Discover the Best Clipboard Managers for Your Mac

Last year, Apple introduced a built-in clipboard manager for Mac users, allowing you to track everything you’ve copied. However, this feature is disabled by default and requires macOS 26 Tahoe to function, which is not an option for those with older Macs. Apple’s implementation of the clipboard manager is basic, but there are plenty of excellent third-party alternatives to choose from.

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Spotlight Search: The Best Clipboard Manager for Most People

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For most users, a simple clipboard manager that does the basics is sufficient. You can enable Spotlight search to track your clipboard history. To do this, go to System Settings > Spotlight > Results from Clipboard. After enabling this feature, you can access your clipboard entries by pressing Command-Space or clicking the magnifying glass in your Mac’s menu bar and then Command-4. Spotlight will log everything you copy, excluding sensitive information such as passwords. This feature is a great starting point for clipboard management, but it lacks advanced features like syncing clipboard history across devices and categorizing copied items by type.

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Maccy: A Simple, Free Clipboard Manager for Older Macs

For those who can’t install macOS Tahoe or use an older Mac that’s no longer supported, Maccy is a reliable and free clipboard manager option. This lightweight menu bar app displays clipboard history when you click its icon, allowing you to quickly search through your entries and function reliably without getting in the way of your work. You can also set up a list of applications to ignore, preventing sensitive apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams from storing data in the clipboard.

PastePal: A Great Paid Clipboard Manager

PastePal is a feature-rich clipboard manager that offers everything you need to streamline your workflow. In addition to basic clipboard management, it automatically removes tracking URLs from links, transforms text between uppercase and lowercase, and allows you to edit items you’ve copied. The app also supports sequential paste, which is ideal for repetitive tasks like copying from one window and pasting in another. While PastePal’s interface may not be the most intuitive, it’s a great choice for those who need advanced features.

Pastebot 3: Best for Transforming Text, Applying Smart Filters

Pastebot 3, developed by the creators of Tweetbot, is a powerful clipboard manager that gets the basics right and adds a layer of smart filters on top. This means it can automatically convert copied text to title case, uppercase, and other text transformations. It can also extract links from copied text and arrange them in a format of your choice. The app also lets you create ‘Smart Pastebins,’ which are like having smart folders in your clipboard manager. You can enhance this feature by creating custom filters that work best for your workflow.

Paste: Pricey, but the Best Clipboard Manager Overall

Paste is the best clipboard manager for Apple devices overall, offering a feature-rich and user-friendly interface. It reliably handles your clipboard history, lets you choose which apps to exclude from its tracking, and supports advanced features like extracting text from images and sequential pasting. The app also uses a simple and intuitive keyboard shortcut (Command-Shift-V) to open or close the clipboard history panel. While it lacks text transformation and automation rules, it’s an overall neat and thoughtful app that’s well worth recommending.