CleanShot X vs macOS Built-in
Your Mac already captures screenshots with Cmd+Shift+3/4/5. CleanShot X adds 50+ features on top. Here is what you gain by upgrading.
Key differences.
Scrolling Capture & OCR
macOS cannot capture scrolling content or extract text from screenshots. CleanShot X does both natively, which is a game-changer for capturing long web pages or grabbing text from images.
Cloud Sharing
macOS saves screenshots to your desktop or clipboard. CleanShot X can instantly upload to the cloud and copy a shareable link — much faster for sharing with teammates.
Annotations
macOS offers basic markup in Preview after you open the file. CleanShot X has built-in annotation tools that appear immediately after capture, keeping you in flow.
Feature-by-feature comparison.
| Feature | CleanShot X | macOS Built-in |
|---|---|---|
| Area capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fullscreen capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Window capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen recording | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scrolling capture | ✓ | — |
| Annotations (inline) | ✓ | — |
| OCR / text recognition | ✓ | — |
| Cloud sharing | ✓ | — |
| Quick Access overlay | ✓ | — |
| Timer / delay capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| No install needed | — | ✓ |
| Free | — | ✓ |
Pricing.
CleanShot X
macOS Built-in
Code with AI assistants?
If you use Claude, Cursor, or similar AI coding tools, LazyScreenshots auto-pastes screenshots directly into your AI workflow. Neither CleanShot X nor macOS built-in can do this.
Learn about LazyScreenshots