Best Screenshot Tools for Mac

The built-in screenshot tool cannot annotate well, capture a scrolling page or blur secrets before you paste into a GitHub issue.

Prices checked November 5, 2026 · 5 apps

For developer work the useful features are annotation, scrolling capture, short screen recordings as video or GIF, blurring sensitive data and OCR for copying text out of an image. Most apps here are one-time purchases with a year of updates; check whether you need cloud share links, which usually cost extra.

Our pick

CleanShot XPay once$35 one-time (1 year of updates, then $19/year optional); Cloud Pro $10/user/month billed yearlyArea and window captures with annotation, scrolling capture, screen recording to video or GIF, OCR and blurring of sensitive data, all from one menu bar app.Best for: Developers who write READMEs, docs and bug reports with screenshots and recordings every week.Visit

Alternatives

Free and open source

FlameshotOpen sourceFree, open source (GPL-3.0)A cross-platform screenshot tool with in-place annotation, blur and upload, installed on Mac with Homebrew.Best for: Linux users who want the same capture tool on their Mac, or anyone who needs a free tool with basic markup.Visit Flameshot

Free to start

ShottrFreemiumFree for personal use; $12 one-time license (required for commercial use, up to 5 Macs)A fast, lightweight screenshot app with scrolling capture, annotation, pixelation, OCR, a screen ruler and color picker.Best for: Anyone who wants most of CleanShot X's capture and markup features for little or no money and does not need video.Visit Shottr
XnapperFreemiumFree with a watermark; $29.99 one-time (1 Mac, 1 year of updates)Turns a capture into a presentable image with automatic balancing and backgrounds, and redacts emails, IP addresses and API keys in one click.Best for: People who post screenshots on social media, landing pages or changelogs and want them to look tidy without editing.Visit Xnapper

Subscription

SnagitSubscription$39/year (Individual)TechSmith's capture tool with step-by-step guide templates, video recording with webcam, and a large annotation toolset; runs on Mac and Windows.Best for: Teams writing internal documentation and how-to guides across both Mac and Windows.Visit Snagit

Frequently asked questions

Is CleanShot X a one-time purchase?

Yes. The app is $35 once and includes one year of updates; renewing updates after that is optional at $19 a year. Cloud features are a separate subscription.

Is there a free alternative to CleanShot X?

Shottr is free for personal use and covers scrolling capture, annotation and OCR. Flameshot is free and open source with basic markup.

How do I take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac?

macOS can't do it on its own. CleanShot X and Shottr both capture scrolling content from any app.