CopyQ vs Maccy
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
Where they differ
- CopyQ is free. Maccy starts at $4.99 or more, pay what you want (website download via Gumroad).
- Only CopyQ lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Maccy also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceLocal-firstClipboard manager
At a glance
| CopyQ | Maccy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 or more, pay what you want (website download via Gumroad) |
| Free plan | 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. | 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 | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Lukas Holecek | Alex Rodionov |
| Price read from | github.com | p0deje.gumroad.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
CopyQ
- People who want the same clipboard manager on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Users who script or automate what happens to copied content
- Keeping clipboard history on the device, with nothing sent over the network
Maccy
- Mac users who want clipboard history and nothing else
- Keyboard-driven work: search and paste without reaching for the mouse
- People who prefer open-source apps that keep data on the device
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
