CleanShot Basic
$35 one-off payment; optional update renewal $19 a year
- Full Mac app, pay once and use forever
- Screenshots and screen recording
- Video editor with smart zooms
- Annotation tools
- One year of updates
- CleanShot Cloud with 1 GB storage
- Software
- Screen recording & video
- CleanShot X
Adding zooms in Studio Mode
CleanShot X
Mac app for screenshots and screen recordings with annotation, scrolling capture, OCR, a video editor and cloud sharing
from$10a month per user, billed yearly
Prices in US dollars as CleanShot X's pricing page showed them on 11 October 2026.
Plans
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- Mac
What CleanShot X does
This is CleanShot X, a Mac-only screenshot and screen recording app from a team in Poland. It captures, annotates and shares screenshots and videos, with a built-in editor and optional cloud sharing.
Screenshots and scrolling capture
Capture an area, window, full screen or a scrolling window in any app, with a self-timer, crosshair, magnifier and a freeze-screen mode for moving objects.
Annotation editor
Arrows, blur and pixelate, spotlight, numbered counters, a smart highlighter, shapes and seven text styles, with editable CleanShot project files and the option to combine several screenshots.
Background tool
Adds backgrounds, padding, shadows and aspect ratios to screenshots for social posts and docs, with 20 backgrounds included and reusable presets.
Screen recording
Records MP4 or GIF with webcam, microphone and system audio, click highlights and keystrokes, and can switch on Do Not Disturb and hide desktop clutter while recording.
Studio Mode video editor
Added in CleanShot 5.0: smart zooms that follow the cursor, cursor smoothing and sizing, backgrounds, motion blur, trimming, and landscape, square or vertical exports.
Text recognition and capture history
Copies text from screenshots and images on your Mac and reads QR codes. Capture History restores and reuses earlier screenshots, videos and GIFs.
CleanShot Cloud
Uploads a capture in one click and copies a link, with comments, searchable transcripts and captions on videos. Pro adds a custom domain, branding, password protection and link expiry.
Team and security controls
Pro includes team management, SSO and SCIM, and the cloud service is certified to ISO 27001 with encryption at rest and in transit.
Works with
- CleanShot Cloud
- Setapp
- URL scheme API
- SSO (SAML)
- SCIM
How much CleanShot X costs
CleanShot Pro
$12a month per user
Save 17% on annual billing
- Full Mac app, always up to date
- Unlimited Cloud storage
- Video transcription and comments
- Custom domain and branding
- Password protection and file access control
- Team management
- SSO and SCIM
Prices in US dollars; taxes may apply at checkout. No trial, but a 30-day money-back guarantee. Students get 30% off, PixelSnap 2 users 20% off. Also available through Setapp. Prices in US dollars, from CleanShot X's pricing page on 11 October 2026. CleanShot X may charge VAT on top, and prices can change.
CleanShot X pros and cons
Pros
- Basic is a one-off $35, and the app keeps working after its year of updates
- Every Mac app feature is in both plans; Pro only adds cloud and team features
- Scrolling capture, OCR and a full annotation editor that video-first rivals lack
- 30-day money-back guarantee instead of a trial
- Students get 30% off and PixelSnap 2 owners 20% off
- Cloud service is ISO 27001 certified and run by an EU company under GDPR
Cons
- Mac only, with no Windows version planned
- No free plan or trial in the app itself
- Basic includes only 1 GB of cloud storage
- Updates after the first year cost $19 a year on Basic
- Needs macOS 13.0 or newer
- Prices only in US dollars
Good for
- Mac users who take screenshots and annotate them every day
- Support, design and engineering teams sharing visual feedback by link
- Anyone who prefers a one-off licence to a subscription
- Makers of short product demos and tutorials who want zooms without a separate editor
Look elsewhere if
- Windows and Linux users
- People who need long-form video editing with layouts, transcripts and analytics
- Anyone wanting to try before paying without a refund request
What reviewers say about CleanShot X
“This app is worth every penny just for how much time it saves on styling.”
“Only thing that I would like to see is easier access to images I have already used once.”
“Something I would love for CleanShot to add are simple "highlight" tools, especially when editing video.”
What reviewers like
- Time saved annotating and styling screenshots
- Fast, native feel compared with third-party Mac tools
- Scrolling capture and built-in text recognition
- Polished video capture features
What reviewers complain about
- Restoring earlier captures takes several steps
- Limited highlighting tools in video editing
CleanShot X: what to know before you pay
The product
CleanShot X replaces the screenshot tools built into macOS. It takes screenshots and screen recordings, with a marked-up result ready to save, copy or drop into any app. CleanShot says it is trusted by hundreds of thousands of users, and it is built natively for the Mac.
Screenshots
Annotation tools let you mark up an image, hide sensitive details, crop and resize, and add backgrounds with padding and shadows. Scrolling capture grabs a full web page, a long chat or a document that runs beyond the screen in one image.
Recordings
Recordings can include a webcam bubble, highlighted clicks, on-screen keystrokes, and voice and system audio. Studio Mode adds smooth automatic zooms and trimming in a built-in editor, and you can export a video or a GIF.
Cloud
CleanShot Cloud uploads a capture and gives you a link to share, with comments left on the capture itself. A free Cloud account comes with every licence, though you don't need it to use the app. Paid Cloud plans add custom domains, branding and team controls such as SSO, and CleanShot lists ISO 27001 certification for its Cloud security.
Pricing
There are two routes. A one-off licence covers the Mac app and a period of updates, with paid renewals if you want more. A Pro subscription is billed per user and adds unlimited Cloud storage and team features. CleanShot also offers student and existing PixelSnap customer discounts, and the app is available through Setapp. Any live code is listed on this page.
Who it suits
It suits anyone who captures their screen often: support teams, product and design people, developers writing bug reports, and remote teams who explain things with annotated images and clips. There is no trial, but CleanShot offers a money-back guarantee. It doesn't run on Windows.
Alternatives to CleanShot X
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7-day free trial · from $13 a month per user 4.8 on Chrome Web Store (67)
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14-day free trial · from $15 a month per seat 5.0 on Product Hunt (10)10% off your first 12 months of Supercut
Guides that cover CleanShot X
Which screen recorder for Mac suits your job
macOS 27 can record your Mac's sound for free. I'd start there, then pay only if you need scrolling screenshots, a share link or a proper editor.
Questions about CleanShot X
Are there any CleanShot X discount codes?
We don't currently list a confirmed discount code. That doesn't mean the store has no promotions; check its website for current prices.
Is there a free trial of CleanShot X?
No. CleanShot doesn't offer a trial, but it has a money-back guarantee if the app isn't right for you. The Setapp version comes with Setapp's own free trial.
Does CleanShot X work on Windows?
No. It is Mac-only and CleanShot says there are no plans for a Windows version. It needs a recent version of macOS.
Do I need a CleanShot Cloud account to use the app?
No. A free Cloud account comes with every licence, but Cloud is only used for uploading and sharing captures. Every other feature works without it.
Can I move my CleanShot licence to a new Mac?
Yes. Activate the app on the new Mac with your licence key and the old one is deactivated. Extra devices and seats are managed in the License Manager.
Does CleanShot offer a student discount?
Yes. CleanShot offers an educational discount to students who verify with a university-issued email address.
Got a question about CleanShot X?