Alfred vs PopClip
We give Alfred a 3.0 GPA and PopClip a 2.8, out of 4.0. Alfred grades higher on the free plan. PopClip grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Alfred
Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows
PopClip
Pop-up bar of text actions when you select text on a Mac
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAlfredVery good | 2.8GPAPopClipGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Powerpack is £34 once, with no subscription, and Mega Supporter at £59 adds free lifetime upgrades. Fair for how much it unlocks, though it's more than most pay-once utilities ask. Prices are in pounds sterling only, so there's no US dollar price to quote. | A$12 once for a Standard License with 2 years of updates, on up to 5 Macs. Lifetime is $32 and includes all future versions. Both are well under a year of a typical paid utility here. Students get the Standard License at half price. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe core of Alfred is free to use forever, at home, at school or at work: launching apps, finding files and searching the web. Plenty of people never need more. Clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all wait behind the Powerpack. | CNo free version, but the trial is fully functional for 250 uses. After that the app periodically asks you to buy a license. And if you can't afford to, the developer says to email him for a free 1-year license. |
| Features | AOne search bar launches apps, finds files and searches the web. The Powerpack adds clipboard history kept for up to 3 months, snippets that expand as you type, file actions, custom hotkeys and workflows built like blocks with no code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported. | AIt does one thing, actions on selected text, and does it fully. Cut, copy, paste, search, dictionary and spelling are built in, and 287 extensions add translation, notes, tasks and AI tools. You can write your own as a plain-text snippet and group actions into folders. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. The launcher is a search bar, so you type and go. Workflows ask more of you, since you're connecting triggers to actions, but you can import ones other people have made. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Select text and the bar is just there, right at the pointer. It needs the Accessibility permission to work, and newer versions come from the website, Setapp or Homebrew, not the Mac App Store. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.14 or later. Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store. It works with 1Password and Music.app, and the Powerpack runs Terminal commands and scripts. | DMac only, on macOS 13.5 or above, and the developer makes no iPhone, iPad or Windows version. Extensions do connect it to Google Translate, DeepL, Obsidian, Things 3, Todoist, Raycast and Alfred. |
| Best for | a Mac launcher you pay for once | one-click actions on any text you select on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Alfred and PopClip. How we grade
Where they differ
- Alfred starts at £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License). PopClip starts at $12 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates).
- Alfred has a free plan. PopClip does not, though it has a free trial.
- Alfred also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and text expansion.
- PopClip also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Alfred | PopClip | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License) | $12 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates) |
| Free plan | The core of Alfred is free to use forever, covering app, file and web search. Powerpack features such as workflows, clipboard history and snippets are not included. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Fully functional trial for 250 uses; after that the app periodically asks you to buy a license |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Running with Crayons Ltd | Pilotmoon Software |
| Price read from | alfredapp.com | popclip.app |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Alfred
- Mac users who want a keyboard launcher without a subscription
- People who automate repetitive tasks with their own workflows
- Buyers who want to pay once, with optional lifetime upgrades
PopClip
- Mac users who select text with the mouse and want actions right at the pointer
- Sending selected text to a notes app, task manager or translator in one click
- People who want to add their own text actions with short snippets
Worth knowing
Alfred
- macOS only (10.14 or later). Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store.
- Clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all require the paid Powerpack.
- Prices are shown in pounds sterling only; the vendor's site gives no US dollar price.
- The Single License is tied to Alfred 5; moving to a later major version is a discounted paid upgrade unless you hold Mega Supporter.
PopClip
- macOS only. The latest release requires macOS 13.5 or above, and the developer makes no iPhone, iPad or Windows version.
- The Mac App Store edition stopped at version 2023.9; newer versions come from the website, Setapp or Homebrew.
- A Standard License covers 2 years of updates. After that you keep the last version received and need a new license for later ones.
- It does not appear when text is selected with the keyboard alone unless you use its shortcut, and it needs the Accessibility permission.
Key features
Alfred
- App, file and web search
- Launch apps, find files on your Mac and search websites with default or custom search keywords, all from one search bar.
- Workflows
- A Powerpack feature that connects triggers and actions like building blocks to automate tasks without code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported.
- Clipboard History
- With the Powerpack, Alfred keeps the text, images and file links you copy for 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months, so an earlier item can be found and pasted again.
- Snippets and text expansion
- With the Powerpack, saved snippets expand automatically when you type a short keyword.
- File actions and Terminal commands
- The Powerpack adds actions on files, such as emailing, moving, copying and revealing in Finder, and runs Terminal commands and scripts from Alfred.
- System commands and hotkeys
- Sleep the Mac, empty the Trash or start the screensaver with a keyword. The Powerpack adds custom hotkeys and keywords for apps and sites.
PopClip
- Appears on text selection
- The PopClip bar appears when you select text with the mouse or trackpad in any app. A long press or a keyboard shortcut brings it up without a selection.
- Built-in actions
- Cut, Copy, Paste, Search, Open Link, Dictionary and Spelling come with the app. Holding Shift cuts, copies or pastes as plain text, and Search can use a custom search URL.
- Extensions directory
- The directory lists 287 extensions that add actions for translation, notes, tasks, AI tools and more. Extensions installed from it can update automatically.
- Snippets and custom extensions
- An extension can be written as a plain-text snippet and installed by selecting that text, or packaged as a file. Developer docs cover both formats.
- Organizing actions
- Actions can be rearranged, renamed, restyled, duplicated with different settings and grouped into folders, and auto-appear can be turned off for chosen apps or websites.
- iCloud Sync
- Syncs installed extensions, the arrangement of the actions list and each action's settings between your Macs. Sign-ins and API keys sync through iCloud Keychain.
Plans
Alfred
Alfred (free)£0
The core launcher for searching your Mac and the web. Free to use in a personal, educational or business setting.
Powerpack Single License£34
one-time purchase, license for Alfred 5
Unlocks the Powerpack for one user on Alfred 5: workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, themes and settings sync.
Powerpack Mega Supporter£59
one-time purchase, free lifetime upgrades
The same Powerpack features for one user, with free upgrades to future versions of Alfred.
PopClip
Standard License$12
one-time purchase, 2 years of free updates (US price)
Updates for 2 years, after which you keep the last version you received. Personal license for up to 5 Macs, with iCloud sync.
Lifetime License$32
one-time purchase, lifetime free updates (US price)
Never expires and includes all future versions. Personal license for up to 5 Macs, with iCloud sync.
Setapp subscription$14.99
per month + tax, for the whole Setapp catalog
PopClip is also included in Setapp, a subscription that bundles it with dozens of other apps.
Ways to pay less
Alfred
- Lifetime license
Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades
The £59 Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. The £34 Single License covers Alfred 5.
- Other savings
Upgrade discount for older licenses
Holders of a Single User or Family license for an earlier version of Alfred can upgrade to the current Powerpack at a discount.
PopClip
- Education
Half-price Standard License for students
Students in full-time education can claim a half-price 2-year Standard License, which also brings a 25% discount on a later Lifetime License upgrade.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime License with all future updates
The Lifetime License is a one-time purchase that never expires and includes free updates to all future versions of PopClip.
- Other savings
Volume pricing for teams
Teams and organizations can buy a multi-user license key at a discounted rate by emailing the developer for a quote.
- Other savings
Free 1-year license on request
The developer says that people who have used up the trial and cannot afford to buy can email him for a free 1-year license.
- By country
Lower prices in listed countries
Prices are set 20% or 40% lower in a published list of countries and are applied automatically by location. Other discounts come off that lower price.
