Paste

A better way to copy and paste on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

4.8•32 reviews•

2.5K followers

A better way to copy and paste on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

4.8•32 reviews•

2.5K followers

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Note and writing apps

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Team collaboration software

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Content Management Systems

Paste is a time machine for your clipboard that lets you instantly find anything you've ever copied and use it whenever you need it again.

The Best Paste Alternatives

The best Paste alternatives are Maccy, Pasta, CleanClip, CopyCat Clipboard, and Unclutter.

Maccy

5.0 ·

Choose Maccy if...

✓you prefer lightweight clipboard retrieval with customizable keyboard shortcuts
✓you want open-source software with local-only clipboard storage

See details ↓

Pasta

5.0 ·

Choose Pasta if...

✓you want visual clipboard history with an ongoing free tier
✓you prefer grid browsing with content and application filters

See details ↓

CleanClip

Choose CleanClip if...

✓you want clipboard access beside your typing cursor
✓you prefer selecting clipboard items with number keys

See details ↓

CopyCat Clipboard

5.0 ·

Choose CopyCat Clipboard if...

✓you need clipboard transfers between Mac and Android
✓you want free saving, searching, and clipboard syncing
✓you prefer managing your own encryption keys

See details ↓

Unclutter

Choose Unclutter if...

✓you want clipboard history, notes, and file staging together
✓you prefer accessing tools through a top-edge panel

See details ↓

What to Consider

Paste is a prominent clipboard manager known for its visual history and cross-device experience across Apple devices. Its alternatives take different approaches: Maccy emphasizes lightweight, keyboard-first retrieval, while Pasta offers visual browsing with a free tier suitable for ongoing use. CleanClip focuses on access near the text cursor, CopyCat Clipboard supports mixed-device workflows such as Mac–Android transfers, and Unclutter combines clipboard history with notes and temporary-file staging.

The evaluation considered retrieval speed and interaction style, organization tools, pricing, device compatibility, and privacy, including local storage and encryption setup. User feedback was weighed separately from product descriptions, with stronger workflow evidence available for Maccy and CopyCat, narrower pricing feedback for Pasta, and no supplied user reviews for CleanClip or Unclutter.

Maccy

Lightweight. Open source. No fluff.

5.0 · 4 reviews

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Maccy puts keyboard-first clipboard retrieval ahead of the larger visual experience that defines Paste. It is a strong fit for users who want to search their history, select an item, and return to work without adopting a broader organization system.

Customizable keyboard commands and pinned items make frequently reused text readily accessible. Its mouse-free workflow accommodates large clipboard histories, making it useful for developers, writers, and support professionals who repeatedly retrieve snippets.

Open-source MIT licensing and local-only storage distinguish Maccy for users who prioritize transparency and keeping clipboard content on their Mac. The trade-off is that it is better suited to local retrieval than to replacing Paste’s cross-device experience. Maccy 2.0 requires macOS 14 or newer, making operating-system compatibility an important consideration.

Best for

Best for keyboard-focused Mac users who want a lightweight, customizable clipboard manager with local-only storage.

Standout features

✓Searchable local clipboard history
✓Customizable keyboard commands
✓Pinned clipboard items
✓Mouse-free retrieval and pasting
✓Open-source MIT licensing

Pasta

Clipboard time machine

5.0 · 1 review

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For users drawn to visual clipboard history but seeking a budget-friendly alternative to Paste, Pasta offers a free tier suitable for ongoing use. Its appeal is maintaining a visual retrieval workflow rather than switching to a minimalist text list.

A grid presentation makes copied material browsable, while favorites keep frequently needed items accessible. Filters by content type and application offer additional ways to narrow the history. Search across content, application names, and window names provides useful retrieval options when the surrounding context is easier to remember than the copied text.

Pasta is particularly relevant for designers and content workers who prefer recognizing items visually. Its window-style presentation is a matter of preference rather than an automatic improvement over Paste’s interface. The strongest reason to switch is the combination of ongoing free use and visual organization, rather than an expectation of broader device synchronization.

Best for

Best for budget-conscious Mac users who want visual clipboard browsing, favorites, and flexible filtering.

Standout features

✓Free tier for ongoing use
✓Visual clipboard grid
✓Favorites for frequently used items
✓Content-type and application filters
✓Search by content, application, and window

CleanClip

The Easiest Way to Use Clipboard History like a Pro

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Clipboard access beside the text insertion point gives CleanClip a distinct alternative to Paste’s larger visual presentation. Its nearby menu keeps retrieval close to the active writing task, making it appealing when panel placement matters more than browsing a broad history.

The Cmd+; shortcut opens the menu, and number keys let users select items without reaching for the mouse. This interaction style suits support replies, code snippets, and other workflows built around repeated text insertion. Smart lists and per-app collections add organization for users who need more than a basic chronological history.

Paste Stack supports sequential pasting for tasks such as filling multiple fields, while formatting presets help adapt inserted content. Sequential pasting overlaps with Paste’s capabilities, so CleanClip’s stronger distinction is how users access and select clipboard items. It is most compelling as an interface-focused alternative rather than a replacement chosen primarily for cross-device continuity.

Best for

Best for Mac users who want cursor-local clipboard access and keyboard-driven insertion of snippets or sequential items.

Standout features

✓Clipboard menu near the text cursor
✓Number-key item selection
✓Paste Stack for sequential pasting
✓Smart lists and per-app collections
✓Formatting presets

CopyCat Clipboard

Clipboard Experience You Always Wanted

5.0 · 2 reviews

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Moving clipboard content between Mac and Android is CopyCat Clipboard’s clearest advantage over Paste’s Apple-focused experience. It is a practical alternative for people whose everyday devices do not all belong to the same ecosystem.

Saving, searching, and syncing are available through its free offering, making it relevant for everyday home use without an immediate paid upgrade. Unlimited local history and collections support longer-term retrieval and organization. Cloud retention is separate from local history, with a 24-hour free window and 30 days on Pro.

CopyCat also offers end-to-end encryption that users configure by generating and importing their own key across devices. That provides direct key control but makes safeguarding the key and setting up additional devices the user’s responsibility. File and media synchronization relies on Google Drive, so CopyCat is best suited to users comfortable with those dependencies in exchange for broader device coverage.

Best for

Best for mixed-device users who need Mac–Android clipboard transfers and are comfortable managing encryption keys.

Standout features

✓Mac–Android clipboard transfers
✓Free saving, searching, and syncing
✓Unlimited local clipboard history
✓User-managed end-to-end encryption keys
✓Google Drive file and media synchronization

Unclutter

Easily manage your files, notes & clipboard data

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Unclutter combines clipboard history, quick notes, and temporary-file staging in one workspace, offering broader desktop utility than Paste’s clipboard-centered approach. It is a strong alternative when copied content is only one part of the material moving between applications.

A top-edge slide-down panel provides a different access pattern from Paste’s visual presentation. Searchable clipboard history helps retrieve copied material, while drag-and-drop file staging gives assets a temporary home before they reach their destination. The notes area keeps short reminders and working text alongside those files and clipboard items.

This consolidated approach suits writers, researchers, and designers who would otherwise use separate tools for these small tasks. Notes and files can use cloud folders, but that should not be confused with synchronized clipboard history comparable to Paste’s. Unclutter requires payment and is most compelling when the combined workspace is useful, rather than when the goal is simply a lightweight clipboard list.