A Free CleanShot X Alternative for Mac
CleanShot X is excellent — but it's paid. If you want the same everyday screenshot and screen-recording features for free, here's how Shotstrix compares.
Is there a free alternative to CleanShot X?
Yes. Shotstrix is a free macOS screenshot and screen-recording tool that covers the features most people use CleanShot X for — region, window, and scrolling capture, annotation, blur, OCR, GIF and MP4 recording, and share-ready backdrops — at no cost.
Shotstrix vs CleanShot X
Both are native Mac apps. The headline difference is price:
| Feature | Shotstrix | CleanShot X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Paid (one-time; optional cloud subscription) |
| Region / window / full-screen capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scrolling / full-page capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Annotate (arrows, text, steps, blur) | ✓ | ✓ |
| OCR text extraction | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen recording (MP4 + GIF) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Share-ready backgrounds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Capture history | ✓ | ✓ |
What you give up (and what you don't)
CleanShot X has extras like its polished cloud service and some power-user niceties, and if you live in a paid, cloud-synced workflow it's a great app. But for the core capture → annotate → share loop, Shotstrix does the same job for free — and adds touches like on-canvas measurement, emoji stickers, and a capture history.
A bonus: Shotstrix comes with Winstrix
Shotstrix is free on its own, and it's also bundled with Winstrix, which brings the whole Windows experience to your Mac — so you can get the screenshot tool and the taskbar, Alt+Tab, and shortcuts in one place.
Get Shotstrix — free
Shotstrix is a free screenshot and screen-recording tool for macOS — scrolling capture, OCR, annotation, blur, GIF recording, and share-ready backdrops, with no account and no watermark.
Free · Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel) · macOS 14 Sonoma or later
Frequently asked questions
Is Shotstrix really free? +
Yes — free for macOS, with no account, no watermark, and no trial limit.
Does Shotstrix do everything CleanShot X does? +
It covers the everyday features — capture, scrolling capture, annotation, blur, OCR, GIF/MP4 recording, backdrops, and history. CleanShot X has some paid cloud extras; Shotstrix focuses on doing the core tools well, for free.
Is Shotstrix a native Mac app? +
Yes — Shotstrix is a native macOS app, signed and notarized by Apple.