Review Summary
Review SummaryCleanShot X lets you instantly copy screenshots so you can paste them anywhere without dragging files around, keeps your shots organized on the side of your screen, and makes it easy to annotate or blur sensitive info. If you take screenshots often and want to save time, this tool will make you much more productive and is worth switching to.
What is CleanShot X?
What is CleanShot X?CleanShot X is a screenshot and screen recording tool for Mac that replaces the default screenshot experience with something much faster and more organized.
Instead of screenshots disappearing onto your desktop, CleanShot X keeps them in a neat little corner of your screen and automatically copies the latest one to your clipboard.
For years, I used the native Mac screenshot tool and never really questioned it.
Then Alex (business partner) found CleanShot X, and said, "Give me your computer. I need to put this on your computer."
At first, I was like, "What do you mean? I can already take screenshots!"
Then I used it and immediately got it. The fact that my screenshots were copied to my clipboard and organized off to the side felt like such a tiny thing, but it saves me so much time every single day 🤯 What on earth was I doing before?
How I use CleanShot X
How I use CleanShot XWith CleanShot X, I can take a screenshot, paste it straight into an email, Slack message, doc, or support thread, and move on. If I take five screenshots in a row, they're all sitting there on the side of my screen instead of becoming a messy pile of files I have to go hunt down.
If I need to find an older screenshot, I have a keyboard shortcut that lets me pull up all my recent screenshots. It honestly just saves so much time.
Oh? And if I need to blur sensitive information or draw an arrow on my screenshot, cool, I can do that in a second.
Compared to the native Mac screenshot tool, CleanShot X feels like the version Apple should've made. I've never noticed it slowing down my computer, which is exactly what I want from a tool that's running in the background all day.
It can also record your screen if you want to make a quick screen recording, but I wouldn't compare it directly to Supercut or Loom. The latter tools are better for team collaboration (since you can leave comments), but for something like reporting a bug or showing my team something quickly, I'll use CleanShot.
Who is CleanShot X For?
Who is CleanShot X For?If you use a Mac, you need CleanShot X 😅 I seriously can't live without CleanShot X. Ever time I get a new laptop, it's the first thing I install.
To get more specific, if taking screenshots is a part of your day-to-day, then I think CleanShot is a must-have.
If you've ever been taking screenshots on your Mac and found yourself digging around for files or trying to hurry and drag them to the right location before they disappear into the black hole that is your desktop, then you'll be excited to know it doesn't have to be that way.
Key Features
Key FeaturesClipboard-First Screenshots
Clipboard-First ScreenshotsScreenshots just automatically copy to your clipboard so you can paste them in easily. Small feature, but HUGE time saver.
I take a bunch of screenshots and open an email, Slack, doc, or whatever, I can just hit paste, and the last screenshot I took is there. Even if I took a few screenshots in a row, they're still sitting in the little tray on the side of my screen, so I can grab the exact one I need without retaking anything.
No dragging. No desktop cleanup. No digging through my desktop like a raccoon. 🦝
That's exactly why I think CleanShot X is more of a productivity tool than just a screenshot tool. It removes the friction those small steps cause, and to be completely real, if I had to go back to native Mac screenshotting, it would be painful for sure.
Screenshot Tray and Restore History
Screenshot Tray and Restore HistoryCleanShot X keeps recent screenshots in a small floating tray on the side of your screen, so if you take a bunch in a row, they don't scatter across your desktop. They just sit there until you decide what to do with them.
That's especially helpful when I'm grabbing multiple examples or collecting screenshots for content. The latest screenshot is copied automatically, but I can still go back and grab an earlier one if I need it. There's also a shortcut that pulls up your screenshot history, so if something disappeared from the tray, you can restore it instead of retaking the same screenshot like a maniac.
Annotation, Blur, and Highlighting
Annotation, Blur, and HighlightingCleanShot X's annotation tools are what make it useful beyond just replacing the Mac screenshot shortcut. I use them when I need to point something out to someone on the team without writing a whole paragraph. Draw an arrow, add a note, number a few steps, highlight the exact thing that matters, hit done, and the edited screenshot is ready to go.
The blur tool deserves its own callout. We post a lot of screenshots, and being able to quickly hide sensitive information is incredibly helpful. It keeps me from opening another editor just to clean up something that now takes all of five seconds.
The background tools are also worth mentioning if you share screenshots publicly. You can add a clean background, round out the corners, and just overall make the screenshot look more polished for social or marketing content. Not mission-critical per se, but if you care about the details, it makes the final image feel way less thrown together.
Additional Features
Additional FeaturesScreen Recording
Screen RecordingThere are definitely times when all you need to do is record a quick clip or a GIF and CleanShot X is perfect for that.
For example, today I was on the website, and I noticed there was something totally glitching, so I pulled up CleanShot X and did a quick 10-second screen recording to send that over to the engineering team. It's great when I don't really have the words, and I need to show, not tell. Or even if I want to send a bug report, to show, "Hey, this is clearly freaking out."
It's great for lightweight recordings and quick GIFs. But it doesn't replace a tool like Supercut. If I need heavy collaboration (comments, transcription, etc.), I'm still using Supercut.
Cloud Sharing
Cloud SharingCleanShot also lets you upload a screenshot and generate a shareable link, which is useful when you don’t want to paste the image directly or attach a file. You can hyperlink it in an email, and the screenshot opens in a separate tab.
For 99.9% of my screenshots, I'm pasting them directly or bringing them in locally. The cloud option is nice to have, but the reason I'd buy CleanShot is still the fast local screenshot workflow.
Pricing
Pricing- App + Cloud Basic: $29 one-time payment. Best for Mac users who take screenshots for content often.
- App + Cloud Pro: $8/mo/per user (annually) or $10/mo (monthly). Best for teams or power users who want cloud uploads, shareable screenshot links, and a more collaborative screenshot workflow.
Our recommendation is to go with the one-time $29 license. That's what we did years ago, and we've never regretted it.
Final Verdict
Final VerdictIs CleanShot X worth it? Yes, if you take screenshots regularly on a Mac. It's a small utility, but it genuinely changes how fast you move through everyday work, especially if you're constantly explaining things visually to your team, customers, engineers, or software partners.
Make sure to grab your CleanShot discount before you sign up!
Categories
CategoriesCleanShot X fits into multiple categories based on what it actually helps you do. Each category highlights a different strength and the efficiency points it earned, helping you compare tools not just by features, but by how well they actually perform.
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