Best Clipboard Managers for Mac in 2026: Which One Fits Your Workflow?

The best clipboard manager for your Mac depends on what happens after you copy something. Maccy suits focused, free history retrieval. Paste keeps a collection available across Apple devices. Raycast includes history in its free launcher, while Alfred combines history with snippets and workflows through Powerpack. Frset connects local clipboard history with screenshots, OCR, translation, and text tools.

Compare free access and prices first

Tool	Free access	Monthly price	One-time purchase	Main reason to choose it
Frset	Latest 24 hours of ordinary history; up to 3 tags and 10 notes	$0.99	$19.99	Local history with organization, screenshot OCR, translation, and utilities
Maccy	Free open-source release	—	Optional paid App Store version	Focused history retrieval and keyboard control
Paste	7-day trial	$3.99	$99.99	Clipboard collections across Mac, iPhone, and iPad
Raycast	Clipboard history with retention up to 3 months	Pro: $10	—	History inside a launcher with extensions
Alfred	Free launcher; clipboard history requires Powerpack	—	Powerpack: £34; Mega Supporter: £59 with lifetime upgrades	Clipboard history, snippets, and custom workflows

Prices updated October 15, 2026. $ = USD; £ = GBP.

Do you need another app at all?

On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, start with Spotlight's built-in clipboard history if you mainly need to recover a recent copy. Open Spotlight with Command-Space, then press Command-4. Enable clipboard results if prompted, search for an item, copy it, and paste it where you need it. Apple documents the steps in its clipboard history guide.

Consider a dedicated tool for organizing reusable material, working on an earlier macOS version, keeping history across devices, or processing copied content. Our Mac clipboard history guide covers the basics.

Frset: for clipboard work that leads into screenshots and text tools

Frset is a useful fit when finding a copy is only one part of the task. You might recover a command, locate a reference link, extract text from an error screenshot, and translate an unfamiliar explanation before writing a reply.

Its local history supports text, code, links, images, files, and colors. Tags, titles, and aliases help organize recurring material, while content-type filters narrow a mixed collection. Screenshot OCR, annotation, translation, and utilities such as JSON formatting sit alongside that history. See the clipboard manager, screenshot, and translation overviews for those workflows.

The free plan provides access to the latest 24 hours of ordinary history, with up to three tags and ten notes. Pro costs $0.99/month or $19.99 as a one-time purchase, with configurable history retention. The app supports macOS 13 or later.

Choose Frset if these connected tasks are part of your day. Its history stays on your Mac and does not sync across devices. Multi-item text copying combines the selection into one newline-separated passage. With Screenshot search enabled, OCR indexing covers eligible Frset screenshots; external translation and remote AI services receive the content you submit.

Maccy: for focused, free clipboard history

Maccy is a strong starting point if your task is to find an earlier copy and reuse it. It supports keyboard search, pinned items, and copying or pasting a selection.

The open-source release is free, and the project also links to an optional App Store purchase. The current version requires macOS 14 or later.

Choose it for focused retrieval, keyboard control, and inspectable source. For a closer look at organization and the work after retrieval, read Frset vs Maccy.

Paste: for clipboard collections across Apple devices

If you collect material on an iPhone or iPad and reuse it on a Mac, evaluate Paste. Its pinboards organize reusable material across devices. You can also search text inside images and use Paste Stack to paste captured items in sequence.

Paste offers a seven-day trial, $3.99/month, and a $99.99 Lifetime purchase. Both paid options cover your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Choose Paste when device continuity or sequential pasting is the deciding requirement. If you work on one Mac and prefer a free history tool, compare that narrower need before buying. Read Frset vs Paste for the workflow differences.

Raycast: for clipboard history alongside a launcher

Raycast's free plan includes clipboard history with retention up to three months. Pro costs $10/month and offers longer retention, but is not required for the free history feature.

Raycast supports hotkeys, content-type filters, pinned entries, and on-device text extraction from images. Choose it if a launcher with extensions fits how you work. If you prefer a dedicated clipboard app, compare the interaction before adopting the wider tool. See Frset vs Raycast.

Alfred: for clipboard history, snippets, and custom workflows

Alfred is worth considering if you want clipboard history as part of a customizable keyboard workflow. Its Powerpack includes history, text snippets with automatic expansion, and a workflow editor.

The launcher is free, but clipboard history requires Powerpack. A single license costs £34; Mega Supporter costs £59 and includes lifetime upgrades. These are separate license options, so choose based on whether future major upgrades matter to you.

Choose Alfred if you want to build workflows or turn repeated replies and commands into expandable snippets. If you prefer built-in capture and text tools, compare it with Frset.

Choose around a task you actually repeat

Before choosing a paid plan, try the same small task with your shortlist. Copy a paragraph, a link, a screenshot, and a command. Then look for the earlier paragraph, paste the command without formatting, and keep the link somewhere you can find next week. If you need several devices, include them in the trial.

• Recover a recent copy without another app: start with Spotlight on a supported macOS version.
• Keep focused, open-source history: start with Maccy.
• Bring clipboard history into an existing launcher routine: try Raycast's free plan first.
• Organize a collection across Mac, iPhone, and iPad: evaluate Paste.
• Build custom workflows and expand frequently used text: evaluate Alfred Powerpack.
• Connect local history with screenshot OCR, translation, and utilities: try Frset.

For Frset, begin with the free download and a few real items from your work. Use the multi-item copying guide or image text guide if those tasks are what brought you here.