Best CleanShot X alternatives (2026)
The best free CleanShot X alternative is ScreenshotEdits — a native Mac app with blur, annotations, crop, backgrounds, and 15+ editing tools. Free forever. No $29 upfront, no $8/month cloud subscription.
Why look for a CleanShot X alternative?
CleanShot X is a great tool — genuinely one of the best screenshot apps on Mac. But not everyone needs everything it offers, and the pricing model has some pain points.
$29 feels steep for screenshots
If you mainly need blur, annotations, and backgrounds, paying $29 for a screenshot editor is hard to justify when free alternatives cover the same ground.
Cloud features require $8/month
CleanShot Cloud — shareable links, cloud storage, custom domain — costs $8/month on top of the $29 purchase. That's $125/year if you want the full experience.
Some users don't need recording
Video recording, GIF capture, and scrolling screenshots are headline features of CleanShot X. If you don't use them, you're paying for capabilities you'll never touch.
No free tier or trial
CleanShot X is pay-upfront with no trial period. You can't test it before buying. Free tools like ScreenshotEdits let you start immediately with no commitment.
Top CleanShot X alternatives
Four tools worth considering if CleanShot X isn't the right fit.
ScreenshotEdits
Our pickA native Mac app focused purely on making screenshots look great. Blur, crop, arrows, text, shapes, gradient backgrounds, device mockups, shadows — 15+ editing tools that cover everything most people use CleanShot X for. The difference? It's free.
- Blur, pixelate, annotations, arrows, text, shapes
- Gradient backgrounds and device mockups
- 100% offline — no cloud, no accounts, no tracking
- Export at 1x, 2x, or 3x resolution
Price: Free (€19 one-time to remove watermark)
Platform: macOS
What it doesn't do: video recording, scrolling capture, OCR, or cloud sharing.
Shottr
A fast, lightweight Mac screenshot tool with scrolling capture, OCR, pixel measurement, and annotations. Shottr is built by a solo developer and it shows — in a good way. It's snappy, minimal, and does more than you'd expect for a free tool. Less polished than CleanShot X, but free.
Price: Free (pay what you want)
Platform: macOS only
Best for: Users who want scrolling capture and OCR without paying $29.
Skitch
The classic Mac annotation tool from Evernote. Skitch still works for basic arrows, text, shapes, and pixelation. But it hasn't been updated since 2015, lacks modern features like backgrounds and high-res export, and could break with any macOS update. Use it as a stopgap, not a long-term solution.
Price: Free
Platform: macOS only
Best for: Basic annotations if you already have it installed. Not recommended for new users.
Snagit
If you want more features than CleanShot X, not fewer, Snagit is the enterprise-grade option. Video recording, scrolling capture, templates, cloud libraries, step-by-step guides — Snagit has it all. It's also the most expensive option and works on both Mac and Windows.
Price: $62.99/year
Platform: Mac, Windows
Best for: Enterprise teams and power users who need everything in one tool.
Comparison table
All four alternatives compared side by side.
| Feature | ScreenshotEdits | Shottr | Skitch | Snagit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free / €19 | Free | Free | $62.99/yr |
| Platform | Mac | Mac | Mac | Mac, Windows |
| Blur / redact | Yes | Yes | Pixelate | Yes |
| Annotations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backgrounds | Yes | No | No | No |
| Scrolling capture | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Video recording | No | No | No | Yes |
| Cloud upload | No (local) | No | Evernote | Yes |
| Offline-only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mostly |
| Actively maintained | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Free CleanShot X alternatives
You don't have to pay $29 for screenshot editing. Here are the best free options for Mac.
Mac (full editing)
ScreenshotEdits
Blur, annotations, backgrounds, mockups, shadows, crop, resize. The editing features most people buy CleanShot X for — but free.
Mac (scrolling + OCR)
Shottr
Scrolling capture, pixel measurement, OCR, and annotations. Lightweight and fast. Pay what you want.
Mac (zero install)
Preview
Already on your Mac. Basic markup — shapes, text, signatures, crop. No blur or backgrounds, but it's always available.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to CleanShot X?
ScreenshotEdits is the best free CleanShot X alternative for Mac — it includes blur, annotations, backgrounds, crop, and 15+ editing tools. It's completely free to start — web app is free with 3 exports/day, desktop app €19 one-time. That's less than CleanShot X's $29 price tag.
Is CleanShot X worth $29?
CleanShot X is a polished tool with scrolling capture, video recording, OCR, and cloud storage. If you use all those features, $29 is fair. But if you mainly need screenshot editing — blur, annotations, backgrounds — ScreenshotEdits does that for free.
Does CleanShot X require a subscription?
CleanShot X offers a $29 one-time purchase for the basic app, but cloud features (CleanShot Cloud) require an $8/month subscription. Without cloud, you lose shareable links, cloud storage, and some collaboration features.
Is there a free version of CleanShot X?
No, CleanShot X doesn't have a free tier or trial. It's $29 upfront. If you want similar editing features for free, ScreenshotEdits and Shottr are both free Mac alternatives with comparable annotation and editing tools.
What does CleanShot X do that ScreenshotEdits doesn't?
CleanShot X has scrolling capture, video/GIF recording, OCR text recognition, cloud storage with shareable links, and a floating screenshot overlay. ScreenshotEdits focuses purely on screenshot editing — blur, annotations, backgrounds, and export.
Can I use CleanShot X on Windows?
No, CleanShot X is Mac-only. On Windows, Snagit ($62.99/year) is the closest equivalent in features. For free Windows options, ShareX and Greenshot are solid choices.
Same editing tools. Zero cost.
ScreenshotEdits covers what most people use CleanShot X for — blur, annotations, backgrounds — without the $29 price tag.
Related tools & guides