CleanShot review: Projects & Ops, pricing and who it's for
Best screenshot and screen recording kit for Mac users who share their screen daily. One-time licence from $35.
CleanShot is a Mac app for screenshots and screen recording, with annotation, scrolling capture, OCR and a video editor that adds smart zooms and transcription. CleanShot Cloud shares links from the app. It runs on macOS 13 or later. Basic is a one-time $35 licence. Pro is $10 per user a month when billed annually, or $12 billed monthly.
From $10 per user/month billed annually ($12 monthly)
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Reviewed · Facts checked · Projects & Ops · Platforms: macOS 13.0 or newer
Good fit if
- Mac users who share their screen daily and want screenshots, annotation and recording in one app.
Skip if
- you're on Windows or need async video with viewer analytics. Look at Tella or Cap.
Use cases
Capture a whole web page, chat or code file in one screenshot
Basic (one-off Mac app licence)Mac users documenting bugs, long conversations or designs that don't fit on screen. 1) Start Scrolling Capture from the CleanShot menu or its shortcut and select the area. 2) Scroll through the content; CleanShot stitches it into one image. 3) Annotate it with arrows, text or blur, then copy or save from the Quick Access Overlay.
Source: cleanshot.com/features
Record a short screen video or GIF and send a link
Basic includes 1 GB of Cloud; Pro for unlimited CloudFounders and support teams explaining a bug or a how-to faster than typing. 1) Choose Record Screen, pick video or GIF, and select a window, area or full screen. 2) Optionally turn on the microphone and webcam, record, then trim in the overlay. 3) Upload to CleanShot Cloud from the overlay and paste the link; add a password or expiry if it's sensitive.
Sources: cleanshot.com/features, cleanshot.com/pricing
Copy text out of an image, video or PDF without retyping
Basic (one-off Mac app licence)Anyone who grabs text from screenshots, slides or scanned documents. 1) Trigger Capture Text from the menu bar or its shortcut. 2) Select the area that contains the text. 3) Paste the recognised text wherever you need it.
Source: cleanshot.com/features
Watch-outs
CleanShot has no free plan and no trial of its own. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies, and Setapp includes a 7-day trial. Basic includes one year of updates, then an optional $19 a year renewal. There is no public hosted API; automation uses a local macOS URL scheme.
Sources: cleanshot.com/pricing, cleanshot.com/docs-api · checked
At a glance
Price
From $10 per user/month billed annually ($12 monthly)
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing · checked
Free plan
No
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing · checked
Free trial
No
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing · checked
Platforms
macOS 13.0 or newer
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing · checked
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basicone-time | Monthly$35 | Annual— | What's includedMac app, one year of updates (optional $19/year renewal), and 1 GB of Cloud. |
| Proper user/month | Monthly$12 | Annual$10 | What's included$10/user/month billed annually ($120/user/year). Unlimited Cloud, custom domain, team management, SSO and SCIM. |
Pricing checked on · CleanShot pricing page
AI & integrations
Community-built MCP server · Local only; wraps the cleanshot:// URL scheme
Server URL:
https://github.com/jdorfman/cleanshot-mcpSource: github.com/jdorfman/cleanshot-mcp · checked
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects our verdicts.
FAQs
Is CleanShot a one-time purchase or a subscription?
Both exist. CleanShot Basic is a one-time $35 licence with one year of updates, then an optional $19 a year renewal. Pro is $10 per user a month billed annually and adds unlimited Cloud storage, custom domain and branding, and team features like SSO and SCIM.
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing
Is there a CleanShot free trial?
CleanShot does not offer a trial of its own, but it has a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is also included in Setapp, which has a 7-day free trial.
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing
Does CleanShot work on Windows?
No. CleanShot is Mac-only, requires macOS 13.0 or newer, and the company says it has no plans for a Windows version.
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing
CleanShot vs Shottr: is CleanShot worth paying for?
Shottr describes itself as a tiny, fast Mac screenshot tool with annotations, scrolling screenshots, OCR and S3 upload, and it can be used free. CleanShot covers screenshots too, but adds screen recording, a video editor with smart zooms and one-click cloud sharing, starting at a one-time $35.
Sources: shottr.cc, cleanshot.com/pricing, workstak.co/tools/cleanshot
How do I move my CleanShot licence to a new Mac?
Activate the app on the new Mac with your licence key and the old machine is deactivated automatically. To use it on more Macs at once, add seats in the License Manager.
Source: cleanshot.com/pricing
Ready to try CleanShot?
Best screenshot and screen recording kit for Mac users who share their screen daily. One-time licence from $35.
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects our verdicts.
Alternatives to CleanShot
Cap: Cap is an open-source screen recorder. CleanShot is a Mac app for screenshots, annotation and recording.
Tella: Tella is for async video with viewer analytics. CleanShot is a Mac screenshot and screen recording app.
Shottr: Shottr is a fast screenshot tool for Mac. CleanShot adds screen recording, a video editor and cloud sharing.
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