ScreenFlowy Snap or CleanShot X: which should you choose?

Both make Mac screenshots look good. ScreenFlowy Snap is completely free: every shot arrives with its background, rounded corners and shadow already set, sensitive details such as email addresses and phone numbers can be covered automatically, and it never goes online. CleanShot X is a paid app, from a one-time $35, with screenshots and screen recording in one app. If you just need to capture, style, mark up and redact, Snap is all you need, and it’s completely free; when you need to record your screen, pair it with our ScreenFlowy.

Facts checked on 8 October 2026 · Each app’s official site has the final word on prices and features

Choose ScreenFlowy Snap if you…

Want a screenshot styling tool that’s completely free, with no in-app purchases
Share as soon as you capture, and want the background, corners and shadow set for you, with presets you apply in one click
Often capture email addresses, phone numbers or keys, and want them redacted automatically
Care about privacy, and want an app that never goes online and needs no account
Need a multilingual interface: the app comes in 15 languages

Side by side

	ScreenFlowy Snap	CleanShot X
Price	Completely free, no in-app purchases	One-time $35 with a year of updates, then $19 a year to keep updating; team plan from $10 per user per month
Where to get it	Mac App Store	Sold on its website and included in Setapp; not on the Mac App Store
System requirements	macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon only	macOS 13 or later
Interface languages	15 languages	Not stated on their site
Account and uploads	No account, never goes online	No account; cloud sharing optional
Region, window and full-screen capture	Yes	Yes
Scrolling capture	Vertical; scroll yourself or click Scroll down	Vertical and horizontal
Background, padding, corners, shadow	Set as you capture; save as presets	Background tool; can use your own images
Social media sizes	Square, portrait and landscape ratios, plus sizes for popular social networks	Can change the ratio
Markup	Boxes, arrows, pen, text, step numbers, spotlight, magnifier	Arrows, shapes, text, highlighter, step numbers, spotlight
Manual redaction	Pixelate, blur, solid block	Pixelate, blur, black out
Automatic redaction of sensitive details	Email addresses, links, phone numbers, ID and card numbers, keys and more	Not mentioned on their site
Text recognition (OCR)	On your Mac, keeping line breaks	On your Mac; reads QR codes too
Watermark with your name	Yes, in words you choose	Not mentioned on their site
History	Latest 100 images, ready to edit again	Kept for up to 1 month
Drag into other apps	Yes	Yes

✓ means supported. “Not mentioned on their site” only means their official site doesn’t say so; the app may still have the feature.

Price: free, or a one-time purchase

ScreenFlowy Snap is completely free: no in-app purchases, no account to sign up for, and every feature ready to use.

CleanShot X’s basic version is a one-time $35 with a year of updates. After that year the app keeps working as before; to keep getting new versions, you renew for $19 a year. There’s also a team plan from $10 per user per month (billed yearly), which mainly adds unlimited cloud storage and team management; the app itself has the same features in both. CleanShot X offers no trial, but you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.

Styling: set as you capture, or built with a background tool

Snap puts styling first: when a shot opens in the editor, its background, rounded corners and shadow are already set, and dragging a slider adjusts the padding, inset, corners, shadow and background blur. Save the whole look, with its ratio, size and watermark, as a preset, and the next screenshot takes it in one click.

CleanShot X has a dedicated background tool too: 20 built-in backgrounds or an image of your own, with adjustable padding and alignment, and presets as well.

Redaction and privacy: automatic, or marked by hand

Both can redact by hand. Snap can also read the text in the image and automatically cover email addresses, links, phone numbers, ID and card numbers, and all kinds of keys and tokens. Automatic detection can miss text that is blurry or very short, so look the image over before you share it.

On privacy, Snap never goes online: capture, text recognition, redaction and export all happen on your Mac. CleanShot X also recognises text on your Mac, and its cloud sharing is optional: if you don’t use it, nothing is uploaded.

Scope: focused on screenshots, with recording left to ScreenFlowy

CleanShot X puts screenshots and screen recording in one app, and version 5.0, released in September 2026, added a Studio mode and a video editor.

Snap focuses on doing screenshots as well as they can be done. When you need to record, click Record with ScreenFlowy at the far right of Snap’s toolbar to switch to ScreenFlowy, our screen recorder: it pushes in and pulls back with your clicks automatically, and can move the camera in 3D as well.

System and languages

Snap needs macOS 14 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon, and its interface comes in 15 languages. CleanShot X needs macOS 13 or later; its official site doesn’t say which interface languages it offers.

Common questions

Can ScreenFlowy Snap replace CleanShot X?

Snap handles capturing, styling, markup, redaction and text recognition, and it’s completely free. When you need screen recording, pair it with our ScreenFlowy.

Is Snap really completely free?

Yes. There are no in-app purchases and no account to sign up for, it never goes online, and every feature is ready to use.

How much does CleanShot X cost?

The basic version is a one-time $35 with a year of updates, then $19 a year to keep updating; the team plan starts at $10 per user per month, billed yearly. Check CleanShot’s official site for current prices.

Can both take scrolling screenshots?

Yes. Snap stitches one tall image as the content scrolls, whether you scroll yourself or click the Scroll down button; CleanShot X takes scrolling captures both vertically and horizontally.

What if I need to record my screen?

Use our ScreenFlowy. The Record with ScreenFlowy button sits at the far right of Snap’s toolbar, and the videos you record get camera moves that follow your clicks, automatically.

Sources

CleanShot is a trademark of its owner. ScreenFlowy Snap is not affiliated with CleanShot X or its developer. This page is based on information published on both apps’ official sites, checked on 8 October 2026; prices and features may change, so the official sites have the final word. If you spot a mistake, please write to [email protected] and we’ll correct it as soon as we can.

Keep reading

ScreenFlowy Snap