Screen annotation tools let you draw, highlight and write over what's on your screen. They're used by teachers, presenters, trainers, traders and streamers — but they work in very different ways. Here's an honest look at the most popular options for Windows, what each does best, and what to watch out for.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Features change, so check each tool's latest version.

What to look for

• Live overlay: can you draw while the app underneath keeps running?
• Persistence: does your ink stay when you click back into your app?
• Works everywhere: does it draw over any app, or only inside one?
• Tools: text, shapes, arrows, whiteboard, pen pressure.
• Speed: hotkeys and a toolbar you can use mid-sentence.
• Support and deployment: important if you're rolling it out to a school or company.

Epic Pen

A live screen pen for Windows. Draw, highlight and write over any app while it stays live underneath, and your ink stays until you clear it. Basic is free for everyone, including schools and businesses; Pro adds text, shapes and arrows, a whiteboard and blackboard, fading ink and a highlighted cursor.

Best for: drawing live over any app, every day. Watch out for: it doesn't zoom, and Pro tools need a subscription.

ZoomIt

A free presentation utility from Microsoft Sysinternals, best known for zooming into the screen. Its standard draw mode works on a frozen snapshot of the screen, with text, shapes and a whiteboard.

Best for: zooming during demos. Watch out for: drawing on a snapshot means the app underneath isn't live, and annotations disappear when you leave draw mode. Read our full Epic Pen vs ZoomIt comparison.

gInk and ppInk

gInk is a free, open-source screen annotation tool for Windows. ppInk is a popular community fork that adds extra tools.

Best for: people who want a free, open-source option. Watch out for: community-maintained, with no commercial support or deployment tooling for organisations.

PowerPoint's pen

PowerPoint lets you draw on slides during a slide show (Ctrl + P) and on the Draw tab while editing.

Best for: presenting slide decks. Watch out for: it only works inside PowerPoint, so it can't help when you switch to a website, document or demo.

Snipping Tool

Built into Windows. Capture part of your screen and mark it up with a pen or highlighter.

Best for: annotating a screenshot to share. Watch out for: you're drawing on a still image, not your live screen. More ways to draw on your screen in Windows.

Microsoft Whiteboard

A free digital whiteboard app from Microsoft, with an infinite canvas for drawing and collaborating.

Best for: brainstorming on a blank canvas. Watch out for: it's its own window, not an overlay, so you can't draw over other apps.

Our recommendation

• Explaining things live, in any app: use a live overlay like Epic Pen.
• Zooming during demos: use ZoomIt — alongside Epic Pen if you also draw.
• Only ever presenting slides: PowerPoint's pen may be all you need.
• Marking up a screenshot: Snipping Tool is already on your PC.
• Rolling out to a school or company: look for a tool with support, silent deployment and licence management, like Epic Pen for Teams.