CleanShot X vs Flameshot
We give CleanShot X a 2.4 GPA and Flameshot a 3.6, out of 4.0. Flameshot grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CleanShot X
Mac screenshot and screen recording app with a one-time license
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACleanShot XFair | 3.6GPAFlameshotExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$35 once for the Basic license, with a year of updates and 1 GB of cloud storage. That's a fraction of a year of what video tools here typically cost. Later updates are optional at $19 per year, and the app keeps working if you skip them. | AFree and open source, with the main code under GPLv3+. There's no paid version, and the project says it doesn't even accept direct donations. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing is free. There's no free plan and no trial, and the vendor says so. The safety net is a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't the same as trying before you pay. | AThe whole app is free on Windows, macOS and Linux. Nothing is kept back for a paid tier, because there isn't one. |
| Features | AArea, window, full-screen and scrolling screenshots, annotations, styled backgrounds from 20 presets, and text recognition in more than 30 languages. It records MP4 or GIF with a camera overlay and shows keystrokes and clicks. The editor adds zooms and tidies the cursor. One job, done fully. | AIt does one job, the marked-up screenshot, and does it fully. Drag a box, then add arrows, text, shapes, highlights, a counter and blur that turns into pixelation. It keeps a history, uploads to Imgur, and has terminal commands for scripting and key binds. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Capture, mark it up, drag it where it needs to go. Upload to CleanShot Cloud and you get a share link, but the cloud is optional and the app works without it. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Launch, drag, annotate, save. On a Mac you have to grant screen recording permission first, and GNOME users need an AppIndicator extension to see the tray icon. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 13.0 or newer, and the vendor says there are no plans for a Windows version. A license is active on one Mac at a time. No integrations are on record. | BWindows, macOS and Linux, which is three unrelated systems, plus Imgur upload and a command line. Downloads are 64-bit only. There are no phone apps, and Wayland support on GNOME and Plasma is labelled experimental. |
| Best for | screenshots and quick recordings on a Mac | free marked-up screenshots on any desktop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CleanShot X and Flameshot. How we grade
Where they differ
- CleanShot X starts at $35 one-time payment, including one year of updates. Flameshot is free.
- Flameshot has a free plan. CleanShot X does not.
- Only Flameshot lists Windows and Linux apps.
- CleanShot X can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Flameshot is open source, according to its own site.
- CleanShot X also covers screen recording and video editing.
At a glance
| CleanShot X | Flameshot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| Starts at | $35 one-time payment, including one year of updates | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole app is free and open source, with its main code under GPLv3+. The project says it does not accept direct donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | MTW | Flameshot contributors |
| Price read from | cleanshot.com | flameshot.org |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Flameshot
- People who want the same free screenshot tool on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Marking up a capture with arrows, text and pixelation before saving it
- Scripting screenshots or binding them to custom keys from the terminal
Worth knowing
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.
Flameshot
- GNOME Wayland and Plasma Wayland support is described as experimental, and GNOME 41 or later asks to share the screen on every capture.
- It relies on a system tray; GNOME users need an AppIndicator extension to see the icon.
- The upload tool sends images to Imgur anonymously, and the shared client ID can run into Imgur's hourly quota.
- Downloads are 64-bit only, and on macOS it must be granted screen recording permission before it can capture anything.
Key features
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.
Flameshot
- Area capture with in-place editing
- Launch it, drag a selection box over the area you want and annotate directly on screen before saving the shot, without opening a separate editor.
- Annotation tools
- Arrows, lines, pencil, marker highlights, text, rectangles, circles, solid color boxes and an incrementing counter, plus a blur tool that turns into pixelation at larger sizes.
- Customizable interface
- A configuration dialog sets the interface color, which tool buttons appear, the keyboard shortcuts and how images are saved.
- Command-line interface
- Terminal commands capture a region or the full screen without opening the GUI first, with options for a delay, a save path and copying to the clipboard.
- Upload to Imgur
- Uploads a selection to Imgur after a warning and lets you delete it afterwards. Since version 11.0.0 you can set your own Imgur Client ID for a separate upload quota.
- Tray icon and history
- Runs in the background with a system tray icon for configuration, and keeps a screenshot history that a shortcut opens.
Plans
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.
Flameshot
Flameshot$0
The complete app as a Windows installer or portable build, a macOS dmg or Homebrew cask, and a Linux AppImage, Snap, Flatpak or distribution package.
Ways to pay less
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.
Flameshot
No public discounts listed.
