CleanShot X alternative
A CleanShot X alternative for finished screen recordings
CleanShot X is one of the best screenshot tools on the Mac, and it records the screen too. SmoothCut starts from the other end: it is a recorder and editor whose whole job is the finished video -- zooms placed for you, a cursor smoothed afterwards, captions and sound cleaned up on your computer -- and it runs on Windows as well.
SmoothCut and CleanShot X, side by side
| Feature | SmoothCut | CleanShot X |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Finished screen recordings | Screenshots, annotation and quick recordings |
| Pricing | One-time: $79 or $169 | $35 one-time with a year of updates ($19 a year to renew), or Pro at $10 per user a month, billed annually |
| Platforms | macOS and Windows | macOS only |
| Zooms | Placed for you on every recording | Zooms that follow the cursor, added in its editor |
| Cursor | Smoothed, resized and restyled after recording | Click and cursor effects |
| Captions | Generated on your computer | Transcription through CleanShot Cloud |
| Sharing | A share link when you want one, or the file itself | CleanShot Cloud links; 1 GB of storage on the one-time plan |
About CleanShot X, as checked in September 2026. Their pricing and features can change; check their site for the current picture.
Why people switch
What is different about SmoothCut
Buy it once
One payment. No monthly fee that keeps running whether you recorded anything this month or not. Personal is $79 for one computer with a year of updates; Pro is $169 for five computers with updates for life.
Everything happens on your computer
Recording, editing, captions, the automatic zooms and cuts, and the final export all run on your Mac or PC. Nothing is uploaded to make it work, so it works on a plane and your recordings stay yours.
The polish is automatic
Zooms follow your cursor. The cursor is smoothed after the fact. Captions are written from your voice. You record, and the demo is most of the way there before you touch the editor.
The other side
When CleanShot X is still the right choice
No tool is right for everyone. If any of these is you, stay where you are.
- Most of what you capture is screenshots: annotation, redaction and markup are what CleanShot X is built around.
- You need scrolling capture of a long page, or text recognition from an image.
- You only use a Mac and want the cheapest capable tool for quick recordings.
CleanShot X and SmoothCut: questions
Can I use both?
Many people do. CleanShot X for screenshots and quick captures, SmoothCut when the recording is something you will publish.
Does SmoothCut take screenshots?
SmoothCut is a video recorder. For still images there is Screenshot Studio, a free tool on this site that adds a background, padding and shadow to a screenshot in your browser.
More comparisons
- SmoothCut vs Screen Studio SmoothCut does the automatic zooms and smooth cursor Screen Studio is known for, on macOS and Windows, for a one-time price. Everything runs on your computer.
- SmoothCut vs Loom Loom is built around uploading and sharing links. SmoothCut is built around a polished file you own: recorded, edited and exported on your computer, bought once.
- SmoothCut vs Tella Tella records and edits in the browser with a subscription. SmoothCut is a desktop app you buy once: automatic zooms, smoothed cursor and captions, all done locally.
- SmoothCut vs Cap Cap and SmoothCut both zoom and smooth the cursor automatically and caption on your computer. Cap is open source with cloud plans; SmoothCut is one payment with nothing held back for a higher tier.
- SmoothCut vs OBS Studio OBS Studio is free, open source software for live streaming and recording. SmoothCut is for the recorded demo: it adds the zooms, smooths the cursor and includes the editor OBS leaves to you.
- SmoothCut vs QuickTime The Mac's built-in recorder gives you a raw .mov for free. SmoothCut adds what it lacks: automatic zooms, a smoothed cursor, system audio, camera layouts, captions and an editor.
- SmoothCut vs Descript Descript edits video and podcasts by editing the transcript, in the cloud, on a subscription. SmoothCut is a desktop screen recorder that zooms and smooths the cursor for you, bought once.
- Pricing One payment, no subscription.
Record better videos, faster.
Free to record, edit and preview. Pay once when you are ready to export.
macOS and Windows · No account needed