CopyClip vs PasteNow (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CopyClip grades higher than PasteNow: 2.6 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
CopyClip grades higher on value for money and the free plan. PasteNow grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
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
PasteNow
Clipboard manager for macOS and iOS with iCloud sync
Which one is for you
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
Pick PasteNow if
- Fits if you want clipboard history on both a Mac and an iPhone
- Works for people who sort clips into lists
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it is Apple only
- Watch out: it needs macOS 14.6 or iOS 17.6 or later
- Watch out: iOS cannot record the clipboard in the background, according to a user review
- Watch out: the website's license price loads by script, so only the App Store price is certain
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACopyClipGood | 2.4GPAPasteNowFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Pay-once utilities here sit around $15, so this is half the going rate and there's nothing to renew. | C$7.99 as an in-app purchase, but the listing does not show whether it is one-time or recurring, so it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | C14-day trial, then paid. No free plan, and the listing does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | 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. | CLists, iCloud sync, keyboard control, exclusion rules and editing. A review says iOS cannot record the clipboard in the background. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo rating on record that counts, but you install it and use it. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BMac and iPhone, with iCloud sync. No Windows, Android or web. |
| Best for | a simple text clipboard history in the Mac menu bar | a clipboard manager across Mac and iPhone |
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 PasteNow. How we grade
Where they differ
- CopyClip can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- PasteNow also covers templates.
At a glance
| CopyClip | PasteNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store) | $7.99 (PasteNow Pro, App Store in-app purchase) |
| 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 |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | FIPLAB Limited | Tutu Studio |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
PasteNow
- Requires macOS 14.6 or iOS 17.6 or later, with an older version offered for older Macs.
- A user review on the App Store says iOS cannot record the clipboard in the background.
- The website's license price loads by script and could not be read; only the App Store price is shown.
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.
PasteNow
- Lists and smart lists
- Organize clippings into lists, or use Smart Lists with conditions to sort what you collect automatically.
- iCloud sync
- Syncs clipboard records between macOS and iOS devices through iCloud.
- Keyboard control
- Full keyboard operation with custom shortcuts in settings; the App Store listing says the paste shortcuts are macOS only.
- Exclusion rules
- Exclude chosen apps, or use other rules, so only data you want to keep is collected.
- Preview and edit
- Press Space to preview the original content, and right-click to edit it before pasting.
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.
PasteNow
PasteNow Pro$7.99
App Store in-app purchase; billing period not shown
Unlocks the app after the trial; the website license covers up to 5 devices for one user.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CopyClip or PasteNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CopyClip starts at $7.99 one-time purchase (CopyClip 2, US Mac App Store), and PasteNow starts at $7.99 (PasteNow Pro, App Store in-app purchase).
Which has a free plan, CopyClip or PasteNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CopyClip has a free plan. PasteNow does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do CopyClip and PasteNow run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PasteNow lists an iOS app. 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.