ctrlhqctrlhq vs CleanShot XScreen recording that starts from the notch.
ctrlhq vs CleanShot X: record your screen or a window with a camera bubble, mic and system audio from the Mac notch. The .mp4 lands on your clipboard. Pay once.
14-day money-back guaranteeAlready bought? Download
- ctrlhq
- Productivity app in the notch
- $19 launch price (then $49) · macOS 26 Tahoe+ · native, about 12 MB
- CleanShot X
- screenshot and screen recording app
- $29 once (1 year of updates), Pro $8/month
CleanShot X is the gold standard for screenshots on Mac: annotations, scrolling capture, OCR, cloud links and polished recordings. If screenshots are your job, it's worth every cent.
If you mostly record quick demos and walkthroughs, ctrlhq covers that from the notch: a screen or one window, a draggable camera bubble, mic and system audio, pause and resume, and the .mp4 copied to your clipboard and parked on the shelf. No cloud upload, no watermark, no time limit.
ctrlhq vs CleanShot X, side by side
| Feature | ctrlhq | CleanShot X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once (launch price, then $49) | $29 once, updates $19/year after the first |
| Record a screen or window | ||
| Camera bubble | ||
| Mic and system audio | ||
| Pause and resume | ||
| Screenshots and annotation | ||
| Scrolling capture and OCR | ||
| GIF export and trimming | ||
| Cloud share links | No, files stay on your Mac | |
| Teleprompter and meeting notes |
CleanShot X details from its website, checked September 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Choose CleanShot X if
- You take and annotate a lot of screenshots.
- You want share links, GIFs and trimming.
Choose ctrlhq if
- You record quick demos and want the file on your clipboard, not in a cloud.
- You'd use the teleprompter or meeting notes too.
Lightweight by design
ctrlhq is a native Swift app, about 12 MB to download, with no background daemons or helper apps. One app that's already in your notch replaces a shelf of single-purpose ones, and every menu bar icon that came with them.
The ctrlhq features that cover CleanShot X
Questions
Is there a watermark or time limit?
No. Recordings are yours, saved in Movies › ctrlhq.
Can ctrlhq take screenshots?
Not yet. Use macOS's ⌘⇧5, then drop the screenshot on ctrlhq's shelf or convert it there.
Run it next to CleanShot X.
Every feature for $19 launch price (then $49), no subscription. Not for you? Full refund within 14 days.
14-day money-back guaranteeAlready bought? Download
CleanShot X is a trademark of its owner. ctrlhq isn't affiliated with it.