FastStone Capture vs CleanShot X

FastStone Capture7.9Visit CleanShot X7.8Visit

Higher score FastStone Capture #10 in Screen Capture Software 7.9/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 5 features Visit FastStone

vs

CleanShot X #11 in Screen Capture Software 7.8/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit CleanShot X

• FastStone Capture fits best

  Windows users wanting a lifetime purchase

• CleanShot X fits best

  Mac users needing polished recording and sharing

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Side by side

Feature	FastStone Capture 7.9/10 Visit ↗	CleanShot X 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.9	7.8
Ranking	#10 in Screen Capture Software	#11 in Screen Capture Software
Best for	Windows users wanting a lifetime purchase	Mac users needing polished recording and sharing
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$29.95 one-time	$10/user/mo
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	macOS
Features FastStone Capture 3/5 · CleanShot X 4/5
Scrolling capture	✓	✓
Annotation tools	✓	✓
OCR	✓	✓
Browser extension	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Cloud sharing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Desktop platforms	Windows	Macos
Export formats	BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, TIFF, WEBP, FSC, PDF, MP4, WMV	MP4, GIF
Our review
Pros	Captures scrolling pages, screen regions, windows, menus, and full screens Combines OCR, annotation, image editing, recording, and PDF creation One-time licenses include free upgrades; family license covers up to 5 computers	Captures scrolling pages, timed shots and full-screen or window views Combines annotations, on-device OCR and MP4 or GIF recording Cloud sharing adds comments, transcripts and protected links
Cons	Windows only, with no support for other desktop platforms No free plan; access starts with a 30-day trial Family license costs more than the single-user license	Runs on macOS only No free plan; Basic starts at $35 one-time SSO and SCIM are limited to the Pro plan
Our verdict	FastStone Capture is a Windows desktop application for people who need more than a basic screenshot. It can capture windows, objects, menus, full screens, selected regions, and scrolling web pages, then add annotations or edit images.… Read the review →	CleanShot X brings screenshots, screen recording, annotation, editing and sharing together in a macOS app. It suits Mac users who need to explain visual material, capture scrolling content or distribute recordings and screenshots through… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• FastStone Capture — where it wins

  • Captures scrolling pages, screen regions, windows, menus, and full screens
  • Combines OCR, annotation, image editing, recording, and PDF creation
  • One-time licenses include free upgrades; family license covers up to 5 computers

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows only, with no support for other desktop platforms
  • No free plan; access starts with a 30-day trial
  • Family license costs more than the single-user license

• CleanShot X — where it wins

  • Captures scrolling pages, timed shots and full-screen or window views
  • Combines annotations, on-device OCR and MP4 or GIF recording
  • Cloud sharing adds comments, transcripts and protected links

  Where it doesn't

  • Runs on macOS only
  • No free plan; Basic starts at $35 one-time
  • SSO and SCIM are limited to the Pro plan

• FastStone Capture7.9/10 · 30-day trial

  A Windows-only capture and recording tool with OCR, editing, and a one-time price.

  Visit FastStoneFull verdict →
• CleanShot X7.8/10 · Paid

  A capable Mac capture suite, with cloud collaboration on Pro and no free plan.

  Visit CleanShot XFull verdict →