Selecting a screenshot app in 2025

CleanShot X and Shottr provide enhanced options that make gentle work of capping screens and modifying them on the fly. It’s most likely unfair to categorize CleanShot X as only a screenshot utility — it does that effectively, however there’s display recording and GIF creation, too. Shottr additionally has a variety of instruments that transcend the fundamentals.

I’ll discover all of the options that make each apps infinitely extra helpful than the native answer and, extra importantly, examine Shottr vs. CleanShot X instantly by way of pricing and options that will help you resolve what’s finest on your workflow.

However first, let’s rapidly overview:

Shottr — Screenshot annotation device for Mac

Shottr is a light-weight but highly effective screenshot device for macOS. The app lets customers entry a variety of helpful capabilities, together with capturing the entire display or particular space, scrolling a web page proper from the menu bar, or utilizing shortcuts so as to add markup and annotations.

Shottr is especially focused at busy professionals — designers, engineers, and builders — who want exact management over their screenshots and excessive accuracy and constancy from photos.

Simply because it is easy doesn’t suggest it would not have some cool options hidden inside. Shottr options embrace:

• OCR and QR to pick textual content from wherever
• Blur stuff out with a pixel curtain
• Display screen ruler for pixel-perfect UI work
• Coloration picker + zoom for recognizing precise shades
• Mix, resize, and tweak screenshots quick
• Pin photographs to your display so that they’re at all times in view

Shottr is all about making the method of taking and modifying screenshots simpler and fewer of a trouble. It provides some nice options that professionals and lifelong learners respect for work, enjoyable, and design. Plus, it’s optimized for M1 to M4 chips, so it runs fairly effectively each time.

Additionally, take a look at the final word 2025 information on learn how to screenshot on Mac.

CleanShot X — Skilled screenshots and GIFs on Mac

CleanShot X claims to be “7 instruments in a single” and the final word display recording app for macOS. I feel it’s laborious to argue with that lofty billing due to its suite of superior options masking every thing from fast screenshots to polished GIFs.

Due to the Fast Entry Overlay, screenshots are very accessible and usable. After taking a screenshot, you may view, edit, annotate, and share what you’ve captured through a small pop-up window on the backside left of the display, in addition to drag and drop it into different apps and browsers.

Regardless of its versatility and compelling characteristic set, CleanShot X may be very easy to wield. The polished expertise is ideal for on a regular basis customers who just like the native Mac perform however need extra immediate choices for copying, saving, and modifying. There’s even a really helpful cloud add perform.

Along with an immediate modifying toolkit, you get entry to CleanShot X options, together with:

• A background device with 10 templates to create new photos for social media
• A disguise desktop icon swap to declutter desktop captures immediately
• A video editor to trim clips and alter the standard and determination

Shottr vs CleanShot X: Head-to-head comparability

Each apps have a ton of options and are filled with stuff to make use of, however how do they stack up in opposition to one another? Listed here are the variations between Shottr and CleanShot X.

Shottr vs CleanShot X: Function battle

Shottr and CleanShot X share a number of options together with full display, part-screen, and scrolling seize. The identical is true after a display is captured. It’s straightforward to start out annotating and modifying photos in each Shottr and CleanShot X, although the latter does have extra choices.

You received’t discover a lot distinction in how they carry out at a fundamental stage. The principle variations turn out to be obvious while you dig a bit deeper:

• CleanShot X has a transparent benefit should you want display recording and cloud storage — each are absent on its rival. Plus, it has a coloration picker, which helps you to hover your cursor over a particular level in a screenshot and press a tab to repeat the hex code.
• Nevertheless, Shottr comes with a helpful display ruler for these spot-on measurements. It is excellent for designers and builders who need every thing to be pixel-perfect when engaged on consumer interfaces.
• A current replace to Shottr added a brand new Backdrop Instrument that enables customers to create eye-catching backgrounds and shadows. Now, it matches up with CleanShot X, which has a background device that gives a dozen completely different templates.

Shottr pricing vs. CleanShot X: Worth showdown

One space the place the 2 apps diverge is pricing:

• You may get CleanShot X with all options included for a $9.99 month-to-month subscription on Setapp, which additionally gives entry to 250+ different premium apps. Additionally, Setapp offers you the chance to primarily “strive before you purchase” with a 7-day free trial.
• In the meantime, Shottr is free to make use of for 30 days, with two pricing tiers to personal it outright: $12 for Fundamental and $30 for Associates Membership. The latter, with extra premium worth factors, offers clients entry to experimental options and higher assist.

Shottr vs CleanShot X: Which one’s easier for on a regular basis duties?

When it comes to usability, CleanShot X is just simpler to become familiar with. The app appeals to casuals and fanatics alike with its incredible Fast Entry Overlay. Each display cap seems as a small pop-up window within the backside nook. From right here, there are six fast actions you may take: copy, save, edit, pin, add, and shut. The quite simple however environment friendly characteristic offers you entry to just about every thing you want with two clicks.

You may then begin working your magic with CleanShot X’s complete toolset, which is equally accessible. There’s even the choice to pull and drop issues into your program of selection.

Shottr additionally has a pop-up window for part-screen captures however goes straight to a typical window for full captures, with plenty of instruments on the high. It’s nonetheless feature-rich, however I don’t suppose it’s fairly as intuitive.

Supply: funkyspacemonkey.com

Shottr vs. CleanShot X — Professionals and cons

So, which is best: Shottr or CleanShot X? Each have professionals, cons, and quirks. Let’s have a look at each of those a bit nearer.

Shottr evaluation: What it is best to know

Inexperienced flags:

• Light-weight and quick: Shottr is barely a 2MB obtain, and may seize a screenshot and current it to you in a speedy 165 milliseconds.
• Pixel-perfect precision: Shottr has a display ruler that permits you to take a measurement and imprint it on the screenshot.
• Textual content and QR code OCR: Shottr’s OCR perform reads QR codes along with textual content.

Purple flags:

• No cloud storage: Cloud add service stays in testing and isn’t accessible to customers on the essential tier.
• No display recording: Shottr is a screenshot device, in the beginning, and lacks display recording capabilities.
• Fundamental UI: It’s purposeful and received’t be a difficulty for consultants, however it lacks the polish and accessibility of CleanShot X.

CleanShot X evaluation: What it is best to know

Inexperienced flags:

• Glorious video display recording: CleanShot X knocks it out of the park with its display recording and GIF-capturing capabilities. There are additionally plenty of quick-action instruments to change settings.
• Superfast capabilities, together with cloud storage: With CleanShot Cloud, you may add a screenshot and get a hyperlink to share it with only one click on. That is along with a number of different easy-to-access capabilities.
• Glorious seize choices: It helps you to merge a number of screens and take captures of repeated areas with out having to manually reselect them every time.

Purple flags:

• No OCR recognition: Not like Shottr, CleanShot X doesn’t embrace built-in OCR to acknowledge textual content or QR codes.
• Lacks pixel-level instruments: In case you’re a designer or developer, chances are you’ll discover it troublesome to edit pixel-perfect visuals.

Shottr vs. CleanShot X: Which app must you select?

So, is Shottr higher than CleanShot X or vice versa?

In case you simply need screenshot capabilities, it’s laborious to go flawed with both selection, although I feel you may discover CleanShot X a bit extra intuitive. For on a regular basis customers who love taking screenshots and sharing them, it provides a compelling mixture of options and ease of use. Creators — and social media followers — may even love with the ability to create GIFs and document movies proper within the app.

That doesn’t make Shottr a poor selection, although. Quite the opposite, you may wish to go for Shottr should you crave a light-weight and quick device with developer and design-friendly options. It prioritizes perform over type, with some helpful instruments targeted purely on resizing, modifying, annotating, and including markup to screenshots.

In case you want a device to edit images, be taught extra concerning the high 10 picture modifying software program for Mac.

Last ideas: Shottr vs CleanShot X

Shottr vs. CleanShot X is a heavyweight conflict between two screenshot giants. Each of those apps are unique to Mac and have been designed from the bottom up with Apple customers in thoughts. Extra importantly, they create one thing further to the standard screenshot.

When evaluating the 2, that you must resolve the place your priorities lie. Shottr is focused at designers and builders “who care about pixels,” however it nonetheless provides worth for on a regular basis customers. CleanShot X is a professional at screenshotting and video recording with a stunning interface and fast entry choices. You may test it out on Setapp together with different picture modifying instruments, and I’ve to say, it’s a reasonably candy deal.

Which app do you like to make use of on Mac and why?