Brandwave

CleanShot X vs OBS Studio:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, OBS Studio had more branded searches than CleanShot X among screen capture tools worldwide. OBS Studio had about 4.7 million branded searches, while CleanShot X had 37,000. OBS Studio made up 91% of all screen capture tool searches we track, and CleanShot X accounted for 0.71%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about screen capture tools, OBS Studio appeared in four of the five answers and CleanShot X in three. CleanShot X was mentioned before OBS Studio in three out of five answers.

Among screen capture tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

OBS Studio, about 128 searches for every 1 for CleanShot X

OBS Studio 4.7M searchesCleanShot X 37K searches

Who does AI mention more?

OBS Studio, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, CleanShot X in 3

OBS Studio in 4 of 5CleanShot X in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

CleanShot X, named ahead of OBS Studio in 3 of 5 answers

CleanShot X first in 3OBS Studio first in 2

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Top screen capture tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OBS Studio was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. CleanShot X was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. CleanShot X was listed before OBS Studio in three out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. ShareX1st
  2. CleanShot X2nd
  3. OBS Studio3rd
  4. Loom4th
  5. Snagit5th
  6. Flameshot6th
  7. Screen Studio7th
  8. Camtasia8th
  9. ScreenPal–
  10. Tella–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • ShareX5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • OBS Studio4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Snagit3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • CleanShot X3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Loom3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Flameshot2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Camtasia1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Screen Studio1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • ScreenPal0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Tella0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about screen capture tools

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is CleanShot X or OBS Studio more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for CleanShot X and OBS Studio by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten screen capture tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

CleanShot X and OBS Studio among screen capture tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for OBS Studio, CleanShot X. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthOBS StudioShareXCamtasiaSnagitFlameshotCleanShot XScreen StudioLoomScreenPalTella
Oct 202590.2%3.2%2.1%1.7%0.78%0.63%0.52%0.63%0.19%0.01%
Nov 202591.5%2.4%1.9%1.6%0.72%0.58%0.48%0.6%0.14%0.03%
Dec 202592.1%2.4%1.6%1.3%0.59%0.53%0.48%0.82%0.12%0.02%
Jan 202692.7%1.9%1.6%1.3%0.58%0.51%0.47%0.8%0.09%0.02%
Feb 202690.3%3.1%1.7%1.7%0.78%0.57%0.64%0.89%0.16%0.03%
Mar 202689.4%2.6%2.1%1.7%0.77%0.69%0.95%1.5%0.15%0.05%
Apr 202690.9%2.4%1.6%1.3%0.71%0.64%0.87%1.4%0.14%0.08%
May 202690.6%2.6%1.8%1.4%0.78%0.7%0.78%1.1%0.13%0.07%
Jun 202693%1.9%1.2%1.2%0.65%0.48%0.65%0.88%0.09%0.02%
Jul 202690%3.7%1.6%1.3%0.7%0.62%0.85%1.2%0.09%0.03%
Aug 202691%3.1%1.6%1.3%0.86%0.63%0.86%0.5%0.12%0.03%
Sep 202691%3.5%1.4%1.4%0.78%0.71%0.64%0.36%0.13%0.01%

How has the CleanShot X and OBS Studio comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • OBS Studio was ahead of CleanShot X in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CleanShot X’s share of searches among screen capture tools worldwide moved from 0.63% to 0.71%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 32.9K to 37K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OBS Studio’s share of searches among screen capture tools worldwide moved from 90.2% to 91%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.7M.

How did search popularity change for screen capture tools worldwide in September 2026?

1 change

  1. In September 2026, CleanShot X rose from 7th to 6th among screen capture tools worldwide.

How are branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CleanShot X’s and OBS Studio’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

CleanShot X

2 branded search terms

  • cleanshot
  • cleanshot x

OBS Studio

3 branded search terms

  • obs
  • obs studio
  • obsstudio

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among screen capture tools

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