CleanShot X Alternative for Mac — Free Screenshot OCR + Shelf

For Mac users comparing CleanShot alternatives, Mac screenshot OCR tools, and free screenshot utilities.

Short verdict

Choose CleanShot X if you need professional screen recording, cloud sharing, and its mature scrolling capture. Choose FlowShelf if you mainly need free screenshots, OCR, annotation, pinning, and the screenshots to live next to your clipboard shelf.

What the official CleanShot X page says

CleanShot markets itself as a powerful replacement for the macOS screenshot tool with 50+ features.
Its official page lists Quick Access, annotation, CleanShot Cloud, scrolling capture, screen recording, background tool, text recognition, pin screenshots, and self-timer.
CleanShot Cloud is optional according to the official page.

FlowShelf vs CleanShot X

Need	CleanShot X	FlowShelf
Area screenshots	Yes	Yes
OCR / text recognition	Yes	Yes
Scrolling capture	Yes — mature feature	Experimental/limited in FlowShelf
Screen recording	Yes	No full CleanShot-style recorder
Clipboard/shelf workflow	Screenshot-focused	Screenshot + shelf + clipboard

Who should use FlowShelf instead?

FlowShelf is the better fit when the shelf is not the only job. It is designed for people who want copied items, dragged files, screenshots, OCR text, snippets, and light window tools to live in one private Mac menu-bar app.

Who should stay with CleanShot X?

Stay with CleanShot X when its dedicated category depth is exactly what you need. This comparison is not claiming FlowShelf replaces every advanced feature; it shows where FlowShelf is a free all-in-one alternative.

Try FlowShelf free

No account, no subscription. Native macOS app for Apple Silicon and Intel.

Download FlowShelf

Related FlowShelf guides

Users searching for CleanShot alternatives, Mac screenshot OCR tools, and free screenshot utilities. These related pages explain the matching FlowShelf workflows in more detail.

Mac shelf app · Free clipboard manager for Mac · Mac screenshot OCR