Is there actually a good open-source CleanShot X replacement for macOS?
After testing a bunch of screenshot apps, macshot is the first one that gets close enough to my CleanShot X workflow that I can actually see myself using it. It is not perfect yet, and in this video I go through both sides: what already works, what still breaks, and which missing features would make it a real replacement.
The main things I care about are screenshot history, editable annotations, scrolling screenshots, fast shortcuts, clipboard screenshots, capture previous area, fixed aspect ratios, and a workflow that does not slow me down when I am making videos, blog posts, Reddit posts, or notes.
In this video I test macshot against the CleanShot X workflow I already use every day. I show quick capture, the floating thumbnail, editable screenshot history, annotations, scrolling screenshots, WebP export, save behavior, Beautify, Vivid, and a few bugs I found while testing.
macshot still needs some work, but the important part is that it is open source, the developer seems active, and the app already gets a lot of the important screenshot workflow right.
macshot:
https://github.com/sw33tLie/macshot
Related livestream:
I Found My CleanShot X Replacement: macshot Actually Works
https://youtube.com/live/ocJU8q0wiSc
Tools and apps mentioned:
macshot
CleanShot X
Shottr
Capso
BetterShot
EasySnaps
Flameshot
macOS screenshot app
Main features I want in macshot:
Freeform and locked aspect ratio screenshots
Custom aspect ratios for YouTube thumbnails, Reddit banners, and other formats
AVIF export support
A URL scheme or shortcut to clear screenshot history
One-finger swipe to dismiss the floating thumbnail
A toggle to save edits automatically without asking
A toggle to save from the floating thumbnail without asking for filename and location every time
Bugs I found:
Beautify does not always ask to save after quitting
Beautify becomes destructive after saving
Moving existing annotations does not always trigger a save prompt
The Vivid filter can break the image preview when switching filters
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00:00 – Is this a vide coded app?
01:05 – App settings
04:18 – capture previous area bug
05:20 – Scrolling capture
06:23 – AVIF images support
06:38 – Save without confirmation
07:33 – freeform and locked aspect ratio screenshots, also custom aspect ratio
09:00 – URL scheme command to clear history or multiple profiles
11:24 – Swipe to close floating thumbnail
11:55 – Save edits without asking
12:37 – Bug, not asking to save
13:24 – Bug, doesn’t ask to save beautify settings
14:13 – Bug, beaitify settings burned
15:30 – bug, vivid breaks it
#CleanShotX #macshot #macOS
