PasteBoard
Maccy is free, open source, and covers core clipboard history about as completely as any app in the category. Still, a few specific needs push people to look at alternatives — here's when that makes sense and which tool to pick instead.
When it's worth looking beyond Maccy
- You need clipboard history synced across a Mac and iPhone.
- You copy a lot of images or colors and want visual previews instead of plain text.
- You want an organized, multi-section snippet library rather than a flat history list.
- You'd rather pay once than rely on a free, community-maintained tool indefinitely.
The alternatives
Paste — best for visual previews and iCloud sync
Paste renders images and colors as actual previews and keeps history in sync across every Apple device signed into the same account, as a subscription.
PasteClip — best one-time-purchase, privacy-first pick
PasteClip charges a single flat fee instead of a subscription and leans further into privacy by default, with a short retention window and explicit per-app exclusion controls.
Pastebot — best for an iPhone-and-Mac workflow with filters
Pastebot pairs a Mac app with an iOS companion, iCloud sync, and content filters that can strip formatting or detect specific data types automatically.
Clipy — best alternative if you specifically want free and open source
Clipy is the other major free, open-source option in this category. Development is slower than Maccy's, but it remains a workable choice, particularly on older Macs.
Raycast or Alfred — best if you already use one as a launcher
If Spotlight has already been replaced by Raycast or Alfred, their built-in clipboard history features remove any need for a separate app entirely.
A quick note on "CleanShot"
If you searched for "Maccy vs CleanShot," it's worth clarifying: CleanShot X is a screenshot and screen-recording tool, not a clipboard manager — the two apps solve different problems and aren't direct competitors. The clipboard manager with a similar-sounding name is CleanClip, a one-time-purchase tool covered in our full comparison of clipboard managers for Mac.
Which alternative fits you
For most people who outgrow Maccy, the reason is sync or visual previews — which points to Paste. If the objection is specifically to subscriptions rather than to Maccy's feature set, PasteClip or Clipy cover the same ground without a recurring fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best paid alternative to Maccy?
Paste is the most fully featured paid alternative, adding iCloud sync and visual previews for images and colors on top of the core clipboard-history functionality Maccy already provides for free.
Is CleanShot a clipboard manager?
No. CleanShot X is a screenshot and screen-recording tool. The similarly named clipboard manager is CleanClip, a separate, one-time-purchase app.
Is there a free alternative to Maccy?
Clipy is the other major free, open-source clipboard manager for Mac, though it's updated less frequently than Maccy.
