gInk alternative for Windows: keep it, or add a cursor halo
gInk and its fork ppInk are free, open-source drawing tools, and they are good at it. If you want the same kind of drawing plus a cursor halo, spotlight, zoom and a keystroke display from the Microsoft Store, SHARA is the free alternative to try. Here is what each does, and where gInk and ppInk still win.
- You miss a cursor halo. gInk and ppInk draw, but their pages list no cursor highlight. SHARA’s halo with its click flash is free and never expires.
- You also zoom or show keys. Spotlight and zoom and the Keystroke Pill sit in the same app. They are free for your first 14 days.
- You want a Store install. SHARA installs from the Microsoft Store and updates there. gInk and ppInk come from GitHub Releases.
- You want one toolbar for everything. Laser, Pen, Arrow and Text are free, and the same tools sit in the Ctrl+Space Wheel.
Free forever: cursor halo, click animation, Pen, Laser, Arrow, Text, Eraser, Screenshot and the Ctrl+Space Wheel. Every Pro tool is free for your first 14 days, with no card and no account. After that, Pro is a one-time purchase ($19.99 in the US).
- •You want click-through drawing. gInk and ppInk list a click-through (pointer) mode. SHARA doesn’t offer one.
- •You need shapes, free and open source. ppInk draws lines, arrows, rectangles, ellipses and text at no cost, under the MIT licence.
- •You draw with pen pressure. gInk and ppInk list pressure. SHARA reads pen tablets, but line width doesn’t follow pressure.
Updated November 1, 2026
gInk vs ppInk vs SHARA: what each one does
gInk and ppInk are two projects, one a fork of the other, so they share a column layout here. “Not listed” means the project’s page doesn’t mention it.
| What decides it | gInk | ppInk | SHARA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price and licence | Free, MIT licence, open source | Free, MIT licence, open source | Free tier that never expires. Pro $19.99 once (US), 14-day refund. Not open source |
| Where you get it | GitHub Releases | GitHub Releases | Microsoft Store, or the installer on sharacursor.com |
| Last stable release | v1.1.1, March 2022 (a v1.2.0 pre-release followed in February 2023) | v1.9.100, October 14, 2025 | Updated through the Microsoft Store |
| Pen, shapes, text | Pens only. The author says lines, arrows, squares and text are not included | ✓Lines, rectangles, ellipses, arrows, numbered tags, clip art and text | ✓Pen, Arrow, Text FREE; Line, Rectangle, Circle PRO |
| Pen pressure and tablets | ✓Pressure, stylus eraser and touch | ✓Mouse, touch and tablets, with pressure | Works with pen tablets; line width doesn’t follow pressure |
| Click-through drawing mode | ✓Click-through mode | ✓Pointer mode: clicks and scrolls reach the windows below | ✕Not offered |
| Ink that clears itself | Not listed | ✓Pens can fade | Laser trail fades after 2.6 seconds. Pen ink stays until you erase, hide or clear it |
| Highlighter | Preset pens with transparency | ✓Configurable pens | ✓Highlighter PRO |
| Cursor halo and click cue | ✕Not listed | ✕Not listed | ✓Squircle, Circle or Rhombus halo in five sizes, with a click flash FREE; click ripple and click colours PRO |
| Spotlight and zoom | Not listed | ✓Magnifier, frozen enlargement and spot mode | ✓Spotlight, Lens, Live Zoom (up to 8×) and a 9:16 Broadcast window PRO |
| Keystrokes on screen | Not listed | Not listed | ✓Keystroke Pill. It pauses in password fields PRO |
| Snapshots | ✓Snapshot support | ✓Snapshot and exit, or snapshot and keep drawing | ✓Screenshot FREE |
| Hotkeys | ✓Hotkey support | ✓Hotkeys for tools and pens | ✓31 rebindable hotkeys with conflict detection |
Test SHARA next to your gInk or ppInk routine. The free tier never expires, and every install starts with a 14-day trial of every Pro tool.
Three things SHARA adds to a gInk or ppInk routine
A halo that follows the pointer
gInk and ppInk are about ink. SHARA also puts a halo around the cursor, in Squircle, Circle or Rhombus shapes, five sizes and any colour, and it flashes on every click. The click ripple and custom left/right click colours are Pro.
Proof: Ctrl+Win+H turns the halo on and off.
Dim and magnify from one Magnifier
ppInk has a magnifier and a spot mode. SHARA’s Magnifier covers Spotlight, Lens, Live Zoom up to 8× and a 9:16 Broadcast window for OBS. They are Pro tools, free for your first 14 days.
Proof: Ctrl+Win+G opens the Magnifier, and Ctrl+Alt with the scroll wheel zooms.
Show keystrokes, reach tools fast
The Keystroke Pill shows shortcuts as you press them and pauses in password fields. The Ctrl+Space Wheel puts Draw, Magnifier and the other tools under one held key. The Pill is Pro, free for 14 days.
Proof: Hold Ctrl+Space for the Wheel, or press Ctrl+Win+X to draw.
Where to look next
Drawing is only one of the jobs. The best screen annotation software for Windows roundup ranks every option, how to draw on screen in Windows 11 covers what Windows does on its own, and SHARA vs Epic Pen and SHARA vs ZoomIt are the closest Windows-native tools.
When SHARA isn’t the right fit
Switching only makes sense if these don’t describe you.
- You need click-through drawing. gInk and ppInk let clicks and scrolls reach the windows underneath. SHARA has no such mode.
- You want every shape for free. ppInk draws lines, arrows, rectangles, ellipses and text at no cost. In SHARA, Pen, Arrow and Text are free, and Line, Rectangle and Circle are Pro after the 14-day trial.
- You depend on pen pressure. gInk and ppInk list pressure support. SHARA reads pen tablets, but line width doesn’t follow pressure.
- You need open source. gInk and ppInk are MIT-licensed and you can read and change the code. SHARA is a closed-source app.
- You want ink that vanishes on a timer. ppInk pens can fade. In SHARA, Laser strokes fade after 2.6 seconds, and everything else waits for Erase, Hide or Clear (Ctrl+Win+B).
Try SHARA next to gInk or ppInk in four steps
You can keep gInk or ppInk installed. Nothing needs to be exported or imported.
- Install SHARA free from the Microsoft Store.It starts with 14 days of every Pro tool, so you can test the halo, the Magnifier and the Keystroke Pill on a real session.
- Set the halo first.Press Ctrl+Win+H to toggle the halo, then pick its shape, size and colour in Settings. It flashes on every click by default.
- Draw from the Wheel.Hold Ctrl+Space, pick Draw, then Laser, Pen or Highlighter. Use Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Win+B to clear. Every global hotkey is rebindable if one clashes with another app.
- Decide before the 14 days end.Stay on the free tier, or see pricing and the 14-day trial. Pro features lock without a restart when the trial ends, and your settings are kept.
gInk and ppInk alternatives, answered
What is the difference between gInk and ppInk?
Is gInk still maintained?
What is the best free gInk alternative for Windows?
Does SHARA have click-through mode like gInk?
Does SHARA have a spotlight and zoom?
Can viewers on Zoom or Teams see SHARA’s ink and halo?
Draw like before, and add a halo.
Halo, laser, pen, arrow and text free forever. Spotlight, zoom, Highlighter, shapes and the Keystroke Pill free for 14 days, then one purchase.
Disclosure and methodology: Mashyo makes SHARA. We compared documented features, licences and release dates, not a benchmark. gInk facts come from github.com/geovens/gInk (README and releases), ppInk facts from github.com/pubpub-zz/ppInk (README and releases), and release dates from the GitHub API. Where a project doesn’t list a feature, we say “not listed” rather than assume it is missing. Check the projects’ pages before you decide. Competitor facts checked: November 1, 2026.
