Screenshot capture modes
Capture areas, windows, full screens, and scrolling content, including long pages, chats, documents, and code that extend beyond one screen.
CleanShot X
CleanShot X is a Mac screen capture app for screenshots, recordings, editing, OCR, and link-based sharing with CleanShot Cloud.
Mac screen capture toolkit
CleanShot X is a Mac-only screen capture toolkit for screenshots, screen recordings, and sharing. The product combines capture tools, a built-in editor, CleanShot Cloud, and workflow features designed to keep captures easy to find, annotate, and send without switching apps.
The site positions CleanShot as a native Mac app for people who create annotated screenshots, record short videos or GIFs, and share captures with teammates or clients. It also supports deeper team workflows on Pro plans with centralized access management, SSO, SCIM, and security controls.
Core features
Screen recording tools
Record the screen as MP4 or GIF, capture microphone or computer audio, and show or hide the cursor, keystrokes, clicks, and camera bubble while recording.
Built-in annotations
Edit screenshots inside the app with annotation tools such as arrows, blur, pixelation, spotlight, shapes, text, and crop and resize controls.
Cloud sharing and team controls
Upload screenshots or recordings to CleanShot Cloud and share a clean link, with support for comments, custom domain and branding, file access control, password protection, SSO, SCIM, and admin controls on Pro plans.
Studio Mode video editor
Use Studio Mode to trim recordings, add smooth zooms, adjust cursor movement, and export polished videos from a built-in editor.
Capture utilities and workflow options
Copy text from images with on-device OCR, read QR codes, keep capture history, pin screenshots on top, and customize shortcuts, formats, and sharing behavior.
Common use cases
Annotated screenshots for communication
Create polished screenshots for documentation, tutorials, support responses, or internal notes using annotations, blur, cropping, and backgrounds.
Screen recordings for demos and bug reports
Record product demos, walkthroughs, and bug reproductions as video or GIF, then refine the result in Studio Mode before exporting.
Scrollable content capture
Capture long pages, chat threads, or code samples that do not fit on one screen by using scrolling capture.
Shared review and collaboration
Share captures with teammates or clients through CleanShot Cloud, where links, comments, branding, and team controls help keep feedback attached to the asset.
Text extraction from images
Copy text from screenshots or scanned images with OCR when you need to reuse content without retyping it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Combines screenshots, screen recording, cloud sharing, and editing in one Mac app.
- Supports a wide range of capture modes, including scrolling capture and recording as MP4 or GIF.
- Built-in annotation and editor tools reduce the need to move captures into another app.
- CleanShot Cloud can be used for sharing and collaboration, including comments and team controls on Pro plans.
- Includes workflow features such as OCR, capture history, pinned screenshots, and customizable shortcuts.
Cons
- Requires macOS 13.0 or newer.
- Cloud collaboration and administrative features are tied to Pro plans; the Basic plan includes the Mac app and 1 GB of cloud storage, while Pro adds team features and unlimited cloud storage.
- The site does not offer a traditional trial; access is supported through a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
FAQ
Do I need a CleanShot Cloud account to use the app?
No. CleanShot Cloud is included with a license, but the pricing page says it is not required to use the app or its other features. It is used for screenshot uploading.
What are the system requirements?
CleanShot requires macOS 13.0 or newer. The pricing page also notes that some OCR languages may require the latest macOS version to work properly.
Can I add zooms to recorded videos?
Yes. The pricing page says CleanShot 5.0 introduced Studio Mode, which lets you add animated zooms to specific parts of a screen recording with smooth motion blur.
Is there a trial?
No trial is offered on the site, but CleanShot does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. The app is also available through Setapp, which has its own 7-day free trial.
Does CleanShot work on Windows?
No. The pricing page says there is no Windows version and no current plan to release one.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Screen capture and sharing
- Platform
- Mac only
- Operating system requirement
- macOS 13.0 or newer
- Pricing model
- Paid app with Basic and Pro plans
- License
- CleanShot Basic is a one-time purchase; Pro is subscription-based
- Source domain
- cleanshot.com
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