LaunchShots vs ButterKit: An Honest Comparison of Two App Screenshot Tools

I want to be upfront about something before this comparison starts: ButterKit is a genuinely good product. It has features LaunchShots does not have yet, and for a specific type of developer — someone building exclusively for Apple platforms on a Mac — it may actually be the better choice right now. This post is not going to pretend otherwise.

What I will do is lay out exactly what each tool does well, where each falls short, and which use cases each one fits. You can decide from there.

The Fundamental Difference

ButterKit is a native macOS application. You download it, it runs on your machine, and your files never leave your computer. LaunchShots is a web-based tool. You open a browser, sign in, and work in the cloud. This single architectural difference drives almost everything else about how these two products behave — the features they can offer, the platforms they support, and who they are actually built for.

Quick Overview

ButterKit is a macOS-native screenshot studio for Apple platform developers. It offers photorealistic 3D device mockups rendered with Apple's Metal engine, direct Xcode Simulator integration for capturing screenshots without leaving your development environment, and batch upload to App Store Connect. The free plan covers all core features but stamps a watermark on exports. Pro costs $49 as a lifetime purchase or $20/year, and removes the watermark while unlocking all 39 App Store Connect languages and App Store Connect management. ButterKit works on macOS 15.6 or later, and is optimised for Apple Silicon.

LaunchShots is a web-based screenshot editor that works in any browser on any operating system. It supports both iOS and Android app screenshots, offers AI localization to 100+ languages, and includes a Figma-style layer editor with 50+ device frames, 3,000+ icons, and 1,500+ Google fonts. The free plan includes every feature with no watermarks, and gives you 3 complete screenshot set downloads per month. Pay-as-you-go credits start at $0.60 each. The subscription is $9/month billed annually.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Pricing: Lifetime vs. Credits

Both tools were built by developers who were frustrated with subscription-only pricing. The solutions they landed on are different.

ButterKit offers a lifetime purchase at $49. Pay once, own it forever, install it on up to 5 machines. For a desktop app that runs locally with no server infrastructure, this model makes sense — costs are predictable and low, so a one-time price is sustainable. There is also an annual option at $20/year if you prefer.

LaunchShots offers pay-as-you-go credits starting at $0.60 each that never expire, plus a subscription at $9/month billed annually. There is no lifetime option. If you are the kind of developer who updates screenshots every few months, the pay-as-you-go model means you only pay when you actually need to export — no recurring costs between launches.

For a developer who updates their store listing regularly and is committed to the Apple ecosystem, ButterKit's $49 lifetime price is extremely compelling. For a developer with infrequent, unpredictable export needs, LaunchShots' credit system is more flexible.

Where ButterKit Genuinely Wins

Photorealistic 3D device mockups. This is ButterKit's strongest differentiator. The Metal-based rendering at up to 120fps produces device mockups that look like photographs of real hardware. LaunchShots uses device frames, which look clean and professional, but they are flat illustrations. If you want depth and realism in your screenshots, ButterKit has a clear edge here.

Xcode Simulator integration. ButterKit can capture screenshots directly from the Xcode Simulator. For iOS developers, this removes a significant friction point — no manual export, no file hunting, no copy-paste. You iterate in Xcode and your screenshots update automatically. LaunchShots requires you to export screenshots manually and upload them. For a high-iteration workflow, ButterKit's integration saves real time.

Fastlane and folder automation. ButterKit can watch a folder and automatically update screenshots when new files appear. Combined with Fastlane, this makes fully automated screenshot pipelines possible. LaunchShots has no equivalent automation today.

App Store Connect upload. ButterKit can batch-export and upload screenshots directly to App Store Connect in the correct order. LaunchShots exports files for you to upload manually. This is a meaningful time saver if you have multiple apps or localizations to manage. LaunchShots has this on the roadmap, but it is not there yet.

Privacy and offline use. ButterKit runs entirely on your machine. No account required, no uploads to a server, no internet connection needed (after initial Pro activation). For developers with privacy requirements or NDA constraints around unreleased apps, this matters.

A lifetime purchase option. For developers who are allergic to subscriptions, $49 once is a very reasonable deal, especially for a tool this capable.

Where LaunchShots Wins

No watermarks on the free plan. ButterKit's free tier puts a watermark on every export. LaunchShots has never added a watermark to anything — free or paid. If you are evaluating or testing with the free plan, your exports are publish-ready on LaunchShots from the moment you start.

Android support. ButterKit is Apple-only. If you build for Android — or if you build a cross-platform app and need Google Play screenshots alongside App Store screenshots — LaunchShots covers both. ButterKit does not.

Works on any OS. LaunchShots runs in the browser. You can use it on a Windows PC, a Linux machine, or an older Mac that does not meet ButterKit's macOS 15.6 requirement. ButterKit requires a recent Mac.

100+ languages vs. 39. LaunchShots supports AI translation to 100+ languages on every plan including free. ButterKit supports 39 App Store Connect languages, and full cloud translation requires the Pro plan. For developers targeting markets beyond the standard App Store list, LaunchShots' breadth is greater.

Pay-as-you-go flexibility. ButterKit has no pay-as-you-go option — it is free (with watermarks) or Pro. LaunchShots lets you buy credits individually at $0.60 each, which never expire. If you launch once a quarter, you pay once a quarter.

A larger asset library. 3,000+ icons, 1,500+ Google fonts, custom font uploads, and Unsplash/Pexels image access are all included in LaunchShots on every plan. ButterKit's asset library is less documented, but does not appear to include a comparable icon or stock image library.

Frame Extension and Magnifier. These are LaunchShots- exclusive features. Frame Extension automatically overflows design elements — images, shapes, device mockups — across adjacent frames, keeping everything pixel-perfect without manual duplication. The built-in Magnifier lets you zoom and highlight specific UI details directly in the editor. Both are available on all plans including free.

The Honest Assessment

If you are a full-time Apple platform developer on a modern Mac, and you want the best possible native tooling — photorealistic 3D mockups, Xcode integration, App Store Connect upload, and a one-time payment — ButterKit is a strong choice. The $49 lifetime price is fair for what you get, and the Xcode Simulator integration alone saves enough time to justify it for active developers.

If you build for Android, need a tool that works across operating systems, want the most flexibility in how you pay, or care about having a full-featured free plan without watermarks, LaunchShots fits better. The same is true if you want 100+ languages on the free plan, or if you need the specific workflow features like Frame Extension.

The two tools are genuinely targeting overlapping but distinct audiences. ButterKit is for the deep Apple ecosystem developer who wants native performance and tight Xcode integration. LaunchShots is for the developer who wants flexibility, cross-platform coverage, and no-watermark free exports without a steep upfront cost.

Who Should Choose ButterKit?

• You develop exclusively for Apple platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS)
• You want photorealistic 3D device mockups with Metal rendering
• Xcode Simulator capture and Fastlane automation would save you real time
• You want direct App Store Connect upload today
• Privacy matters and you prefer a tool that runs entirely on your machine
• A $49 lifetime purchase is your preferred payment model
• You are on macOS 15.6 or later with an Apple Silicon Mac

Who Should Choose LaunchShots?

• You build for Android, or for both iOS and Android
• You need a tool that works on Windows, Linux, or an older Mac
• You want a genuinely full-featured free plan with no watermarks
• Pay-as-you-go credits that never expire suit how you publish
• You want AI localization to 100+ languages from the moment you sign up
• Frame Extension, the built-in Magnifier, 3,000+ icons, and 1,500+ Google fonts matter to your workflow
• $9/month for unlimited downloads is the right fit when you upgrade

The Bottom Line

ButterKit is not a weak competitor — it is a well-built product with real strengths. If you are the target user, the Xcode integration, 3D mockups, and lifetime pricing are genuinely hard to argue with.

LaunchShots is built to be the most accessible, flexible, and fully-featured screenshot tool for the widest range of developers. Web-based, cross-platform, no watermarks on free, 100+ languages, a rich asset library, and pay-as-you-go credits that never expire. If any of those things matter to you — or if Android is in the picture at all — LaunchShots is the better fit.