Clipy vs Pastebot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy grades higher than Pastebot: 2.8 against 2.4 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 value for money and the free plan. Pastebot grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Pastebot
Mac clipboard manager with pastebins, filters and stacks
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 Pastebot if
- Fits if you paste the same snippets all day and want them filed where you can find them
- Works for text that needs cleaning up before it's pasted
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your Mac can't run macOS 26 Tahoe, because Pastebot 3 won't install on anything older
- Not for you if you only want a simple history, which free clipboard managers already do
- Pricey if you want updates every year, as each further year on the $39 license is another $19
- Watch out: a Pastebot 2 license doesn't unlock version 3; it only takes $12.99 off the direct price
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClipyGood | 2.4GPAPastebotFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for every feature, with no plan to charge. Donations optional. | B$39 once from Tapbots and you keep the last version you paid for, which is inside two years of what utilities here charge at $2.99 a month. The catch is updates: a year is included, then $19 for each further year. Subscribing is $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid tier and no feature held back. | CNo free version, only a 14-day trial with either way of buying, and the listing shows no card being asked for. Two weeks and then you decide. |
| Features | CClipboard history, shortcuts and snippets. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job and there is no sync. | BIt covers the clipboard job: searchable history, permanent pastebins, a quick menu that pastes any of your last 10 copies by number key, stacks that paste in sequence, and filters you can chain and preview live, with iCloud keeping it the same across Macs. |
| 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 the basics need no setting up: Shift-Command-V opens the menu in any app and that's most of what you need to know. Filters and rule-based pastebins take more setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 13 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | DMac only, and Pastebot 3 requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later. It works with Apple Shortcuts and iCloud, and things you copy on an iPhone arrive through Universal Clipboard. There's no Windows version. |
| Best for | clipboard history on a Mac | a Mac clipboard that tidies text before you paste it |
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 Pastebot. 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. Pastebot starts at $2.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Pastebot scores higher, and starts $2.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Clipy for less, and 7 score higher than Pastebot 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 is open source, according to its own site.
- Pastebot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Clipy also covers text expansion and menu bar app.
At a glance
| Clipy | Pastebot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct |
| Free plan | Every feature is free; the site says there are no plans to charge for them. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial with either purchase option |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Clipy Project | Tapbots, LLC |
| Price read from | clipy-app.com | tapbots.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.
Pastebot
- macOS only. Pastebot 3 requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later, and the App Store listing says macOS 26.2.
- There is no free version, only a 14-day trial.
- The $39 direct license includes one year of updates. Each further year costs $19, though the last version paid for keeps working.
- A Pastebot 2 license does not unlock Pastebot 3; it only gives a $12.99 discount on the direct purchase.
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.
Pastebot
- Clipboard history
- Keeps a running history of everything copied, searchable by typing, with metadata, your own notes and a resizable preview. Blacklisted apps are never recorded.
- Custom and Smart Pastebins
- Custom Pastebins store often-used clippings permanently, each with a color and an icon or emoji. Smart Pastebins gather clippings that match rules.
- Quick Paste Menu
- Shift-Command-V opens the menu in any app. A number key pastes one of the last 10 copies, and shortcuts jump to a chosen pastebin.
- Filters
- Custom filters change a clipping before it is pasted. Base filters can be stacked into more complex ones, previewed live and given keyboard shortcuts.
- Stacks
- Several clippings can be collected into a stack and then pasted one after another in sequence with Control-Command-V or another hotkey.
- iCloud Sync and Universal Clipboard
- iCloud Sync keeps clippings, pastebins and filters the same across Macs, and items copied on an iPhone arrive through Universal Clipboard.
Plans
Clipy
Free$0
All features at no cost; donations through Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors are optional.
Pastebot
Monthly Subscription (App Store)$2.99
per month, billed through the Mac App Store
Subscribed to inside the App Store version, with no license key, updates handled by the App Store and Family Sharing support.
Yearly Subscription (App Store)$24.99
per year, billed through the Mac App Store
The same App Store subscription paid once a year instead of monthly.
Direct license$39
one-time purchase with one year of updates
Bought from Tapbots with a license key and kept for life. Another year of updates costs $19 at any time; 30-day refund policy.
Ways to pay less
Clipy
No public discounts listed.
Pastebot
- Annual discount
Yearly App Store subscription for $24.99
The yearly subscription is $24.99, about 30% less than twelve months at the $2.99 monthly rate ($35.88).
- Other savings
$12.99 upgrade discount for Pastebot 2 owners
Customers who bought Pastebot 2 directly from Tapbots can enter its license key as a promo code for $12.99 off the $39 Pastebot 3 license.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Clipy or Pastebot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Clipy is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.08 a month when paid by the year for Pastebot. Clipy is free, and Pastebot starts at $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct.
Which has a free plan, Clipy or Pastebot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Clipy has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
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.