# Essential for Mac Users: Review of 6 Top Clipboard Management Tools
Repeatedly cutting, copying and pasting content can be a tiresome task, especially when dealing with multiple sets of text, images or files. The best way to accomplish such tasks is by using a clipboard manager. This guide recommends six of the best clipboard management tools for the Mac platform.
Table of Contents
- What is a Clipboard Manager?
- Best Clipboard Managers for Mac
- 1. CleanClip
- 2. CopyQ
- 3. Paste
- 4. Clipy
- 5. Flycut
- 6. Dittostack
- Frequently Asked Questions
# What is a Clipboard Manager?
macOS itself does not provide access to the system clipboard, meaning you cannot intuitively view all cut and copied content. You can only see the last item cut or copied. Clipboard managers enhance the functionality of the system clipboard by storing cut and copied data (such as text, images, files, etc.) in a unified panel, allowing you to recall this content as needed.
If you need to repeatedly cut, copy and paste multiple items, a clipboard manager is an essential tool to make your work easier. You don't have to switch back and forth between folders and files to highlight, cut or copy, and then paste data.
# What Should You Consider When Choosing a Clipboard Manager?
When selecting a clipboard manager, in addition to personal preferences and needs, you should consider the following:
- Historical Capacity - The number of items or capacity each clipboard manager can store varies.
- Supported Data Types - It's important to understand which data types various clipboard managers support.
- User Interface - Consider whether its user interface (UI) is friendly and provides the clipboard item views and access methods you need.
- Customisability - The clipboard manager should offer features such as custom shortcuts for faster management of clipboard data.
- Application Integration - Look for a clipboard manager that is widely used, applicable to different operating systems, and designed to integrate with the applications or software you need.
- Platform Support - If you use multiple devices to cut, copy and paste items, you should choose a clipboard manager that works on all of these devices.
- Price - You can choose paid applications or use free ones. There are extensive choices for both.
The following six Mac clipboard managers offer different prices, features and selling points, with some also supporting cross-platform use. Read carefully and choose the tool that best suits your clipboard management needs.
# Best Clipboard Managers for Mac
# 1. CleanClip
Price: Freemium, premium content £10.99 one-time purchase, free version is sufficient
CleanClip (opens new window) is a powerful Mac clipboard manager with a clean interface. It offers rich features while maintaining a minimalist design philosophy, making it ideal for Mac users who prioritise efficiency. Additionally, it has three main uses, each suitable for three different usage scenarios, which are well worth exploring.
# Advantages
- Supports unlimited history records
- Provides intelligent categorisation
- Supports powerful paste queue, closely aligned with workflow
- Supports batch operations
- Supports multiple formats including text, images, files, etc.
- Powerful search function
- Customisable shortcuts
- Free version is sufficient
- Very attractive design
# Disadvantages
- Does not support Windows platform
# 2. CopyQ
Price: Free
CopyQ (opens new window) is a free clipboard management tool from GitHub. It has a clean interface and convenient features, but its search function is hidden in the Edit button on the toolbar, which may be inconvenient if you don't like using shortcuts for navigation.
# Advantages
- Supports multiple pastes
- Can assign up to 38 hotkeys
- Allows creation and editing of plain text clipboard items within the application
- Can create and add tags for clipboard items
# Disadvantages
- No categorisation function for clipboard items
- Cannot synchronise clipboard items with other devices
# 3. Paste
Price: £3.99 monthly subscription, does not support one-time purchase
Among all the clipboard management applications in this list, Paste (opens new window) supports iCloud synchronisation and pasting to compatible applications. If you need to copy, cut or paste items using multiple Apple devices (Mac, iPad and iPhone), Paste is the best choice as you can access your clipboard items on different devices.
# Advantages
- Allows categorisation of clipboard items
- Supports iCloud synchronisation
- Available for iPadOS and iOS
- Supports multiple pastes
# Disadvantages
- No hotkey function
# 4. Clipy
Price: Free
Clipy (opens new window) is a lightweight clipboard manager available for free from GitHub. Although it lacks basic features such as search, this absence of major functions makes it a good choice for users with fewer clipboard management needs. Additionally, it has a compact user interface that integrates well with macOS Ventura.
# Advantages
- Clean user interface
- Suitable for occasional clipboard management needs
- Interface matches macOS
# Disadvantages
- Does not provide search function
- Does not support multiple pastes
# 5. Flycut
Price: Free
Flycut (opens new window) is available on the App Store and GitHub. You can browse the clipboard through its search function, which is uncommon in free clipboard managers. It's suitable for large-capacity clipboard management on Mac, but the lack of individual hotkeys makes it less efficient. Its compatibility with macOS, iPadOS and iOS is a good selling point, but it doesn't support iCloud synchronisation.
# Advantages
- Allows multiple pastes
- Interface matches macOS
- Available for iPadOS and iOS
# Disadvantages
- Does not support iCloud synchronisation
# 6. Dittostack
Price: £9.99 one-time purchase
Dittostack (opens new window) supports clipboard item search, but compared to other Mac clipboard managers, its historical capacity is relatively low at only 1,000 items. It has a unique feature: "Show in Finder". This feature allows you to jump directly to the location of clipboard files copied from Mac storage. You can try Dittostack for free for up to 15 days.
# Advantages
- "Show in Finder" feature
# Disadvantages
- Does not support multiple pastes
- Historical capacity limited to 1,000 clipboard items
# Frequently Asked Questions
# How do I access the clipboard on Mac?
Launch Finder, with the Finder window open, go to the menu bar and click "Edit -> Show Clipboard". Note that this will only show the last item you cut or copied.
# Can clipboard managers store sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card information?
Yes. However, we strongly advise against storing sensitive information in clipboard managers. If you need to cut or copy sensitive data, make sure your clipboard manager is not running in the background or from the Mac menu bar.
# Can I limit clipboard manager access to certain applications and folders on my Mac?
Yes. Not all Mac clipboard managers allow you to restrict them from saving clipboard items from certain applications. CleanClip, CopyQ, Paste and Dittostack allow you to add application rules and exceptions.