CleanShot X
PaidSuperior screenshot and screen recording tool for Mac. Capture scrolling screenshots, annotate, blur sensitive info, pin screenshots, and record GIFs with one app.
What does this tool do?
CleanShot X is a native Mac screenshot and screen recording application that goes far beyond the built-in macOS tools. It offers 50+ features including scrolling screenshot capture (for content that spans multiple screens), advanced annotation tools (arrows, shapes, text, blur for redacting sensitive info), OCR text recognition, screen recording with webcam overlay, GIF export, and the ability to pin screenshots as floating overlays. The app includes a cloud collaboration component for sharing recordings and screenshots via shareable links, plus desktop customization features like hiding desktop icons, adding backgrounds, and applying custom wallpapers to captures. It's positioned as a complete replacement for macOS's native screenshot tool, addressing workflows that require annotation, quick sharing, and content creation across teams.
AI analysis from Feb 23, 2026
Key Features
- Scrolling screenshot capture for content spanning multiple screens
- Advanced annotation tools (arrows, shapes, text, blur, highlighting) with keyboard shortcuts
- OCR text recognition for extracting text from images using on-device processing
- Screen recording with webcam overlay, microphone and system audio capture, click/keystroke highlighting
- Pinnable floating screenshots that stay on top of other windows with adjustable opacity
- CleanShot Cloud for one-click sharing with custom domains and team management (Pro)
- GIF export for screen recordings with built-in trimming
- Desktop icon hiding for clean screen captures and presentations
- Background tool with 10 included backgrounds plus custom image/color support for social media posts
- Self-timer with configurable delay for capturing perfect moments
Use Cases
- 1Product managers and designers creating annotated mockups and design feedback for development teams
- 2Content creators and educators recording tutorials, demos, and educational videos with screen annotations
- 3Support and customer success teams capturing bug reports with blurred sensitive data and sharing them via cloud links
- 4Software developers documenting code snippets and error messages with scrolling screenshots for documentation
- 5Marketing teams creating social media posts by recording product demos and adding backgrounds to screenshots
- 6Remote teams collaborating asynchronously by recording screen walkthroughs instead of writing long explanations
- 7QA testers documenting issues with annotated screenshots highlighting specific UI problems
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Native Mac application delivers superior performance compared to Electron-based competitors, with optimized memory usage and fast response times
- Scrolling screenshot feature is genuinely useful for capturing full chat histories, code blocks, or long documents that don't fit on screen
- Integrated cloud sharing with one-click link generation eliminates the friction of uploading to third-party services separately
- OCR text recognition with on-device processing means you can copy text from images without cloud processing delays or privacy concerns
- Annotation tools are intuitive and fast with keyboard shortcuts, reducing the time spent marking up screenshots
- 30-day money-back guarantee reduces purchase risk for evaluation
Limitations
- Mac-only application, making it unsuitable for Windows or Linux users who need a cross-platform solution
- Pricing details are obscured on the website—no clear pricing tiers displayed, requiring users to click through to purchase pages
- Cloud features (custom domains, branding, team management) are limited to Pro plan, but plan details and pricing are not publicly visible
- Relies on users adopting CleanShot Cloud ecosystem for collaboration features; competitors may integrate better with existing tools (Slack, Jira, Notion)
- Feature bloat (50+ features) may overwhelm casual users who just need simple screenshots; steeper learning curve than built-in tools
Pricing Details
Pricing details not publicly available. The website mentions a '30-Day Money-Back Guarantee' and references 'Pro' tier features (custom domain, team management) but does not display specific prices or plan comparisons on the main website.
Who is this for?
Mac-exclusive users including product managers, designers, content creators, software developers, support teams, and remote workers who need professional screenshot and screen recording capabilities. Best suited for individuals and small-to-medium teams who value polish and native performance over cross-platform compatibility.