Extract Text from Image" |
| iPhone camera import | Yes | No |
| Japanese, Chinese, Korean | Yes, including vertical text on Sonoma | Yes |
| Network | App Store: "no internet connection required", "Data Not Collected" | Only to activate the license and check for updates; never sends what you capture |
| Requires | macOS 12 or later (App Store) | macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Where to buy | textsniper.app, Mac App Store, Setapp | getkirinuki.com |
When TextSniper is still the better pick
If your Mac runs macOS 14 or older, Kirinuki won't install and TextSniper (macOS 12 or later) will. TextSniper also sells licenses for 3 or unlimited Macs, works with Family Sharing on the App Store (up to six people), imports text through an iPhone or iPad camera, and is on Setapp. Kirinuki is a direct download only.
Move from TextSniper to Kirinuki
- Quit TextSniper, or give it another shortcut in its settings. Both apps start with ⇧⌘2, and only one can have it.
- Download Kirinuki, drag it to Applications and open it. macOS asks for Screen Recording, the only permission it needs; turn it on and open Kirinuki again.
- If you kept a Custom Words list in TextSniper, add the same words in Kirinuki's settings.
- Press ⇧⌘2 and drag a box. A small window confirms how many characters went to your clipboard.
Other options
Live Text is free and built into macOS, but it works inside images and paused video in Apple's apps, not on any area of the screen. Shottr ($12, free to try) and CleanShot X ($35) are screenshot apps that also copy text from an area. TRex is free and open source on GitHub. More in the full comparison.
Questions
Is there a free TextSniper alternative?
Yes. TRex is free and open source on GitHub ($7.99 on the Mac App Store). Shottr is free to use and starts asking you to upgrade after 30 days. Live Text is built into macOS but only selects text inside images and paused video in apps like Preview, Photos and Safari. Kirinuki costs $4.99 once.
Can Kirinuki use the same ⇧⌘2 shortcut as TextSniper?
Yes, ⇧⌘2 is Kirinuki's default too. Only one app can own a shortcut at a time, so quit TextSniper or change its shortcut first. You can also set Kirinuki to any other shortcut.
Does Kirinuki work offline?
Yes. Text is read on your Mac with Apple's Vision framework. Kirinuki connects to the internet only to activate the license and to check for updates (it asks first), and once it's activated it never checks the license again.
Is there a free trial?
No. If Kirinuki isn't for you, you get your money back within 14 days, no reason needed.
Does Kirinuki work on Intel Macs?
Yes. It's a universal app for Apple silicon and Intel and needs macOS 15 or later.