There is no single "best" — it depends on how you work. Below are five solid options for capturing your Mac's screen, with an honest look at what each does well. We make ShotScreen, so we will tell you exactly where it fits and where the others are the better call.
Prices and features for other apps are summarized from their public sites and can change.
A one-time $8.99 / €8.99 app that packs a full markup editor, a 3D perspective tool, auto/manual scroll capture and screen recording with GIF export. Its standout is on-device AI: background removal, upscaling and OCR run locally with no account and no tracking. A live thumbnail after every capture lets you drag, edit or share instantly.
Choose it if you want the most features for a one-time price and care about privacy.
A highly refined app with a clean interface, cloud sharing and a strong all-round toolset. It is sold by subscription or as part of Setapp, and its cloud features rely on server-side processing.
Choose it if you already use Setapp or prefer a subscription with hosted cloud.
A lean, quick screenshot tool that is free to try with an affordable one-time unlock. It covers scrolling capture, basic OCR and annotation with very low overhead.
Choose it if you want something minimal and fast for everyday screenshots.
A long-standing, feature-rich capture and recording tool aimed at professional documentation and training. It has deep editing and templates, at a higher one-time price.
Choose it if your team produces lots of step-by-step guides and tutorials.
Apple's built-in Screenshot tool captures areas, windows and screens and records video, with a floating thumbnail. It is free and reliable, but has no scrolling capture, minimal editing and no AI.
Choose it if your needs are basic and you never want to install anything.
If you want the deepest free built-in tool, macOS ⌘⇧5 is already on your Mac. For a minimal, fast utility, Shottr is great. Teams building documentation will get the most from Snagit, and CleanShot X is a polished pick if you are happy with a subscription and hosted cloud.
ShotScreen aims at the middle ground most people actually want: one price, no subscription, a full editor, and AI that runs on your own Mac so nothing leaves your machine. If that combination matters to you, it is the easiest one to recommend.
Keep comparing: CleanShot X alternative · Scrolling screenshots · FAQ · Pricing