Smooth Capture vs CleanShot X
Professional video editor vs. powerful screenshot tool
Smooth Capture
One-time payment • Professional video editing focus
- Professional video editing with timeline
- Cinematic cursor effects make videos look stunning
- Smart zoom highlights important areas
- Export in 4K resolution
- Advanced webcam integration
CleanShot X
One-time payment • Screenshot focus + basic recording
- Best-in-class screenshot tool
- Scrolling capture for long pages
- OCR text recognition
- Instant GIF creation
- Cloud sharing built-in
Overview: Smooth Capture vs CleanShot X
CleanShot X and Smooth Capture serve different primary purposes. CleanShot X is primarily a screenshot tool with basic screen recording capabilities, cloud sharing, and annotation features. Smooth Capture is a dedicated screen recording and video editing application with cinematic effects, timeline editing, and professional export options. While CleanShot X excels at quick captures and sharing, Smooth Capture is built for creating polished, professional video content.
If you mainly need screenshots with quick annotations and cloud sharing, CleanShot X ($29) is excellent. But if you're creating screen recordings that need to look professional—with cinematic cursor effects, smart zoom, timeline editing, and high-quality exports—Smooth Capture (also $29) is the tool designed specifically for that purpose.
Key Differences
- 1CleanShot X is primarily a screenshot tool with basic recording, while Smooth Capture is a professional video recording and editing application.
- 2Smooth Capture offers cinematic cursor effects and smart zoom for professional videos, while CleanShot X focuses on quick capture and annotation.
- 3Smooth Capture includes a timeline editor with multi-track audio, while CleanShot X only offers basic trim/cut.
- 4CleanShot X excels at cloud sharing and instant GIF creation, while Smooth Capture focuses on high-quality video export.
- 5Smooth Capture is designed for long-form content creation, while CleanShot X is optimized for quick captures and sharing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Smooth Capture | CleanShot X |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshots | Basic | Advanced |
| Scrolling Capture | ||
| OCR Text Recognition | ||
| Screen Recording | Professional | Basic |
| Webcam Recording | ||
| Cinematic Cursor Effects | ||
| Smart Zoom | ||
| Timeline Editor | ||
| Multi-Track Audio | ||
| Custom Backgrounds | ||
| Picture-in-Picture | Advanced | |
| Automatic Subtitles | ||
| Annotations | Basic | Extensive |
| GIF Creation | ||
| Cloud Sharing | ||
| 4K Video Export | ||
| Price | $29 | $29 |
Which Tool Is Best For You?
Choose Smooth Capture if you:
- Create professional screen recordings for YouTube, courses, or marketing
- Need cinematic cursor effects and smart zoom
- Want timeline editing with multi-track audio
- Create product demos or tutorials that need polish
- Export high-quality 4K videos
- Need picture-in-picture webcam with advanced control
- Want automatic subtitle generation
Choose CleanShot X if you:
- Primarily need screenshots with quick annotations
- Want scrolling capture for long web pages
- Need OCR to extract text from images
- Create quick GIFs for communication
- Want instant cloud sharing of captures
- Take lots of screenshots daily
- Need basic screen recording occasionally
Limitations of CleanShot X
- Screen recording features are basic compared to dedicated tools
- No cinematic cursor effects or smart zoom
- No timeline editor or multi-track audio
- No webcam integration
- No automatic subtitles
- Not designed for professional video production
- Limited export options for video
The Verdict
CleanShot X and Smooth Capture are fundamentally different tools that happen to overlap slightly in screen recording. CleanShot X is the ultimate screenshot tool—if you take dozens of screenshots daily and need annotations, OCR, and quick sharing, it's fantastic. However, for anyone creating screen recordings for YouTube, online courses, product demos, or marketing videos, Smooth Capture is purpose-built for that job with professional features like cinematic cursor effects, timeline editing, and high-quality exports. Both cost $29, so your choice depends on whether your primary need is screenshots (CleanShot X) or professional video content (Smooth Capture). Many professionals use both!
Ready to Try Smooth Capture?
Download now and experience the difference. No credit card required.