PasteBoard
macOS only remembers one thing at a time on the clipboard. Copy a second item and the first is gone for good. That single limitation is why a small but mighty category of Mac utilities exists: clipboard managers. They sit quietly in your menu bar, record everything you copy, and let you paste any of it back — five minutes or five days later.
We installed and used eight of the most recommended clipboard managers for Mac for several weeks each, paying attention to the things that actually matter day to day: how fast search is, whether sync between Macs works without drama, how snippets and text expansion are handled, and what each one costs once the free trial runs out.
Why macOS needs a clipboard manager
Apple's Universal Clipboard lets you copy on an iPhone and paste on a Mac, which is great — but it still only tracks a single clipboard entry. There's no built-in history panel, no search, and no way to pin a frequently used snippet like an email signature or an address. A dedicated clipboard manager fixes all three problems and, for most people, becomes one of those utilities you forget you ever lived without.
Quick comparison table
| App | Price | History length | iCloud / cross-device sync | Snippets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maccy | Free, open source | Unlimited (local) | No | No | Privacy-minded users who want it free |
| Paste | Subscription | Unlimited | Yes (iCloud) | Yes | Designers and multi-device users |
| Raycast (Clipboard History) | Free tier / Pro add-on | Long, configurable | Pro only | Via Snippets feature | Power users who already live in Raycast |
| Alfred (Powerpack) | One-time Powerpack license | Long, configurable | No | Yes (Snippets) | Existing Alfred users |
| CopyClip | Free / paid Pro | Configurable | No | No | Simple menu-bar history on a budget |
| Clipy | Free, open source | Configurable | No | Basic snippets | Older Intel Macs, minimal footprint |
| CleanClip | One-time purchase | Configurable | No | No | One-time payment preference |
| Pastebot | One-time purchase | Unlimited | Yes (iCloud) | Yes | iPhone + Mac workflow with filters |
Pricing and feature tiers change — always confirm current pricing on the developer's own site before buying.
Worth a quick mention outside the main eight: PasteClip is a newer, privacy-first option built around a one-time purchase, local-only storage, and explicit per-app exclusion controls — a fit if CleanClip-style simplicity appeals but you want stricter privacy defaults out of the box.
The 8 clipboard managers, reviewed
1. Maccy — the best free clipboard manager for Mac
Maccy is open source, lightweight, and does exactly one job: it records your clipboard history and gives you a fast, keyboard-driven way to search and paste it back. There's no account, no sync, and no telemetry — everything stays on your Mac. For most everyday users, Maccy alone removes the need to consider anything else on this list. See our full Maccy guide for download links, default shortcuts, and setup steps.
Strengths: free forever, fast fuzzy search, tiny memory footprint, fully keyboard-driven.
Trade-offs: no sync across devices, no snippet library, interface is plain by design.
2. Paste — the best clipboard manager for design teams
Paste turns clipboard history into a visual board: images, colors, and rich text render as previews, not just plain text. It syncs through iCloud across every Mac and iPhone signed into the same account, and it supports pinned "shelves" for project-specific snippets. It's a subscription, which is the main objection from long-time Mac users used to one-time purchases — but for anyone who copies a lot of images, swatches, or formatted text, the visual history is worth it.
3. Raycast (Clipboard History extension)
If you've already replaced Spotlight with Raycast, its built-in clipboard history is the path of least resistance — one launcher for everything, including pinned clipboard items and text snippets. The free tier covers a generous history window; Raycast Pro adds cloud sync.
4. Alfred Powerpack
Alfred's clipboard history has been a staple for over a decade. It's bundled into the Powerpack add-on alongside workflows and snippets, paid once rather than as a subscription — appealing if you'd rather not add another monthly fee.
5. CopyClip
CopyClip keeps things deliberately simple: a menu-bar icon, a dropdown list of recent items, basic preferences for how many to keep. The free version is functional; the paid Pro version removes limits and adds a few formatting options.
6. Clipy
Clipy is a free, open-source veteran of the category. Development has slowed in recent years, but it remains a lightweight option for older Macs or anyone who wants a no-frills, no-cost tool with basic snippet support.
7. CleanClip
CleanClip targets people who specifically dislike subscriptions: a single purchase unlocks the app permanently. The feature set is comparable to CopyClip's Pro tier — solid, unglamorous, reliable.
8. Pastebot
From the team behind Tot and Vesper, Pastebot pairs a polished Mac app with an iOS companion and iCloud sync, plus content filters that can strip formatting or auto-detect things like phone numbers. A strong pick if your workflow moves constantly between iPhone and Mac.
How to choose the right one
- Want free and private: Maccy.
- Want it to look as good as it works: Paste.
- Already use Raycast or Alfred: use their built-in clipboard history before adding another app.
- Move constantly between iPhone and Mac: Paste or Pastebot, for iCloud sync — see our full breakdown of sync options.
- Want to pay once, never again: CleanClip or Alfred Powerpack.
Still on an older machine? See our note on clipboard managers for Intel Mac before picking one.
Our verdict
There's no single "best" clipboard manager for every Mac user — there's a best one for your workflow. If you've never used one before, install Maccy today; it takes under a minute to set up and you'll feel the difference on your very next copy-paste. Power users who live in a launcher should simply turn on the clipboard history feature they already have. Everyone else should weigh sync and visual previews against the cost of a subscription.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free clipboard manager for Mac?
Maccy is the best free clipboard manager for Mac. It's open source, has no account or telemetry, and offers unlimited local clipboard history with fast keyboard search.
Does macOS have a built-in clipboard manager?
Not a full one. macOS only stores the single most recent item you copied, plus Universal Clipboard for handing items between Apple devices. There is no built-in history list or search.
Is Paste worth the subscription?
Paste is worth it if you regularly copy images, colors, or rich content and want that history to sync via iCloud across a Mac and iPhone. If you only need plain text history, a free tool like Maccy covers the same core need.
