Clipy vs CopyQ (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick CopyQ: it is second in our ranking of desktop utilities, and they share a 2.8 GPA.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Clipy grades higher on ease of use. CopyQ grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 CopyQ if
- Fits if you want the same clipboard manager on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Works for people who script what happens to copied content and want history kept on their own device
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want clips to move between your devices, as a tab can only be mirrored to a folder on disk
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and dislike re-granting permissions, since the unsigned build needs Accessibility again after updates
- Tight if you're on Wayland, because pasting, global shortcuts and clipboard monitoring can need workarounds
- Watch out: tab data is stored unencrypted unless you turn encryption on, and the Mac build needs macOS 13 or later
- Not for you if you want it on a phone or in a browser, since it's desktop only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClipyGood | 2.8GPACopyQGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for every feature, with no plan to charge. Donations optional. | AIt costs nothing, and it's a download you install and run. The whole app is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. There's a Liberapay page if you'd like to donate, and that's the only place money comes into it. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid tier and no feature held back. | AYou get the complete clipboard manager on all three systems, and there's no paid tier. Nothing is held back, so there's no limit to hit. |
| Features | CClipboard history, shortcuts and snippets. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job and there is no sync. | CFor one machine it covers the job: tabs of text, HTML and images, filtering, notes, tags, pinned items, commands that fire when the clipboard changes, and password-protected tabs. The listing names the gaps, though. Clips don't travel between devices, only mirror to a folder on disk. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but you install it and use it with nothing to set up. | CNo rating is on record, and the rough edges are in the listing: the macOS build is unsigned, so Accessibility access has to be granted again after every install or update, and under Wayland on Linux pasting and global shortcuts can need workarounds. Browsing history itself is plain enough. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 13 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | CA program for computers and nothing else: Windows, macOS and Linux, no web version, no phone apps, and clips don't travel between devices. It does bring a command-line tool and a scripting API, and it works with GnuPG, GNOME Keyring, KWallet and the macOS Keychain. |
| Best for | clipboard history on a Mac | a scriptable clipboard manager on any desktop |
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 CopyQ. How we grade
Price against what you get
Clipy has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CopyQ has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Clipy for less, and none scores higher than CopyQ for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Clipy also covers text expansion and menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceClipboard manager
At a glance
| Clipy | CopyQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every feature is free; the site says there are no plans to charge for them. | The whole app is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license, with installers and packages linked from the GitHub repository. The site links a Liberapay page for optional donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Clipy Project | Lukas Holecek |
| Price read from | clipy-app.com | github.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.
CopyQ
- Under Wayland on Linux, pasting from CopyQ, global shortcuts and clipboard monitoring depend on the desktop environment and can need workarounds.
- The macOS build is unsigned: the docs say Accessibility access must be granted again after each install or update. macOS 13 or later is required.
- Tab data is stored unencrypted in the configuration directory unless encryption is turned on.
- Clips do not travel between devices on their own; a tab can only be mirrored to files in a folder on disk, such as a Dropbox folder.
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.
CopyQ
- Clipboard history in tabs
- Saves copied text, HTML, images and custom formats as items in tabs. Items can be sorted, edited, removed and moved by drag and drop, and they are restored the next time the app starts.
- Filter and paste
- The history can be browsed and filtered, and Enter pastes the selected item into the previously active window once that option is on. Items can also be pasted from the tray menu.
- Custom commands and global shortcuts
- The Command dialog (F6) adds predefined or custom actions that run from the menu, on a system-wide shortcut or automatically whenever the clipboard changes.
- Command line and scripting
- A copyq command-line tool and a scripting API can add, read and write items and clipboard content. The main application has to be running for commands to work.
- Tags, notes and pinned items
- Items can carry notes and tags. Pinned items keep their row and are not removed when a tab reaches its item limit. On Windows, tags and pinning come from plugins.
- Encryption and secret handling
- Built-in encryption, available since version 14.0.0, protects all stored tabs with a password. Clipboard content that password managers mark as secret is ignored by default.
Plans
Clipy
Free$0
All features at no cost; donations through Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors are optional.
CopyQ
CopyQ$0
The complete clipboard manager as a Windows installer or portable zip, a Homebrew cask for macOS, and Linux packages, AppImage or Flatpak.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clipy or CopyQ?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Clipy and CopyQ are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Clipy or CopyQ?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Clipy and CopyQ have a free plan.
Which platforms do Clipy and CopyQ run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CopyQ lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.