Best clipboard managers for Mac, compared
Paste, Raycast, Unclutter and the built-in Spotlight clipboard compared: history, sync, pinned snippets, privacy and price.
Written by Mac App Index Editorial
For most people the best clipboard manager for Mac is either Paste, if you want a polished visual history with iCloud sync, or Raycast, if you already use it as a launcher and want clipboard history for free. macOS Tahoe also added a basic clipboard history to Spotlight, which may be all you need.
How we picked: we used each option for at least a week of normal work, copying text, images, links and files, and looked at search, sync, pinned items, privacy controls and price.
Quick comparison
| App | Price model | History sync | Pinned snippets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paste | Subscription | iCloud | Pinboards | A visual history across Mac and iPhone |
| Raycast | Free, Pro optional | With Pro | Snippets | Keyboard users who want one tool |
| Unclutter | One-time, $19.99 | Via a shared folder | No | Notes, files and clipboard in one drawer |
| Spotlight (macOS Tahoe) | Built in | No | No | Light use with no extra app |
Paste
Paste keeps an unlimited clipboard history and shows it as a strip of cards along the bottom of the screen. Each card previews its content, so you can spot an image or a link without reading. Search filters the history as you type.
Pinboards are the feature that keeps people on Paste. You save snippets you reuse, such as addresses, canned replies or code, into named boards that stay put no matter how much you copy. History and pinboards sync through iCloud to the iPhone and iPad apps.
Paste is a subscription. It is also included in Setapp, if you already pay for that.
Raycast
Raycast is a launcher first, and its clipboard history is one command among many. Press your hotkey, type "clipboard", and you get a searchable list with previews of text, images, links and files. You can pin items, and the separate snippets feature expands abbreviations you type anywhere.
The clipboard history is part of the free app. If you already use Raycast to open apps and manage windows, adding a separate clipboard manager may be redundant. The trade-off is presentation: it is a list in a command bar, not the visual strip Paste offers.
Unclutter
Unclutter is a drawer that drops down when you scroll at the top of the screen. It has three panes: quick notes, a file shelf, and clipboard history. The clipboard pane is simpler than Paste or Raycast, but having all three in one place suits people who use the drawer as a temporary desk. It is a one-time purchase.
The built-in option
Spotlight in macOS Tahoe can show recent clipboard items. It is off by default. Turn on clipboard results in Spotlight's settings in System Settings, or open Spotlight, press Command-4 and accept the prompt. You can choose how long items are kept.
It is basic: no pinned items, no sync, limited filtering. For light use it is enough, and it means one fewer app with access to everything you copy.
Other well-known options
These are not in our catalog yet, but they come up often:
- Maccy is free and open source, small and keyboard-driven. It is also sold on the Mac App Store for those who want to support it.
- Alfred includes clipboard history in its paid Powerpack.
Privacy: what a clipboard manager sees
A clipboard manager stores everything you copy, including passwords, two-factor codes and private messages. Check three things before you settle on one:
- Whether it can ignore specific apps. Excluding your password manager is the most important setting. Paste and Raycast both let you exclude apps.
- Where history is stored and synced. Local only is the most private. If the app syncs, check whether it goes through iCloud or the developer's own servers, and read how that data is protected.
- How long it keeps items. Shorter history means less to leak.
Password managers like Bitwarden can also clear the clipboard after copying a password, which helps whichever tool you pick.
Which one should you choose?
- You want the nicest experience and use an iPhone too: Paste.
- You live on the keyboard and already use a launcher: Raycast.
- You want notes, files and clipboard in one place, paid once: Unclutter.
- You copy a few things a day and want nothing extra: Spotlight's built-in history.
Looking for something else? See alternatives to Paste or browse utilities for Mac.
FAQ
Does the Mac have a built-in clipboard history?
Yes, since macOS Tahoe. Spotlight can keep recent clipboard items once you enable it. Earlier macOS versions only hold the last item you copied.
Is Paste worth paying for?
If you use pinboards or need your history on an iPhone, yes. If you only need to recover something you copied ten minutes ago, Raycast or the built-in history covers it for free.
Can a clipboard manager see my passwords?
It can if you copy them. Exclude your password manager in the clipboard app's settings, and enable the password manager's option to clear the clipboard after a short delay.
Do clipboard managers work with images and files?
Paste, Raycast and Unclutter all keep images and file references as well as text. The built-in Spotlight history also shows images.
