CleanShot X review

CleanShot X is the Mac recorder we would pick for quick explainers and bug reports that need to look tidy without an editing session. It records screen, voice and system audio in sync, adds a webcam bubble, highlights every click and can show keystrokes as you press them, which helps viewers follow shortcut-heavy tutorials. Studio Mode, added in CleanShot 5.0, brings a built-in editor with animated zooms and trimming, and recordings export as MP4 or GIF. One click uploads to CleanShot Cloud for a share link with comments and automatic transcripts. Pricing is unusually simple: CleanShot Basic costs $35 once and includes one year of updates and 1 GB of cloud storage, with optional renewal at $19 a year, while CleanShot Pro costs $10 per user per month billed annually for unlimited storage, branding and SSO. The limits are platform and trial. It needs macOS 13.0 or newer, there is no Windows version planned, and the only trial runs through Setapp.

Who it is for

Mac users who record short walkthroughs and want a one-time price

Price

CleanShot Basic $35 once with one year of updates; CleanShot Pro $10 per user per month billed annually.

CleanShot Basic $35 Pay once, use forever.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Webcam bubble, click highlights and on-screen keystrokes while recording
• Captures voice and system audio together
• Exports MP4 or GIF, with 4K quality on both plans
• Studio Mode editor adds animated zooms and trims mistakes
• CleanShot Cloud share links, with 1 GB on Basic and unlimited storage on Pro

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Basic is a $35 one-time purchase, with optional updates at $19 a year after the first year
• Strength: Also covers screenshots, scrolling capture and text recognition
• Strength: 30-day money-back guarantee and a 30% student discount
• Weakness: Mac only, and CleanShot says there are no plans for a Windows version
• Weakness: No free trial on its own site; Setapp offers a 7-day trial
• Weakness: Basic includes only 1 GB of cloud storage

Key facts

• Platform: macOS 13.0 or newer
• Price: $35 once, or Pro at $10 per user per month billed annually
• Cloud storage: 1 GB on Basic, unlimited on Pro
• Export formats: MP4 or GIF
• Users: 250,000+, per CleanShot

Where it ranks

CleanShot X is No. 3 in our Best Screen Recording Software verdict.