CleanShot X
Ranked 5 of 8 screenshot tools by recommenders
People recommend it for screenshots and screen recordings that just work, with a floating webcam recording option. One reported bug: a screenshot once reset a DisplayPort driver.
People recommend it for screenshots and screen recordings that just work, with a floating webcam recording option. One reported bug: a screenshot once reset a DisplayPort driver.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Screenshots and screen recording in one
“One reason I use Cleanshot is that it can also record screencasts with a floating recording of my face via the webcam.”
Comment from 20 Jan 2026 in “Bettershot an OSS Alternative of Cleanshot” “just video is waaay better in cleanshot than it is in shareX”
Comment from 30 Jan 2026 in “Flameshot” Reliable, just works
“I eventually paid for CleanShotX for my work and have peace of mind because it just works.”
Comment from 24 Oct 2026 in “OBS Studio 33” “CleanShotX's tools are about 1 billion times faster/easier to use”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “An eBPF loophole: Using XDP for egress traffic”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Paid subscription or license cost
“I got tired of paying for cleanshotx”
Comment from 10 Aug 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you working on? (August 2026)” “paid license to cleanshot x”
Comment from 1 Aug 2026 in “Software for One”
Other screenshot tools people recommend
The four most recommended other screenshot tools, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flameshot | 44 | 19 | 70% | 4 | 5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| KDE Spectacle | 21 | 7 | 75% | 8 | — | Approved |
| ShareX | 10 | 2 | 83% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Windows Snipping Tool | 7 | 13 | 35% | 5 | — | — |
| CleanShot XThis page | 6 | 2 | 75% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 9 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I eventually paid for CleanShotX for my work and have peace of mind because it just works.”
“I got tired of paying for cleanshotx”
“paid license to cleanshot x”
“taking a screenshot with CleanShot somehow resets the DisplayPort driver”
“just video is waaay better in cleanshot than it is in shareX”
“has a lot of great features I benefit from”
“One reason I use Cleanshot is that it can also record screencasts with a floating recording of my face via the webcam.”
“CleanShot X is extremely good, in case anyone is looking for more endorsements.”
“CleanShotX's tools are about 1 billion times faster/easier to use”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.