Clipy vs Maccy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy and Maccy share a 2.8 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Maccy
Lightweight, open-source clipboard manager for macOS
Free plan · from $4.99
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 Maccy if
- Fits if you want a clipboard history you search and paste from the keyboard
- Works for people who want clips kept on the one Mac and not synced anywhere
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, or a Mac older than macOS Sonoma 14
- Not for you if you want clips on your other devices, since history stays on the one Mac
- Too light for people after the extras bigger clipboard managers add, which it leaves out on purpose
- Watch out: the website's download buttons lead to paid copies, $4.99 or more on Gumroad or $9.99 on the Mac App Store
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClipyGood | 2.8GPAMaccyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for every feature, with no plan to charge. Donations optional. | AFree from GitHub or Homebrew under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run. If you'd rather pay, the website copy is $4.99 or more on Gumroad and the Mac App Store one is $9.99. Same app, sold to support development. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid tier and no feature held back. | AThe complete app is free if you get it from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew, with nothing held back. Just don't be thrown by the website's download buttons, which lead to the paid copies. |
| Features | CClipboard history, shortcuts and snippets. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job and there is no sync. | CClipboard history is the whole of it: type-to-search, pinned items, paste without formatting, and a copied password dropped when your password manager clears it. The vendor says it leaves out the extras other clipboard managers add, and clips don't sync anywhere. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but you install it and use it with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: Shift-Command-C opens the history, you type to filter and press Enter. Pasting automatically is the one thing that wants the macOS Accessibility permission. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 13 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | DMac only, on macOS Sonoma 14 or higher. It has Shortcuts actions for automating things, and that's the only tie-in listed. Your history stays on the one Mac. |
| Best for | clipboard history on a Mac | a no-frills clipboard history on the 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: Clipy and Maccy. How we grade
Where they differ
- Clipy also covers text expansion.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceKeyboard-firstClipboard managerMenu bar app
At a glance
| Clipy | Maccy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 or more, pay what you want (website download via Gumroad) |
| Free plan | Every feature is free; the site says there are no plans to charge for them. | The full app is free from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. The paid website and Mac App Store downloads are the same app, sold to support development. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Clipy Project | Alex Rodionov |
| Price read from | clipy-app.com | p0deje.gumroad.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 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.
Maccy
- macOS only; it requires macOS Sonoma 14 or higher.
- The free download is on GitHub or Homebrew. The website's buttons lead to paid copies: $4.99 or more on Gumroad, $9.99 on the Mac App Store.
- History stays on the Mac, so the pages read describe no syncing of clips to other devices.
- It is built to do one job; the vendor says it leaves out the extra features other clipboard managers add.
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.
Maccy
- Clipboard history popup
- Shift-Command-C, or a click on the menu bar icon, opens the history. An item is selected with Enter, a click, or Command and its number.
- Type-to-search
- Start typing to filter the whole clipboard history and press Enter to select a result, without using the mouse.
- Paste options
- Option-Enter selects and pastes an item in one step, and Option-Shift-Enter pastes it without formatting. Automatic pasting needs the macOS Accessibility permission.
- Pinned items
- Option-P pins or unpins an item, and unpinned items can be cleared separately from pinned ones.
- Privacy handling
- If a password manager removes a copied password from the clipboard, Maccy removes it too. All history is stored on the Mac and does not leave it.
- Shortcuts actions and preferences
- The App Store listing says complex cases can be automated with Shortcuts actions and that every aspect of the app is configurable in preferences.
Plans
Clipy
Free$0
All features at no cost; donations through Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Maccy
GitHub or Homebrew$0
The complete app, downloaded from the GitHub releases page or installed with Homebrew. Open source under the MIT license.
Website download$4.99+
one-time, pay what you want (Gumroad)
The Download button on maccy.app leads to Gumroad, where buyers name a price from a $4.99 minimum.
Mac App Store$9.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store price)
The same app sold on the App Store to support development. Family Sharing covers up to six family members.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clipy or Maccy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy is free, and Maccy starts at $4.99 or more, pay what you want (website download via Gumroad).
Which has a free plan, Clipy or Maccy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Clipy and Maccy 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.