ShotX is a free, open-source menu bar application for macOS that consolidates common screen capture tasks—screenshots, screen recordings, GIF creation, annotation, and OCR—into a keyboard-driven workflow accessible directly from the menu bar.
Screenshots support region, window, fullscreen, and previous-area modes, with a self-timer option. Screen recordings are exported as H.264 MP4 or animated GIF (12 fps, 720p max) using ScreenCaptureKit. Microphone audio, system audio, and click highlights can each be toggled per recording session. A webcam overlay places a circular self-view in the corner of the recording region, resizable and repositionable, useful for tutorial recordings or video calls captured for reference.
Annotation tools include arrows, rectangles, text blocks, and numbered step markers in an 8-color palette. Text extraction uses Apple’s on-device Vision framework: the user drags a region over any on-screen text and the recognized content lands on the clipboard with no network request. A searchable history panel stores the last 100 captures on disk with thumbnails, enabling retrieval of older screenshots without navigating Finder. A native loupe color picker copies hex values for use in design workflows. All captures can be pinned as floating windows on top of other applications.
System requirements: macOS 13.0 Ventura or later. Requires Screen Recording permission granted in System Settings. Install via brew install --cask shotx or manual download from the GitHub Releases page.
Pricing: (Free, open-source) Optional donations via Buy Me a Coffee.
Limitations: Keystroke visualization, scrolling capture, and Developer ID code signing are listed as roadmap items and are not yet available. GIF recordings are capped at 12 fps and 720p. App is not currently distributed through the Mac App Store, so Gatekeeper bypass is required on first launch.
Alternatives: CleanShot X ($29 one-time, direct download or Setapp, extensive annotation and cloud upload features); Shottr (free, strong annotation tools and pixel-ruler, no recording); macOS built-in Screenshot tool (free, basic capture only, no history or annotation).
Suitable for users who want a CleanShot X–style toolset at no cost, are comfortable with GitHub-distributed software, and primarily work on Ventura or later.
