Free Alternative to CleanShot X

Shottr is the closest free alternative to CleanShot X. It's blazingly fast—captures take just 17ms and display in 165ms, optimized natively for Apple Silicon. The feature set rivals paid tools: scrolling captures for long pages, OCR text extraction, pixel-perfect measurements with a built-in ruler, and comprehensive annotation tools.

Most features are free; only extras like the backdrop beautify tool require an optional $12 one-time payment. Shottr excels at speed without sacrificing capability, making it the top choice for designers and developers who need professional-grade screenshot tools. The tiny 1.2MB application footprint means it launches instantly and runs without impacting system performance, even on older Macs.

Flameshot is a completely free, open-source screenshot tool that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Version 13 (2025) added native Apple Silicon support—no Rosetta needed. It excels at annotation with arrows, text, blur, pixelation, numbered markers, and shape tools all accessible from an intuitive toolbar.

Imgur integration provides quick cloud sharing. Perfect for users who value open-source software or work across multiple operating systems. The numbered counter markers are particularly useful for creating step-by-step tutorials and documentation. Flameshot's command-line interface makes it ideal for automation and scripting workflows, allowing developers to integrate screenshot capture into their build processes or testing pipelines.

The built-in macOS Screenshot tool (Cmd+Shift+3/4/5) has improved significantly in recent versions. It handles area, window, and full-screen captures plus screen recording—all without installing anything. The floating thumbnail lets you markup immediately with shapes, text, and arrows.

While it lacks scrolling capture and OCR, the basics are solid and completely integrated with your system. macOS Sequoia and Sonoma have added new features like enhanced markup tools and better integration with Continuity Camera. The tool respects your privacy with no cloud uploads unless you explicitly share via Mail, Messages, or AirDrop. For many users, this built-in solution provides everything needed without the complexity of third-party apps.

Kap is a free, open-source screen recorder built specifically for macOS. While it doesn't capture still screenshots, it excels at screen recording with export options for GIF, MP4, WebM, and APNG formats. The plugin system extends functionality with direct uploads to Giphy, Streamable, and other services.

Kap lives in your menu bar and activates quickly with keyboard shortcuts. The built-in editor lets you trim recordings and highlight mouse clicks. Perfect for creating quick demos, animated tutorials, or bug reproduction videos.

When combined with a screenshot tool like Shottr, Kap provides a complete screen capture solution that rivals CleanShot X's recording features. The open-source nature means no watermarks, time limits, or premium features locked behind paywalls.

Monosnap is a comprehensive free screenshot and screen recording tool with built-in cloud storage. The free version includes 2GB of cloud storage for instant sharing via generated links. It supports full screen, area, window, and scrolling capture for web pages.

The annotation tools are robust with shapes, text, blur, arrows, and the ability to combine multiple screenshots into one. Monosnap integrates with popular cloud services including Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote. The free version is limited to non-commercial use, but for personal projects and side work, it provides exceptional value. The instant upload and link generation makes sharing screenshots faster than manually uploading to image hosts.

Lightshot is one of the simplest and fastest screenshot tools available. It focuses on speed and ease of use—capture any area with Cmd+Shift+9, then immediately annotate with basic tools. The lightning-fast editor lets you add lines, arrows, rectangles, and text as soon as you capture.

Upload to prntscr.com servers for instant sharing with a short link, or save locally. Lightshot also offers a unique visual similarity search feature that finds similar images on the Internet. The cross-platform nature (Mac and Windows) makes it ideal for users who switch between operating systems. While it lacks advanced features, the simplicity is its strength—no configuration, no learning curve, just instant screenshots.

Skitch is Evernote's free screenshot and annotation tool for Mac. While development has slowed (last major update in 2020), it remains functional on modern macOS including Sequoia. Skitch excels at annotation with clear, standout text and shapes that make screenshots more communicative.

The ability to capture the same screen area repeatedly is perfect for before/after comparisons. Integration with Evernote allows syncing annotated screenshots directly to your notes, though an Evernote account is only required for syncing—all capture and annotation features work without one. Skitch is particularly good at PDF markup, making it useful for reviewing documents and design mockups. For users already in the Evernote ecosystem, Skitch provides seamless integration.

Greenshot is famous as a free, open-source screenshot tool on Windows, and it's now available on Mac—though the Mac version is proprietary and costs around $2 on the App Store (not free like the Windows version). Still, at just $2, it's nearly free and offers excellent value. Greenshot provides capture options for full screen, window, region, and scrolling windows.

The annotation tools include text, shapes, highlights, and obfuscation for sensitive information. You can export to multiple formats, save locally, copy to clipboard, or upload to cloud services. The Mac version was built specifically for macOS with optimization for Apple Silicon, ensuring minimal resource usage and fast performance. For users who loved Greenshot on Windows, the Mac version provides familiar functionality.