CleanShot X vs Screenflick (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CleanShot X and Screenflick share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Screenflick
Mac screen recorder with system audio, sold as a one-time license
Which one is for you
Pick CleanShot X if
- Fits if you take and mark up screenshots on a Mac many times a day
- Works for people who'd rather pay $35 once than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, as it's macOS only and no Windows version is planned
- Not for you if you want to try before you buy, since there's no trial, only a 30-day refund
- Pricey if you want unlimited cloud storage, because that needs Pro at $10 per user a month billed annually
- Watch out: the $35 license covers one year of updates, and after that it's $19 a year to keep getting them
- Tight if you work across two Macs, as a license is active on one Mac at a time, and it needs macOS 13
Pick Screenflick if
- Fits if you record tutorials or gameplay on a Mac and want to pay once
- Works for time-lapse captures, as the app can record at a very low frame rate
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, because it runs on Mac only
- Tight if you want to try before paying: no trial or free tier is stated
- Too light for editing beyond trimming, cropping and brightness
- Watch out: a license covers version 3, and a future major version may need an upgrade
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACleanShot XFair | 2.0GPAScreenflickFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$35 once for the Basic license, with a year of updates and 1 GB of cloud storage. A one-off under a year of this category's $10 middle, and the app keeps working if you skip the optional $19 a year for later updates. | A$35 once for version 3, less than three months of a typical $14 subscription and under the one-time middle of $37. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing is free. No free plan, no trial, not even a limited one. All you get is a 30-day money-back guarantee, and that isn't trying before you pay. | FNo free tier or trial on the pages read, though a Download button is offered. |
| Features | CArea, window, full-screen and scrolling captures, annotations, 20 background presets, text recognition in 30-odd languages, MP4 and GIF recording with keystrokes shown, and an editor for zooms and cursor tidying. Screenshots done fully, which is a smaller job than video editing. | CRecords to 5K at 60 fps with system audio, mic, webcam and exports to HEVC, H.264, ProRes or GIF. Editing is limited to trim, crop and brightness, so it is a recorder, not an editor. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: press the shortcut, mark it up, drag it where it's going. The cloud is optional and the app is fine without it. | BNo store rating on record. It is an app you install and start recording with, with nothing to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 13 or newer, and the vendor says a Windows version isn't planned. One operating system, no integrations on record, and a license runs on one Mac at a time. | DMac only, and version 3.3 needs macOS 11 or later. Automator and Shortcuts are the only hooks listed. |
| Best for | screenshots and quick recordings on a Mac | recording a Mac screen at 60 fps |
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 Screenflick. How we grade
Where they differ
- CleanShot X also covers screenshots.
At a glance
| CleanShot X | Screenflick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $35 one-time payment, including one year of updates | $35 one-time license for version 3 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | MTW | Araelium Group |
| Price read from | cleanshot.com | araelium.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
Screenflick
- Mac only: version 3.3 requires macOS 11 or later.
- A license covers version 3 and its free updates; a future major version may need an upgrade.
- The pages read state no trial or free tier, though a Download button is offered.
- Editing is limited to trimming, cropping and brightness; it is a recorder, not a full editor.
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.
Screenflick
- High frame rate capture
- Records any area of the screen up to 5K, at up to 60 fps or more on ProMotion displays, on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
- System audio and microphone
- Captures audio playing on the Mac from any source, with microphone audio and an audio balance control.
- Webcam and key display
- Adds a webcam picture-in-picture, background removal, and on-screen keystrokes and mouse clicks.
- Time-lapse and scheduling
- Records at a very low frame rate for time-lapse movies, and can start scheduled recordings.
- Export options
- Exports as HEVC, H.264, WebM, ProRes or GIF, with trimming, cropping and export presets.
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.
Screenflick
Full License$35
one-time license for version 3
Version 3 and its free updates, with free support. Use on your own two computers.
Upgrade from Version 2$20
one-time upgrade
For version 2 owners; a version 2 purchase made on or after January 1, 2021 upgrades free.
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.
Screenflick
- Education
Academic discounts on request
Students, professors and institutions can email a request for a discounted license.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CleanShot X or Screenflick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CleanShot X starts at $35 one-time payment, including one year of updates, and Screenflick starts at $35 one-time license for version 3.
Which has a free plan, CleanShot X or Screenflick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither CleanShot X nor Screenflick has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.