CleanShot X is a great screenshot tool, but its video recording is basic. Zumie is built for video — with automatic zoom, click highlights, and beautiful backgrounds. Works on any OS, not just Mac.
No account needed. Free forever with optional paid upgrade.
An honest, side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
One-time payment, yours forever
7-day money-back guarantee
One-time purchase, plus $19/year for updates after year one
Zumie costs $39 once with free updates forever. After 2 years, CleanShot X costs $48 total ($29 + $19) while Zumie stays at $39.
Features that make your recordings stand out — without the complexity.
Pay $39 once and use Zumie forever — no annual update fees
Automatic zoom intelligently follows your cursor and clicks, making recordings dramatically easier to follow
Click highlights add beautiful animations to every click, guiding viewers through your actions
Keyboard shortcut display shows every key press in real-time — perfect for tutorials
Beautiful gradient backgrounds make recordings look polished and professional
Works on any OS with Chrome — Windows, Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS
No account needed — install and start recording in seconds
Purpose-built for video recording, not screenshots — every feature is optimized for creating great videos
CleanShot X is a Mac-only screenshot and screen recording tool known for its excellent annotation tools, OCR text recognition, and scrolling capture features. We believe in honest comparisons — here are the areas where CleanShot X has the edge.
Choose Zumie if your primary need is creating professional-looking screen recordings with minimal effort. The automatic zoom and click highlights make tutorials, demos, and walkthroughs dramatically clearer. Choose CleanShot X if you primarily need a screenshot tool with annotations and OCR on Mac. Ideally, use both — CleanShot X for screenshots and Zumie for video.
Getting started with Zumie takes under a minute.
Head to the Chrome Web Store, click 'Add to Chrome', and you're ready. No account creation needed.
Click the Zumie icon and hit record. Choose full screen, a window, or a browser tab.
As you click and navigate, Zumie automatically zooms in to follow your actions. Click highlights and keyboard shortcuts appear on screen automatically.
The built-in editor opens with smart zoom already applied. Choose your background, fine-tune if needed, and export.
No — Zumie is focused entirely on screen recording, not screenshots. If you need CleanShot X's screenshot tools like annotations, OCR, and scrolling capture, Zumie doesn't replace those. However, if you're using CleanShot X primarily for video recording, Zumie is a significant upgrade with automatic zoom, click highlights, and beautiful backgrounds.
Absolutely — they complement each other well. Use CleanShot X for screenshots and annotations on your Mac, and use Zumie for polished video recordings with automatic zoom. Many users pair a screenshot tool with a dedicated video recorder.
CleanShot X is primarily a screenshot tool that also does basic video recording. Zumie is purpose-built for creating professional screen recordings. The automatic zoom, click highlights, keyboard shortcut display, and gradient backgrounds make your recordings look dramatically better without any post-editing effort.
Yes — Zumie is a Chrome extension, so it works on any operating system that runs Chrome: Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS. CleanShot X is Mac-only, so if you work across multiple platforms, Zumie is the only option that works everywhere.
Yes — one payment gives you access to all Zumie features forever, including all future updates. No annual renewal fees like CleanShot X's $19/year update plan.
Install Zumie for free and see the difference automatic zoom makes. No signup, no credit card, no commitment.