CleanShot X
CleanShot X is a Mac app for taking screenshots, recording the screen, editing captures and sharing them. It’s made by MakeTheWeb (MTW), based in Poland.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from licenses.cleanshot.com.
What it is
People use CleanShot X to explain something on screen, capture a long webpage or make a video tutorial. It can add arrows and notes, trim recordings and copy text from images.
It can capture what is visible on your screen. Recordings can include your microphone, camera, computer audio and keystrokes when those features are enabled. CleanShot Cloud uploads captures for sharing, but using Cloud is optional. Text recognition runs on the Mac.
The app has a release history going back to 2018. The maker says it signs the app, uses Apple’s notarisation service and separately signs updates. A serious flaw involving project files was fixed in July 2026; the affected versions and fixes are listed below.
Who makes it
MakeTheWeb, also known as MTW, is a Polish software developer that makes CleanShot, PixelSnap and TopNotch. Its legal name is MTW Oślizło & Magiera s.c.. Its website is mtw.team.
Is it the real one?
Every Mac app carries a signature from the developer who made it. Apple checks who the developer is before handing out the certificate, and macOS refuses to open an app whose signature has been tampered with.
The real CleanShot X is signed by Make The Web Oślizło & Magiera s.c., Apple team ID AFJU4P8ZV4. A copy signed by anyone else isn’t from MakeTheWeb (MTW). HARD’s Mac app checks this for you; to check by hand, open Terminal and run codesign -dv "/Applications/CleanShot X.app", and look for that TeamIdentifier.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is pl.maketheweb.cleanshotx or com.getcleanshot.app or com.getcleanshot.app-setapp. Download it only from licenses.cleanshot.com, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. In May 2024, Recorded Future reported a fake CleanShot download site at cleanshot[.]ink, first observed in January 2024. Its download button led to files on GitHub that infected Macs with the AMOS information stealer.
What it connects to
In normal use, CleanShot X talks to these places on the internet. A firewall that asks before apps connect, like the one in HARD’s Mac app, will show them.
| Address | Why |
|---|---|
updates.getcleanshot.com | App downloads and updates. |
legit.maketheweb.io | Licence-specific update checks. |
*.cleanshot.cloud | Optional cloud uploads and account services. |
What it can see
macOS asks you before an app can use these. You can change them any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Screen Recording | To take screenshots and record screen content. |
| Accessibility | |
| Microphone | To include your voice in screen recordings. |
| Camera | To include webcam video in screen recordings. |
Security record
Problems with CleanShot X or MakeTheWeb (MTW) in the last three years, newest first. Keeping the app up to date covers the ones that were fixed.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CERT Polska disclosed CVE-2026-16477, which let a malicious .cleanshot project file run code when opened; fixes were released on 21 July 2026 in versions 4.5.2, 4.6.3, 4.7.8 and 4.8.10. | ↗ |
References
- CleanShot X — Official website cleanshot.com
- MTW — Software for Mac mtw.team
- CleanShot Cloud — Privacy Policy cleanshot.com
- CleanShot X — FAQ cleanshot.com
- Download CleanShot X licenses.cleanshot.com
- CleanShot X — Security cleanshot.com
- CleanShot X — Changelog cleanshot.com
- CleanShot X — Billing model explained cleanshot.com
- Homebrew — CleanShot cask raw.githubusercontent.com
- Raycast Manual — Screenshots manual.raycast.com
- SoundFlow — Automating CleanShot X menu items forum.soundflow.org
- TheSweetBits — Hands-on review of CleanShot 5 thesweetbits.com
- CleanShot X — Bug Bounty Program cleanshot.com
- DuoUpdater — CleanShot update-feed handling github.com
- Recorded Future — GitCaught assets.recordedfuture.com
- CERT Polska — Vulnerability in MTW CleanShot X software cert.pl
- The signature on a real installed copy, read by HARD with
codesign.