A small, pay-once CleanShot X alternative
CleanShot X is a full-featured capture app, and for many people it is the right choice. Lightcap is for people who want the everyday parts, screenshots, recordings with zoom, text capture, in something small that they pay for once and keep updated for free.
The short version
- Pick Lightcap if you want a small app, one payment with all updates, and nothing uploaded anywhere.
- Pick CleanShot X if you need cloud upload and share links, or system audio in recordings. Lightcap has neither today.
Side by side
| Lightcap | CleanShot X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15 once for 1 Mac, $35 for 3 Macs ($10 and $25 at the launch price, through December 31, 2026) | $35 once (Basic). A Pro subscription adds more cloud features. |
| Updates | All future updates included | One year included, then an optional $19 per year |
| Area, window and full screen screenshots | Yes | Yes |
| Scrolling capture | Yes | Yes |
| Screen recording with an editor | Yes: trim, cut, automatic zoom on clicks | Yes |
| GIF | Yes. Export a recording as MP4 or GIF. | Yes |
| Copy text from the screen (OCR) | Yes. Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese and more | Yes |
| Cloud upload and share links | No. Files stay on your Mac. | Yes |
| Account | None | For cloud features |
| System requirement | macOS 15 or later | macOS 13 or later |
CleanShot X's prices and features are from cleanshot.com on November 11, 2026. They may have changed since. We haven't benchmarked CleanShot X, so there are no speed or size numbers for it here.
Where Lightcap is different
It is small and stays out of the way
| Download | Memory while idle | CPU while idle | Time to capture an area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 MB | 22 MB | 0% | 0.03 s |
Measured by us in November 2026 with the Lightcap 0.1 release build on a MacBook Pro (M3 Max) running macOS 27.2. Download size is the DMG. Capture time is the time to grab an 800×500 area after it is selected; it leaves out saving the file and the first capture after launch. Your numbers will vary.
You pay once, and updates don't run out
There is one payment and no renewal. Every future version is included.
Nothing leaves your Mac
There is no account, no cloud and no analytics. Text recognition runs on your Mac. The app goes online only to check your license.
One bar for everything
Press ⌃⌘` and a small bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Press a number to record, take a screenshot or copy text. The same numbers work as global shortcuts, ⌃⌘1 to ⌃⌘5, and you can change them.
What Lightcap doesn't do yet
- No system audio. Recordings carry microphone audio.
- No cloud upload or share links.
Using both for a while
Lightcap's default shortcuts start with ⌃⌘. If another capture app already uses the same keys, change either one in Settings > General. The trial lasts 7 days and needs no account, so you can run both side by side before deciding.
Questions
How much does Lightcap cost compared with CleanShot X?
Lightcap is $15 once for 1 Mac with all future updates included ($10 at the launch price, through December 31, 2026). On November 11, 2026, cleanshot.com listed CleanShot X Basic at $35 once with one year of updates and an optional $19 per year renewal.
Does Lightcap have scrolling capture?
Yes, since November 2026. Drag over an area, scroll down, and Lightcap joins what it saw into one tall image.
Does Lightcap upload my screenshots?
No. Screenshots and recordings are saved on your Mac. There is no account and no cloud.
More
- Lightcap as a Screen Studio alternative
- What makes a screenshot app lightweight, and how to check
- How to record your Mac screen with zoom
- How to copy text from anything on your Mac screen
- How to take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac
- How to translate text on your Mac screen
- How to hide sensitive information in a screenshot on a Mac
Download Lightcap for Mac and try every feature free for 7 days. No account or card needed. It runs on macOS 15 or later.