The Best Free Clipboard Managers for Mac in 2026
For saving and organising links, try Clippy. For a minimal, keyboard-first history of everything, Maccy is excellent. If you already use Raycast, its clipboard history may be all you need.
A clipboard manager remembers what you copy, so copying something new doesn't lose the old thing. These are the free options worth knowing in 2026.
Full disclosure: I make Clippy. I've tried to be fair to every app here, and I've said where another one is the better pick.
At a glance
| App | Price | What it saves | Stand-out feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clippy | Free | Links by default, everything if you choose | Tags, stars, protected clips, also on Windows |
| Maccy | Free (paid on the App Store) | Everything | Fast, minimal, open source |
| Raycast | Free plan | Everything | Part of a full launcher |
| Flycut | Free | Text | Very simple, open source |
| Spotlight (macOS 26) | Built in | Recent items | Nothing to install |
1. Clippy: best for keeping links organised
Clippy saves the links you copy and brings them back with ⌥ ⌘ V. It saves links only by default, so your history stays useful instead of filling up with every scrap of text. Switch on Save everything I copy if you want text and code too.
- Tags, stars and pins, plus instant search
- Protected clips that are encrypted and hidden
- Clips can delete themselves after an hour, day or week
- QR codes to open a link on your phone
- Also available for Windows
Good to know: it's a new beta from a solo developer, and it isn't notarized yet, so the first launch needs right-click → Open.
2. Maccy: best minimal clipboard history
Maccy is a lightweight, open-source clipboard manager that lives in your menu bar. Press its shortcut, type to filter, and press Return. It saves everything and stays out of your way. It's free to download from its website, with a paid App Store version that supports the developer.
Pick it if you want a fast list of everything you've copied and don't need tags or organising.
3. Raycast: best if you already use a launcher
Raycast is a Spotlight replacement with many built-in tools, and clipboard history is one of them in the free plan. If you live in Raycast already, it's a natural fit.
Pick it if you want one app for launching, snippets and clipboard. It's a lot of app if you only want clipboard history.
4. Flycut: simplest option
Flycut is a small, open-source app focused on text. It's been around for years and does one thing.
Pick it if you mostly copy plain text or code and want the simplest possible tool.
5. Spotlight clipboard history: nothing to install
On macOS 26 Tahoe, press ⌘ Space then ⌘ 4 to see recent clipboard items. It's handy for the occasional "what did I just copy?", but items don't stay long and there's no organising. More in how to see your clipboard history on Mac.
What about Paste and Alfred?
Both are polished, popular apps, but not free. Paste is a subscription with a visual, card-based history and sync to iPhone and iPad. Alfred's clipboard history needs its paid Powerpack. See Clippy vs Maccy vs Paste for a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free clipboard manager for Mac?
It depends on how you work. Clippy is best for saving and organising links, Maccy for a minimal history of everything, and Raycast if you already use it as your launcher.
Is there a free clipboard manager for Mac and Windows?
Yes. Clippy is free on both Mac and Windows.
Do Mac clipboard managers slow down your Mac?
Good ones are tiny and use almost no resources. Clippy is about 3 MB.
Never lose a copied link again
Clippy is a free clipboard manager for Mac and Windows. No account, no ads.