Capto vs CleanShot X

Capto

• Tutorial and lesson videos recorded on a Mac with voice and camera
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
• Recording an iPhone or iPad screen through a connected Mac

CleanShot X

• Mac users who take and annotate many screenshots
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
• Support and product teams sharing quick captures by link

Capto

• There is no free plan: the Mac trial lasts 15 days and exported videos carry a watermark until a license is bought.
• The Mac App Store edition is unlocked by its own in-app purchase, listed at $49.99 for the Lifetime Pack, against $29.99 on the web store.
• 4K recording runs at 60 fps only with the camera off; with the camera on it drops to 30 fps.
• Capto for Windows is a separate Microsoft Store app with a 7-day trial; the vendor's web store sells the Mac version only.

CleanShot X

• macOS only, requiring macOS 13.0 or newer. The vendor says there are no plans for a Windows version.
• There is no free trial; purchases are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• The $35 Basic license includes one year of updates; later updates need an optional $19 per year renewal.
• Unlimited cloud storage, custom domains, team features, SSO and SCIM need the Pro subscription.

Capto

Screen recording

Records the full screen or a selected region at 60 FPS with computer and microphone audio, with an option to stop after a set time. 4K is supported at 60 fps when the camera is off.

Camera overlay for tutorials

Records the built-in camera or an external device alongside the screen, and lets the camera picture be resized and repositioned.

Video and audio editor

Cuts, joins, trims and crops recordings and adds shapes, arrows, callouts, text and blur. System and microphone audio sit on separate tracks that can be adjusted on their own.

Screenshots and web page capture

Captures the full screen or a selection, saves a whole web page in one click, and opens the result in an image editor for annotation and adjustment.

iPhone and iPad recording

Records the screen of an iPhone or iPad connected to the Mac, so a voiceover and edits can be added afterward.

Sharing and file organization

Uploads captures to YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, Facebook, Tumblr or an FTP/SFTP server, and sorts them into folders and tags them for search.

CleanShot X

Screenshots and scrolling capture

Capture an area, a window, the full screen or scrolling content in either direction, with a self-timer, crosshair and magnifier.

Screen recording

Record to MP4 or GIF with microphone and computer audio, a camera overlay, and keystrokes and clicks shown on screen.

Built-in video editor

Add zooms, refine cursor movement and adjust backgrounds on a screen recording without leaving the app.

Annotation and backgrounds

Highlight or hide parts of a screenshot, add annotations, and place captures on styled backgrounds from 20 presets.

Text recognition

Copy text out of any image and read QR codes, with on-device recognition in more than 30 languages.

CleanShot Cloud

Upload a capture to get a share link with password protection, self-destruct timers and video transcription. Basic has 1 GB; Pro is unlimited.

Capto

• Single License$29.99

  one-time purchase

  Capto for Mac from the vendor's web store. The store shows it at half price during a sale that runs until 12 October 2026.

• Family Pack$74.99

  one-time purchase

  A family license for Capto for Mac from the vendor's web store.

CleanShot X

• CleanShot Basic$35

  one-time payment; optional update renewal at $19 per year

  The Mac app to keep, with one year of updates and 1 GB of CleanShot Cloud storage. A license is active on one Mac at a time.

• CleanShot Pro$10

  per user / month, billed annually

  Always up to date, with unlimited cloud storage, custom domain and branding, team features, SSO and SCIM.

Capto

• Education

  Student / Educator Pack for $19.99

  The web store lists a Student / Educator Pack at $19.99 against $29.99 for a single license. Institutions can also register for educational licensing.

• Other savings

  50% off a single license until 12 October 2026

  The web store shows the single license at half price during a promotion with a countdown; its settings end the sale on 12 October 2026.

• Other savings

  Available through Setapp

  Capto's product page carries a Setapp button linking to its Setapp listing, where the app is offered as part of that subscription.

CleanShot X

• Lifetime license

  One-time license for $35

  CleanShot Basic is a pay-once license that keeps working indefinitely. It includes one year of updates, and renewing updates afterwards is optional at $19 per year.

• Annual discount

  17% off Pro with yearly billing

  The pricing page marks yearly billing for CleanShot Pro as 17% cheaper than monthly, at $10 per user per month billed annually.

• Education

  30% educational discount

  Entering a university-issued email address gives 30% off. For Cloud Pro or update renewals, CleanShot asks students to email from their university address.

• Other savings

  20% off for PixelSnap customers

  Existing PixelSnap 2 customers get 20% off CleanShot, according to the pricing page.

• Other savings

  Included with Setapp

  CleanShot is also available through a Setapp subscription, which bundles it with more than 200 other apps.