CleanShot
CleanShot, developed by MTW, is a native macOS application for screenshot capture, screen recording, annotation, OCR, and cloud sharing, serving individual Mac power users, remote teams, and support professionals worldwide via one-time desktop licenses and a Cloud subscription.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBoca Raton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What CleanShot does
CleanShot is a macOS-native screen capture and recording application developed and operated by MTW, with product roots in a 2018 launch and a major rebuild as CleanShot X in April 2020. The company is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, operates with 1–10 employees, and remains privately held with no disclosed external funding. The product targets individual Mac power users, remote teams, and support professionals, offering over 50 features within a single native application: screenshot capture, annotation, scrolling capture (including horizontal scrolling), screen and GIF recording with webcam overlay, OCR-based text extraction across 18+ languages, pinned screenshots, a Quick Access Overlay, and an editable .cleanshot project file format. The application is built specifically for Apple Silicon and optimized for macOS Tahoe, leveraging deep native macOS APIs rather than cross-platform abstractions.
The product portfolio comprises two interlocking offerings. CleanShot X is the flagship one-time-purchase desktop application priced at $29 with a 30-day money-back guarantee, additional seat licenses, and an active affiliate program. CleanShot Cloud is a subscription-based companion platform launched in June 2021 that provides instant sharing links, unlimited storage, custom domain branding, team management, SSO/SCIM, self-destruct and password-protected links, and automatic video transcription with captions; the Cloud service has achieved ISO 27001 certification. Distribution runs through direct website sales and the Setapp curated Mac app marketplace.
CleanShot's go-to-market is product-led growth driven by organic word-of-mouth: the company has accumulated 352+ user testimonials, endorsements from notable tech figures including Jason Fried (Basecamp), Tyler Tringas (Earnest Capital), and Chris Messina, and press coverage in outlets such as AppleInsider. The company releases frequent updates — five point releases of version 4.8.x shipped between July 2025 and March 2026 — and has expanded integrations with Raycast AI Chat (2024) and PixelSnap, plus a developer-facing URL Scheme API for programmatic capture.
CleanShot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CleanShot
- Legal name
- MTW
- Website
- https://cleanshot.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CleanShot, developed by MTW, is a native macOS application for screenshot capture, screen recording, annotation, OCR, and cloud sharing, serving individual Mac power users, remote teams, and support professionals worldwide via one-time desktop licenses and a Cloud subscription.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CleanShot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boca Raton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CleanShot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- CleanShot X Desktop App License: One-time purchase license for the CleanShot X desktop application for Mac. Includes all core screenshot and recording features. Cloud features available as add-on subscription.
- CleanShot Cloud Pro Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for cloud storage, custom domain branding, team management, SSO/SCIM, unlimited storage, and advanced sharing controls including self-destruct and password protection.
- Affiliate Program: Revenue sharing program for affiliates promoting CleanShot products
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CleanShot X - One-time license for desktop app with 50+ features including annotation, scrolling capture, screen recording, OCR, and video editing |
| Subscription | Annual | CleanShot Cloud Pro - Cloud storage and sharing with team management, custom branding, SSO/SCIM, and enterprise security features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
CleanShot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CleanShot develops and sells CleanShot X, a native macOS application offering screenshot capture, screen recording (video and GIF), annotation, scrolling capture, OCR text recognition, and pinned screenshots with a Quick Access Overlay. It also offers CleanShot Cloud, a companion cloud platform for instant upload, branded sharing, team management, and storage of screen captures and recordings.
Product overview
CleanShot offers a two-product portfolio: CleanShot X is the flagship Mac application providing screenshot and screen recording capabilities with over 50 features including annotation tools, scrolling capture, OCR text recognition, and screen recording with webcam overlay. CleanShot Cloud is the companion cloud platform that enables instant sharing of captures via links, offering unlimited storage, custom domain branding, and team collaboration features including SSO/SCIM support. The products are designed to work together, with CleanShot X capable of directly uploading captures to CleanShot Cloud.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CleanShot X A native macOS screenshot and screen recording application offering over 50 features including annotation, scrolling capture, video/GIF recording with webcam overlay, OCR text recognition, pinned screenshots, and a Quick Access Overlay for managing captures. Designed for Mac power users such as developers, designers, product managers, and support professionals.
- CleanShot Cloud
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.9/5 star rating based on user reviews
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CleanShot
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CleanShot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature14 records
CleanShot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CleanShot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CloudApp: CloudApp offers screen recording, screenshots, and GIF capture with cloud sharing and team management — overlapping directly with both CleanShot X (capture) and CleanShot Cloud (sharing/team). It serves similar Mac/PC professional users.
- Loom: Loom is the leading async screen-recording and video-messaging platform, and CleanShot Cloud is explicitly described in the source data as a 'Loom alternative for Mac.' It is the closest direct competitor in CleanShot's subscription cloud offering.
- Monosnap: Monosnap is a cross-platform screenshot tool with built-in annotation and cloud sharing, directly comparable to CleanShot X's capture-and-share workflow for Mac power users.
- Snagit (TechSmith): Snagit is the leading paid screenshot capture and annotation tool for professionals, serving a similar audience of developers, designers, and support teams. It is CleanShot's closest direct competitor in screenshot annotation and editing.
- Droplr: Droplr is a cross-platform screenshot and screen-recording tool with cloud sharing and short-link distribution. It competes with CleanShot in both the local capture experience and the cloud share/host layer.
Broad incumbents
- Apple built-in Screenshot app (Preview/Screenshot Toolbar): macOS ships a free, native screen capture, recording, and Markup tool that is the primary substitute for CleanShot X. Apple controls the platform and can narrow CleanShot's differentiation by adding features directly into the OS.
- ScreenFlow (Telestream): ScreenFlow is an established macOS screen-recording and video-editing suite used for tutorials and product demos. It overlaps with CleanShot's screen-recording capability but operates at a higher price point and broader use case.
Emerging players
- Tella: Tella is a newer async screen-recording and short-video messaging tool that competes with CleanShot Cloud in the same async-visual-communication category, particularly for Mac-using creators and product teams.
- Screencastify: Screencastify is a browser-based and desktop screen-recording tool with cloud sharing for educators and teams — a comparable async video sharing competitor to CleanShot Cloud in adjacent vertical and workflow uses.
- Shottr: Shottr is a newer Mac-native screenshot tool focused on pixel-perfect capture, scrolling screenshots, and OCR. It targets the same Mac power-user niche as CleanShot with a smaller, free-leaning feature set.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CleanShot social profiles
Digital presenceCleanShot compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CleanShot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CleanShot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CleanShot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CleanShot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CleanShot
What does CleanShot do?
CleanShot develops and sells CleanShot X, a native macOS application offering screenshot capture, screen recording (video and GIF), annotation, scrolling capture, OCR text recognition, and pinned screenshots with a Quick Access Overlay. It also offers CleanShot Cloud, a companion cloud platform for instant upload, branded sharing, team management, and storage of screen captures and recordings.
Is CleanShot a public or private company?
CleanShot is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CleanShot founded?
CleanShot was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CleanShot based?
CleanShot is headquartered in Boca Raton, United States, in the North America region.
How does CleanShot make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. CleanShot X Desktop App License is the primary driver. The others are cleanShot Cloud Pro Subscription and affiliate Program.
Who are CleanShot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CloudApp, Loom, Monosnap, Snagit (TechSmith) and Droplr. Broad incumbents are Apple built-in Screenshot app (Preview/Screenshot Toolbar) and ScreenFlow (Telestream). Emerging players are Tella, Screencastify and Shottr.
Does CleanShot have an API?
Yes. URL Scheme API enables programmatic access to CleanShot X functionality. Allows capturing specific areas with x, y, width, height parameters, triggering capture modes, and integration with other applications. Added in version 3.8.1 (July 2021) with subsequent endpoint additions in later versions. Developer documentation is at cleanshot.com/docs-api.