The best Paste alternatives for Mac
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Paste is one of the nicest clipboard managers on the Mac, and it syncs everything you copy to your iPhone and iPad. But it's a subscription, $2.49 a month or $29.99 a year. If you mostly copy and paste on one Mac, one of these may suit you better. We make Helix, so weigh that pick accordingly.
What you'd give up
Before switching, know what Paste does that the others here don't: it syncs your history across Mac, iPhone and iPad, keeps every copy with no limit, and has pinboards for snippets you can share with a team. If you rely on those, stay with Paste.
At a glance
| Price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|
| Maccy | Free, open source | A small, fast clipboard history and nothing else |
| Raycast | Free (3 months of history); Pro $10 a month | People who search for everything by typing |
| Alfred | Powerpack from £34 once | A one-time-paid launcher with clipboard history |
| Spotlight | Built in (macOS 26 Tahoe and later) | The basics, with nothing to install |
| Helix | $4.99₹399 once (early bird, $9.99₹899 regularly) | Clipboard plus your apps, music and AI in one ring |
Maccy
Free and open source, Maccy lives in the menu bar: open it, type to search your history and press Return to paste. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and later. The closest thing to Paste's core for free, without the sync.
Raycast
Raycast's launcher includes clipboard history on its free plan, kept for 3 months. Raycast Pro, $10 a month or $96 a year, keeps it without a limit and adds AI. A good fit if you'd use Raycast for searching anyway.
Alfred
Alfred's clipboard history comes with its Powerpack, a one-time licence from £34, along with snippets and workflows. It's off by default for privacy; turn it on in Alfred's preferences.
Spotlight
On macOS 26 Tahoe and later, press ⌘Space, then ⌘4, to see recent copies. It keeps them for 8 hours by default and up to 7 days. More in how to see your clipboard history on a Mac.
Helix
Hold ⌥Space and point at Clipboard: your last 50 copies, text and images, kept as long as you choose, with copies from password managers skipped. The same ring opens your favorite apps, controls Spotify or Apple Music, and has notes and Ask AI. $4.99₹399 once, Mac only.
For more clipboard managers, see the best clipboard managers for Mac. Prices are from each app's website in November 2026 and can differ by region.
Questions
What's the best free alternative to Paste?
Maccy is free and open source. Raycast's free plan has clipboard history kept for 3 months, and macOS 26 Tahoe and later have a basic clipboard history in Spotlight.
Which Paste alternative syncs to iPhone?
None of the apps here sync your clipboard history to your iPhone the way Paste does. If that's what you use Paste for, it's worth keeping.
Is there a Paste alternative without a subscription?
Yes. Maccy is free, Alfred's Powerpack is a one-time licence from £34, and Helix is $4.99 once.
How much does Paste cost?
Paste's Personal plan is $2.49 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial.
Helix is a one-time purchase for macOS 14 or later, with 16 tools in one ring. See how it works.
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