CleanShot X is the screenshot app most Mac reviewers recommend, and it deserves it: capture, recording, scrolling shots, text recognition, a background tool and a cloud for sharing links, all polished. People look for an alternative when they use a fraction of that and would rather not pay for the rest, when they do not want a cloud account anywhere near their screenshots, or when they want private details hidden for them instead of blurring by hand. This page compares the options for that person.
Prices and features of other apps below were checked on their own websites in October 2026.
What CleanShot X includes
From CleanShot’s own features and pricing pages:
- Capture: area, window, full screen, self-timer and scrolling capture.
- Recording: screen recording with clicks, keystrokes and camera, plus a video editor.
- Annotate: arrows, shapes, text, counter, highlighter, spotlight, blur and pixelate.
- Background tool, quick access overlay, floating screenshots and capture history.
- Text recognition (OCR).
- Cloud: upload a screenshot and share a link.
Pricing: $35 once for the app with one year of updates and 1 GB of cloud storage, then optional updates at $19 a year. CleanShot Pro, with unlimited cloud and team features, is $10 per user a month, billed yearly. It is also available through Setapp.
Why people look for an alternative
- They only take screenshots. No recording, no scrolling shots, no video editor. Paying for a full capture studio to draw an arrow is a lot.
- Cloud uploads. CleanShot’s cloud is optional, and its FAQ says it is not required. Still, some teams and clients do not want a screenshot tool with an upload button at all.
- Hiding details by hand. CleanShot’s blur and pixelate are manual. Its features page lists no automatic detection of emails or faces, so every shot of an inbox or a customer list needs careful blurring before you share it.
- Yearly renewals for updates after the first year.
The free option: macOS Screenshot
macOS has its own capture tool. Command-Shift-4 selects a region, Command-Shift-5 opens the toolbar with recording, and adding Control copies to the clipboard instead of saving. Markup happens in a separate preview after the capture, and there is no automatic hiding of details. Free, native, and enough if you mark up rarely.
Snipkeep and VeilShot: the screenshot half of CleanShot, split in two
We cover screenshots with two small apps, each doing one job well. Use one or both.
Snipkeep: capture and mark up, fast
- Command-Shift-9 starts a capture. Every shortcut can be changed.
- Drag a region or click a window, on every display.
- Eight markup tools beside the selection: arrow, line, rectangle, pen, marker, text, blur and numbered steps. Blur is applied to the pixels, so it cannot be undone by whoever you send it to.
- Copy, Copy and save, or Save as. Copy is one click.
- A history you opt into. Command-Shift-V opens your recent saved shots.
- No uploads. There is no Snipkeep server, so there is no link anyone can find.
VeilShot: presentable and private before you share
- Emails and faces found and covered for you, on your Mac, before you share. Blur anything else by hand.
- Presentable in one step: padding, background, rounded corners, shadow and balanced framing, the job of CleanShot’s background tool.
- From the clipboard or a folder. Paste a screenshot, or let VeilShot watch a folder, and export at 1x, 2x or 3x.
What they do not do
No screen recording, no GIFs, no scrolling capture, no video editor and no cloud. If you need those, CleanShot X is the better tool, and worth its price.
Quick comparison
| CleanShot X | macOS Screenshot | Snipkeep + VeilShot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 once with a year of updates, or $10 a month with cloud | Free | Each bought once, or both in All Apps |
| Area and window capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Markup | Yes, in its annotate editor | In a preview after capture | Right on the selection, eight tools |
| Blur | Yes, by hand | No | Yes, by hand |
| Emails and faces hidden automatically | Not listed | No | Yes, in VeilShot |
| Background and framing | Yes | No | Yes, in VeilShot |
| Capture history | Yes | No | Yes, opt-in, on your Mac |
| Screen recording | Yes | Yes | No |
| Scrolling capture | Yes | No | No |
| Text recognition | Yes | Live Text in Preview | No |
| Cloud upload and links | Yes | No | No, by design |
Coming from Lightshot instead?
If your habit is Lightshot’s hotkey and toolbar, our Lightshot alternative page covers that switch.
Questions
Can I try them first? Yes. Snipkeep and VeilShot each have a free trial with everything included and no card, and every purchase can be refunded within 15 days.
Do they need an account? No. A license key by email is all they need.
Do my screenshots leave my Mac? No. Neither app uploads anything; detection of emails and faces runs on your Mac.
