Paste

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

4.8•32 reviews•

2.3K followers

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

4.8•32 reviews•

2.3K 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 want a fast keyboard-first clipboard history
✓you prefer open-source and local utilities
✓you want pinning and powerful search

See details ↓

Pasta

5.0 ·

Choose Pasta if...

✓you want a generous free tier long-term
✓you want a simple daily clipboard time machine
✓you want a designer-friendly visual clipboard

See details ↓

CleanClip

Choose CleanClip if...

✓you want a near-cursor paste menu
✓you prefer numeric shortcuts for fast pasting
✓you mostly paste snippets into forms

See details ↓

CopyCat Clipboard

5.0 ·

Choose CopyCat Clipboard if...

✓you need clipboard sync with Android devices
✓universal clipboard is unreliable for you
✓you want open-source with a strong free tier

See details ↓

Unclutter

Choose Unclutter if...

✓you want clipboard, notes, and files together
✓you like a slide-down workspace panel
✓you frequently stage items while switching tasks

See details ↓

What to Consider

Paste is one of the best-known clipboard managers on Mac, popular for turning clipboard history into a polished, visual experience that’s easy to browse and reuse. The alternatives span everything from minimalist, keyboard-first tools like Maccy that prioritize speed and simplicity (and appeal to open-source, no-subscription fans), to budget-friendly options like Pasta with a generous free tier, to cursor-centric utilities like CleanClip designed for rapid “paste at point of typing.” If you need more than Apple’s ecosystem offers, cross-device solutions like CopyCat Clipboard stand out for syncing beyond iOS—including Android—while all-in-one “desktop shelf” apps like Unclutter bundle clips with quick notes and file drop zones.

In evaluating Paste alternatives, the key considerations were workflow fit (keyboard-driven vs visual browsing vs at-cursor menus), pricing model and free-tier depth, openness and local-first trust (open source vs proprietary), and how well each option handles daily fundamentals like search, pinning, and high-volume copying. We also weighed cross-device reliability and platform coverage, since some users optimize for Mac-only smoothness while others need dependable sync across non-Apple devices.

Maccy

Lightweight. Open source. No fluff.

5.0 · 4 reviews

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Maccy is built for speed and keyboard flow, making it a compelling alternative to Paste when a minimal clipboard history is the goal. Instead of a highly visual, card-like interface, it focuses on fast access, quick filtering, and muscle-memory shortcuts so snippets are always one hotkey away.

It shines in high-volume clipboard work: searching through history, selecting items quickly, and pinning important snippets so they stay accessible. Power users can tailor hotkeys and commands to match their workflow, which is ideal when Paste’s more guided UI feels slower than necessary.

Maccy is also a strong fit for people who want a straightforward utility without ongoing costs. Its open-source nature and lightweight approach make it especially appealing to users who prioritize transparency, local-first habits, and a tool that stays out of the way while still being reliably available all day.

Best for

Best for Mac power users who want a lightweight, keyboard-first clipboard history without subscriptions.

Standout features

✓Keyboard-first clipboard history access
✓Fast search across clipboard items
✓Pin important snippets to keep them handy
✓Customizable hotkeys and commands
✓Lightweight, minimal interface

Pasta

Clipboard time machine

5.0 · 1 review

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Pasta stands out as a practical, budget-friendly alternative to Paste when you want a capable clipboard manager without feeling pushed into a premium plan. It keeps the core promise of a clipboard “time machine” while staying approachable for everyday use.

Where Paste leans into a polished, premium experience, Pasta’s appeal is simple: it’s easy to adopt, easy to keep running, and valuable even if you never upgrade. That makes it a strong choice for students, new Mac users, or anyone who wants clipboard history as a background utility rather than a feature-heavy workspace.

Pasta also fits creative workflows that benefit from quickly revisiting recent copies and visually scanning what was captured. If the main need is reliable recall of recent text and assets with minimal setup, it’s an efficient alternative that covers the basics well.

Best for

Ideal for budget-conscious Mac users who want reliable clipboard history with a strong free experience.

Standout features

✓Generous free tier for everyday use
✓Clipboard history for quick recall
✓Simple, low-friction daily workflow
✓Fast access to recent copied items

CleanClip

The Easiest Way to Use Clipboard History like a Pro

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CleanClip is designed around a “paste at the cursor” workflow, which makes it a strong alternative to Paste for repetitive writing and form-heavy tasks. Rather than opening a larger clipboard browser, it brings a compact menu to the point of typing for quick selection.

Its numeric selection approach keeps the loop tight: trigger the menu, hit a number, and paste. That’s especially useful when the priority is speed and accuracy in the current field, not browsing a long visual history.

CleanClip is a good fit for people who rely on short snippets, templated responses, or frequently reused fragments throughout the day. If Paste feels like an extra layer of UI for simple insertions, CleanClip’s system-like interaction model can feel more immediate and streamlined.

Best for

Best for users who want the fastest possible paste-at-cursor experience for repetitive inputs.

Standout features

✓Near-cursor clipboard menu
✓Numeric shortcuts for instant selection
✓Cmd+; trigger for quick access
✓Optimized for rapid snippet pasting

CopyCat Clipboard

Clipboard Experience You Always Wanted

5.0 · 2 reviews

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CopyCat Clipboard is the go-to alternative to Paste when cross-device syncing matters beyond Apple’s ecosystem. It’s particularly useful for moving snippets between a Mac and Android, or for anyone who wants a dedicated sync layer instead of relying on built-in OS handoff.

Compared with Paste’s Mac-first focus, CopyCat Clipboard emphasizes portability: save, search, and sync clipboard items across devices so the same snippet is available where work actually happens. That can be a major upgrade for mixed-device households, developers testing on multiple platforms, or anyone switching between phone and desktop frequently.

It also appeals to users who prefer open-source software and want strong functionality without paying upfront. If the main pain point is unreliable cross-device copy/paste or limited platform support, CopyCat Clipboard is a purpose-built alternative that prioritizes consistent sharing and retrieval.

Best for

Best for people who need dependable clipboard sync across Mac and non-Apple devices, including Android.

Standout features

✓Cross-device clipboard sync
✓Works well with Android workflows
✓Search and save clipboard items
✓Open-source with robust free features

Unclutter

Easily manage your files, notes & clipboard data

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Unclutter takes a broader approach than Paste by combining clipboard history with quick notes and a temporary file shelf. For users who treat copied text, short reminders, and in-progress files as part of the same working context, that unified panel can replace juggling multiple small utilities.

Instead of focusing purely on visual clipboard cards, Unclutter acts like a slide-down staging area for whatever is needed right now. This is especially helpful during research, content drafting, or task switching, when snippets, links, and files need to stay visible and ready to drag, paste, or reference.

Unclutter is a strong alternative when the clipboard is only one piece of the workflow and a compact “desktop shelf” is more valuable than deeper clipboard-only features. If Paste feels narrowly focused, Unclutter’s all-in-one workspace can reduce friction by keeping the day’s active materials in one accessible place.