CleanShot X vs Setapp

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

Setapp

• Mac users who would otherwise buy several utilities separately
• People who like to try new apps without paying for each one
• Owners of several Macs and iOS devices, via the Power User plan

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.

Setapp

• There is no free plan; after the 7-day trial the Mac plan costs $14.99 a month plus tax.
• The base Mac plan covers a single Mac; iOS devices or more Macs need a higher plan.
• Unused AI credits reset each billing period and do not carry over.
• The help center also lists an iOS-only plan at $7.99 a month and two AI+ plans that the pricing page does not show.

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.

Setapp

App catalog under one membership

More than 300 Mac, iOS and web apps, grouped into Optimize, Work, Create, Develop and AI categories. App updates are included.

Utilities in the catalog

The catalog includes Paste for clipboard history, Mosaic for window layouts, CleanShot X for screenshots, Rocket Typist for text snippets and Timing for time tracking.

AI credits and AI apps

Around 40 AI-powered apps, such as TypingMind, BoltAI and Elephas, draw on one shared allowance of AI credits. Extra credits can be bought separately.

Device coverage by plan

Plans cover 1 Mac, 1 Mac with 4 iOS devices, or 4 Macs with 4 iOS devices.

Single-app purchases

An app can be bought on its own as a monthly or yearly subscription or a one-time purchase, as set by its developer. Single apps are available for macOS only.

Setapp for Teams

Team accounts let an admin invite and remove members and manage the team's devices and apps.

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.

Setapp

• Mac$14.99

  per month + tax, billed monthly ($107.88 billed annually)

  The full app catalog on 1 Mac, with 1,000 AI credits a month on monthly billing.

• Mac + iOS$18.99

  per month + tax, billed monthly ($134.88 billed annually)

  1 Mac and 4 iOS devices, with 1,000 AI credits a month on monthly billing.

• Power User$22.99

  per month + tax, billed monthly ($161.88 billed annually)

  4 Macs and 4 iOS devices, with 2,000 AI credits a month on monthly billing.

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.

Setapp

• Annual discount

  Save up to 40% with yearly billing

  The pricing page advertises savings of up to 40% on yearly billing. The help center lists the Mac plan at $107.88 a year against $14.99 a month.

• Education

  20% off the annual Mac + iOS plan for education

  Students, researchers and educators who sign up with an educational email address get 20% off the annual Mac + iOS plan: $107.88 a year against the regular $134.88. New subscribers only.