CleanShot X vs Kap: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
CleanShot X
CleanShot X is a powerful Mac screenshot and screen recording app with built-in editing, cloud sharing, and scrolling capture features.
Kap
Kap is a free, open-source screen recorder for macOS that captures and exports high-quality screen recordings in multiple formats effortlessly.
CleanShot X
CleanShot X is a powerful Mac screenshot and screen recording app with built-in editing, cloud sharing, and scrolling capture features.
Kap
Kap is a free, open-source screen recorder for macOS that captures and exports high-quality screen recordings in multiple formats effortlessly.
CleanShot X
Multiple screenshot modes with smart window detection
Professional annotation and editing tools
Automatic desktop icon hiding
Screen freeze for difficult captures
Scrolling capture for long pages
Screen recording with audio and GIF creation
Cloud storage with instant shareable links
OCR text extraction from images
Custom backgrounds and branding
Capture history to retrieve recent screenshots
Kap
Free and open-source screen recorder for macOS
Export as GIF, MP4, WebM, or APNG formats
Record full screen, windows, or custom areas
Include audio from system or microphone
Highlight mouse clicks in recordings
Built-in trimming and basic editing tools
Plugin support for quick sharing services
Keyboard shortcuts for fast workflow
Lightweight with minimal resource usage
Apple Silicon optimized
CleanShot X
CleanShot X offers flexible pricing to match different needs. The basic plan provides excellent value for individual users.
App + Cloud Basic costs $29 as a one-time payment. This includes the full Mac app to keep forever, one year of free updates, and 1GB of cloud storage. After the first year, you can optionally renew for $19 per year to get continued updates, or simply keep using the version you have without renewing. Students and existing PixelSnap 2 users receive special discounts.
App + Cloud Pro is designed for teams and power users at $8 per user per month when billed annually, or $10 per month when billed monthly. This includes access to the Mac app for all team members, unlimited cloud storage, custom domain and branding options, password-protected links with self-destruct controls, and advanced team management features including single sign-on.
Kap
Kap is completely free to use with no hidden costs, subscriptions, or premium tiers. As an open-source project, it's available to everyone at no charge.
There are no limitations on recording length, export formats, or features. Everything you see in Kap is yours to use without any paywalls or upgrade prompts. You get full access to all recording options, export formats, and plugin capabilities from day one.
The project is maintained by volunteers and the open-source community. If you find Kap valuable and want to support its development, you can contribute code on GitHub or help with bug reports and feature suggestions. However, financial contribution is not required to use any part of the software. Download it once, and use it forever without ever paying anything.