Screen recording apps for MacHead to head
CleanShot X vs Loom
CleanShot X ranks #1 and Loom ranks #4 in our guide to the best screen recording apps for Mac. CleanShot X is our pick for most people.
CleanShot XPick CleanShot X if you take screenshots and record short how-to clips every day and want 1 tool for both.$35 once#4 in the guide
LoomPick Loom if your team already shares Loom videos, or you need to record from an iPhone or iPad too.Free to startWhat decides it
- On price: CleanShot X is $35 once, with 1 year of updates. Pro is $10 a month billed yearly. Loom is free for 25 videos up to 5 minutes. Business is $18 per user a month.
- Both run on Mac. Only Loom runs on iPhone and iPad.
- CleanShot X is included with a Setapp subscription; Loom isn't.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | CleanShot X | Loom |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 once, with 1 year of updates. Pro is $10 a month billed yearly | Free for 25 videos up to 5 minutes. Business is $18 per user a month |
| How you pay | Pay once | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | $35 | Depends on the plan |
| Free trial | None listed | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Where to buy | Developer, Setapp | App Store, Developer |
| Rating | Too few ratings | 4.8 19K ratings |
| Features | Menu bar app | Free trial |
| Made by | Not listed | Loom, Inc |
| Last updated | 27 Oct 2026 | 2 Nov 2026 |
Who should get which
Get CleanShot X if
You send screenshots or how-to clips for work and want them clean without opening an editor.
Get Loom if
You explain things to coworkers or clients, and a 2-minute video beats a long email.
Skip CleanShot X if
You take a screenshot once a month, and Shift-Command-5 handles that for free.
Skip Loom if
You only record your screen for yourself, a job the free Shift-Command-5 tool already does.
Our verdicts
CleanShot X
The Mac's built-in screenshot tool can't grab a whole scrolling page or blur a name before you share it. CleanShot X does both, copies text out of any capture, records your screen as a video or GIF, and its Studio Mode adds cursor-following zooms to recordings. It costs $35 once with 1 year of updates and has no free trial, so try Shottr, free for personal use, before you buy.
Loom
The Mac's Shift-Command-5 tool records your screen, but Loom records your camera and voice with it and hands you a share link the moment you stop. Viewers leave time-stamped comments and reactions, and you see who watched. The free plan caps you at 25 videos of up to 5 minutes in 720p, and Business is $18 per user a month, so Cap is worth a look if you want shareable links for less.
What each one helps you do
CleanShot X
- Capture a whole scrolling page in 1 image
- Hide names and emails before you share
- Copy text out of any screenshot
- Turn a screen recording into a polished video
Loom
- Record a walkthrough with your face showing
- Share a video by pasting a link
- See who watched and read their comments
- Replace a short meeting with a video
Where to get them
CleanShot X
$35 once, with 1 year of updates. Pro is $10 a month billed yearly
-
From the developerNo trial, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee$35Get it
-
IncludedTry Setapp
Some links earn us a commission, which never changes a pick.
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best screen recording apps for Mac.
Screen StudioPick this if you publish product demos or course videos and want them zoomed and smoothed without a video editor.From $9
CapPick it if you want Loom-style share links for free and like that the code is open source.Free to start
GifoxPick this if your recordings last a few seconds and need to play as GIFs inside Slack or email.Free to start
Read the full guideAll CleanShot X alternativesAll Loom alternatives