Clipy vs CopyClip (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy grades higher than CopyClip: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Clipy grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CopyClip
Text-only clipboard manager for the Mac menu bar
Free plan · from $7.99 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick Clipy if
- Fits if you want a free clipboard history on a Mac
- Works for people who paste the same snippets a lot
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Not for you if you want history on your phone too, as there is no sync
- Watch out: it needs macOS 13.0 or later
- Watch out: updates depend on volunteers, as it is funded by donations
Pick CopyClip if
- Fits if most of what you copy and reuse on your Mac is text
- Works for people who paste the same snippets often and want them on a hotkey
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you copy images or files, as both apps record text only
- Not for you if you want your clips on a second Mac or a phone, since no syncing is described
- Tight if you're staying on the free app, because search, pinned clips and direct pasting are only in CopyClip 2
- Watch out: Mac App Store buyers must install a separate helper app, with Accessibility permission, before direct pasting works
- Watch out: CopyClip 2 needs macOS 11.5 or later, and the trial on the vendor's site has no stated length
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClipyGood | 2.6GPACopyClipGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for every feature, with no plan to charge. Donations optional. | ACopyClip 2 is $7.99 once on the US Mac App Store, or $8.99 direct from fiplab.com with a license code for up to 3 Macs. Pay-once utilities here sit around $15, so this is half the going rate and there's nothing to renew. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid tier and no feature held back. | BThe original CopyClip is free on the Mac App Store, a plain list of recently copied text in the menu bar. Search, pinned clips, direct pasting and themes mean buying CopyClip 2, a separate app whose trial length isn't stated. |
| Features | CClipboard history, shortcuts and snippets. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job and there is no sync. | CThe basics are here: 9,999 clips, search, pins, a Control-Space hotkey, Command and a number to paste, password fields skipped. But the listing names the holes itself. Both apps are text only, so a copied image or file isn't recorded, and no syncing is described anywhere. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but you install it and use it with nothing to set up. | BNo rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a list in the menu bar and a hotkey opens it. One fiddly bit is that Mac App Store buyers of CopyClip 2 install a separate helper app before direct pasting works, which also wants the Accessibility permission. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 13 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | DMac only, one operating system. CopyClip 2 needs macOS 11.5 or later, and the free original macOS 10.13 or later. No integrations are listed, and history stays on the Mac. |
| Best for | clipboard history on a Mac | a simple text clipboard history in the Mac menu bar |
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: Clipy and CopyClip. How we grade
Where they differ
- Clipy is open source, according to its own site.
- CopyClip can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Clipy also covers text expansion.
In commonFree planmacOSKeyboard-firstClipboard managerMenu bar app
At a glance
| Clipy | CopyClip | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store) |
| Free plan | Every feature is free; the site says there are no plans to charge for them. | The original CopyClip is free on the Mac App Store: a text-only clipboard history in the menu bar. Search, pinned clips, direct pasting and themes are only in the paid CopyClip 2, a separate app. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial download of CopyClip 2 from the vendor's site; the length of the trial is not stated |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Clipy Project | FIPLAB Limited |
| Price read from | clipy-app.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Clipy
- Runs on macOS 13.0 or later only; there is no Windows, Linux or mobile version.
- The site lists no cross-device sync, so history stays on one Mac.
- Funded by donations, so support and update pace depend on volunteers.
CopyClip
- Mac only. CopyClip 2 requires macOS 11.5 or later; the free original requires macOS 10.13 or later.
- Both apps are text-only: images and files copied to the clipboard are not recorded.
- The help center says CopyClip has no syncing and stores history on the Mac; the CopyClip 2 pages read describe no syncing either.
- Mac App Store buyers of CopyClip 2 must install a separate helper app before direct pasting works.
Key features
Clipy
- Clipboard history
- Keeps what you copy, extending the clipboard beyond a single item, with support for plain text, images and other formats.
- Keyboard shortcut access
- Open the history menu with a shortcut and pick an earlier item to paste, without leaving the keyboard.
- Snippets
- Save frequently used text as snippets and paste it whenever you need it.
- Open source
- The code is public and the site invites bug reports, feature requests and pull requests through its issue tracker.
CopyClip
- Clipboard history
- CopyClip 2 records plain text, rich text, URLs and code that you copy or cut and keeps up to 9,999 clips, removing the oldest once the limit is reached.
- Search
- A search bar at the top of the CopyClip 2 panel filters the whole clip history as you type.
- Pinned clips
- Frequently used clips can be pinned to the top of the list with Shift-Command-P, and pinned clips keep their order as new ones are added.
- Hotkeys and direct pasting
- A global hotkey, Control-Space by default, opens the panel and Command plus a number pastes one of the first ten clips. Direct pasting needs the macOS Accessibility permission.
- Plain-text paste and clip editing
- Clips can be pasted with their original formatting or as plain text, and a clip's content can be edited or given a custom name.
- Privacy controls
- Specific apps can be excluded from recording, concealed fields such as passwords are skipped automatically, and a private mode pauses recording.
Plans
Clipy
Free$0
All features at no cost; donations through Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors are optional.
CopyClip
CopyClip (original)$0
Free Mac App Store app that lists recently copied text in the menu bar. Requires macOS 10.13 or later; the vendor's help center calls it CopyClip 1.
CopyClip 2 (Mac App Store)$7.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
Up to 9,999 text clips with search, pins, direct pasting and themes. Installs on any Mac signed in to the buyer's Apple Account.
CopyClip 2 (direct license)$8.99
one-time purchase from fiplab.com via Paddle (US price)
The same features with a license code for up to 3 Macs the buyer owns; updates are delivered through the app.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clipy or CopyClip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy is free, and CopyClip starts at $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store).
Which has a free plan, Clipy or CopyClip?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Clipy and CopyClip have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.