How to Use CleanShot X to Record Zoom Calls?

September 16, 2025
Record Screen

In today’s digital world, Zoom has become the go-to platform for business meetings, online classes, and team collaboration. Missing key details is easy, which is why many users record their Zoom calls. While Zoom offers a built-in recording feature, it has limitations—free accounts can’t record to the cloud, and host permission is often required. With CleanShot X on your Mac, recording Zoom calls becomes effortless, giving you complete control over what’s captured and how it’s shared.

In this article, we’ll explain what CleanShot X is, show you how to use it to record Zoom calls, as well as evaluate its pros and cons.

1. What Is CleanShot X?

Exclusively for Mac, CleanShot X offers premium screen capture and recording, featuring a sleek interface, powerful tools, and seamless sharing through CleanShot Cloud.

Key features of CleanShot X include:

  • Screen Recording: Capture full-screen, a selected window, or a custom area.
  • Audio Recording: Record both system audio (e.g., Zoom call audio) and microphone input.
  • Editing Tools:Refine your recordings by trimming, adding notes, and spotlighting essential content.
  • Scrolling Capture: TSnap screenshots of entire pages or long documents in one go.
  • Quick Sharing: Quickly store your videos in CleanShot Cloud and share them effortlessly with a secure link.

2. The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Recording Zoom Calls with CleanShot X

Let’s walk through a simple, step-by-step guide to capturing your Zoom meetings with CleanShot X:

Step 1: Install CleanShot X

  • Download CleanShot X for Mac from its official website.
  • After installation, launch the app and look for the CleanShot X icon in your macOS menu bar.
install and launch cleanshot x mac

Step 2: Launch Screen Recording in CleanShot X

  • Hop into your Zoom meeting, click Record Screen within CleanShot X to start capturing.
  • Select whether you want to capture:
    • The full screen
    • The Zoom window only
    • A custom region of the screen
cleanshot x select area

Step 3: Enable Audio Recording

  • In the recording settings, enable Computer Audio so the voices from Zoom are captured.
  • Make sure Microphone Audio is turned on to record your voice along with the Zoom call.
  • On your first run, CleanShot X might ask you to add a small audio driver so it can grab the system sound too—just follow the prompt.
cleanshot turn on audio

Step 4: Start Recording

  • Click Record Video and a small floating toolbar will appear, letting you pause or stop recording at any time.
cleanshot x record video

Step 5: Save and Edit Your Recording

  • Once the Zoom call wraps up, hit the red stop button—your recording will instantly appear in the CleanShot X viewer.
  • You can trim the video, annotate important sections, or export it as a standard video file.
  • After recording, you can upload it to CleanShot Cloud and share the link with colleagues or classmates.
cleanshot x edit video

3. Pros and Cons of Using CleanShot X

While CleanShot X offers powerful features, it also has a few limitations to consider. Let’s have a check:

Pros:

  • No Host Permission Required – You can record Zoom calls even if the host hasn’t enabled Zoom’s recording feature.
  • High-Quality Recording – Customize resolution, frame rate, and audio sources.
  • Built-In Editing – Trim and annotate videos without needing separate software.
  • Cloud Integration – Saveand share your all recordings using CleanShot Cloud.
  • All-in-One Tool – Beyond Zoom recording, it’s excellent for screenshots and other recording needs.

Cons:

  • macOS Only – Windows and Linux users cannot use CleanShot X.
  • Paid Software – Requires purchase or subscription; no free version offered.
  • Limited Audio Flexibility – While good for most uses, it may require additional setup for advanced audio mixing.
  • Cloud Sharing Limits – CleanShot Cloud storage may require an upgraded plan if you have lots of recordings.

4. Try Swyshare Recordit Instead of CleanShot X

If CleanShot X feels too advanced, limited by macOS, or complicated to set up, there’s a simpler and more user-friendly option: Swyshare Recordit.

Recordit is designed for people who want a stress-free recording experience without technical hurdles. It works on both Windows and macOS, making it accessible to more users.

Why Choose Recordit Over CleanShot X:

  • Cross-Platform Support: Works on Windows and macOS, not just macOS.
  • Easy-to-Use: Smoothly capture screen, system/mic audio, and webcam.
  • High Quality Cpature: Record in up to 8K quality.
  • Multi Formats Support: Save and export recordings in popular video or audio types.
  • Lightweight and Reliable: Minimal impact on system performance during Zoom calls.
  • Affordable: Offers flexible pricing without the steep one-time cost of CleanShot X.

With Recordit, recording a Zoom call is as easy as:

  • Download Recordit on your Windows or Mac device, then run the installer to finished the setup process.
  • Open Recordit and set record parameters, e.g. input sources and output format/resolution/file location.
  • Select area that you want to record on the Zoom window, then click to start recording your Zoom call.
  • Stop recording when the call ends, and find the files under Recordit’s “Files” tab.
recordit record zoom call

5. Conclusion

Recording Zoom calls has become a necessity for professionals, educators, and students who want to revisit important conversations or share them with others. While CleanShot X provides Mac users with a powerful solution, it does come with limitations such as being macOS-only and requiring a high cost license.

For those who want a more accessible, affordable, and easy-to-use option, Swyshare Recordit is the better choice. Unlike CleanShot X, it works on both Windows and macOS, supports high-quality recording, offers flexible export formats, and keeps the recording process simple and stress-free.

For online classes, business meetings, and team projects, Swyshare Recordit reliably captures every detail, earning our recommendation as the best tool for recording Zoom calls.

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