CopyClip vs Pastebot
We give CopyClip and Pastebot the same GPA: 2.8 out of 4.0. CopyClip grades higher on the free plan. Pastebot grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Pastebot
Mac clipboard manager with pastebins, filters and stacks
How we grade them
| 2.8GPACopyClipGood | 2.8GPAPastebotGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. No subscription. That's about as cheap as paid clipboard managers get. | A$39 once from Tapbots, with a year of updates, and you always own the last version you paid for. Another year of updates is $19. Or subscribe on the App Store for $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month. Either way it's under what a typical paid utility here costs for a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe original CopyClip is free on the Mac App Store, and it's a plain list of recently copied text. Fine for the basics. But search, pinned clips, direct pasting and themes are only in CopyClip 2, a separate paid app whose trial length isn't stated. | CThere's no free version, only a 14-day free trial with either way of buying. The listing doesn't say whether a card is needed to start it. |
| Features | BCopyClip 2 keeps up to 9,999 clips with search, pins, a Control-Space hotkey and Command plus a number to paste. It skips password fields and can exclude apps you pick. Solid for text. But both apps are text-only, so images and files aren't recorded, and there's no syncing described. | ASearchable history, permanent pastebins, a quick menu that pastes any of your last 10 copies with a number key, stacks that paste in sequence, and filters you can chain and preview live. iCloud keeps it all the same across Macs. That's the clipboard job and then some. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. It's a list in the menu bar, and a hotkey opens it. One fiddly bit: Mac App Store buyers of CopyClip 2 must install a separate helper app before direct pasting works, and that needs the Accessibility permission. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Shift-Command-V opens the menu in any app, and that's most of what you need to know. Filters and Smart Pastebins with rules are there when you want to get clever. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. CopyClip 2 needs macOS 11.5 or later, and the free original macOS 10.13 or later. No integrations are listed, and history is stored on the Mac. | 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 | a simple text clipboard history in the Mac menu bar | 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: CopyClip and Pastebot. How we grade
Where they differ
- CopyClip starts at $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store). Pastebot starts at $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct.
- CopyClip has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
- CopyClip also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| CopyClip | Pastebot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store) | $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | Free trial download of CopyClip 2 from the vendor's site; the length of the trial is not stated | 14-day free trial with either purchase option |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | FIPLAB Limited | Tapbots, LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | tapbots.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
CopyClip
- Mac users who mostly copy and reuse text
- People who want a free, basic clipboard history in the menu bar
- Pasting frequently used snippets from the keyboard
Pastebot
- Mac users who paste the same snippets often and want them organized
- People who clean up or reformat text before pasting it
- Keyboard-driven work, such as pasting recent copies by number key
- Buyers who want to choose between a one-time license and a subscription
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
CopyClip
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.
