Clippy vs Maccy vs Paste: Which Mac Clipboard Manager Should You Use?
Clippy is free and best for organising links, on Mac and Windows. Maccy is free and the most minimal. Paste is the most polished and syncs with iPhone and iPad, but it's a paid subscription.
All three remember what you copy. They differ in price, what they save, and how much they help you organise.
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.
Side by side
| Clippy | Maccy | Paste | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (paid on the App Store) | Subscription |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows (iPhone coming) | Mac | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Saves by default | Links (everything if you choose) | Everything | Everything |
| Open history | ⌥⌘V | Its own shortcut | Its own shortcut |
| Search | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Organising | Tags, stars, pins | Pins | Pinboards |
| Private items | Protected clips, encrypted | Can ignore apps and types | Can ignore apps |
| Auto-delete per item | Yes | No | No |
| Sync | Your own iCloud Drive | No | iCloud |
| Open source | No | Yes | No |
Features change. This reflects each app as of October 2026.
Choose Clippy if…
- You mostly need to get links back, and don't want every scrap of text in your history.
- You want to organise clips with tags and stars.
- You use Windows too, or switch between both.
- You want it free, with no account.
Choose Maccy if…
- You want the lightest, fastest history of everything you copy.
- You prefer open-source software.
- You don't need tags or Windows support.
Choose Paste if…
- You want a visual, card-based history with previews.
- You need iPhone and iPad sync today.
- You're happy to pay a subscription.
The bottom line
There's no wrong choice among these three. If links are what you lose, start with Clippy. It's free, so trying it costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clippy free?
Yes. Clippy is free on Mac and Windows, with no account, ads or subscription.
Is Maccy better than Paste?
Maccy is free, open source and minimal. Paste is paid but more visual and syncs with iPhone and iPad. Which is better depends on whether you value simplicity or polish and sync.
Which clipboard manager works on both Mac and Windows?
Clippy runs on both. Maccy and Paste are Apple-only.
Never lose a copied link again
Clippy is a free clipboard manager for Mac and Windows. No account, no ads.