Pastebot vs PasteNow (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pastebot and PasteNow share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money and features, where Pastebot grades higher, or platforms, where PasteNow does.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
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
PasteNow
Clipboard manager for macOS and iOS with iCloud sync
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.4GPAPastebotFair | 2.4GPAPasteNowFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | 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. | C14-day trial, then paid. No free plan, and the listing does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | 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. | CLists, iCloud sync, keyboard control, exclusion rules and editing. A review says iOS cannot record the clipboard in the background. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo rating on record that counts, but you install it and use it. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BMac and iPhone, with iCloud sync. No Windows, Android or web. |
| Best for | a Mac clipboard that tidies text before you paste it | 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: Pastebot and PasteNow. How we grade
Where they differ
- Pastebot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- PasteNow also covers templates and menu bar app.
At a glance
| Pastebot | PasteNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct | $7.99 (PasteNow Pro, App Store in-app purchase) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with either purchase option | 14-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Tapbots, LLC | Tutu Studio |
| Price read from | tapbots.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Ways to pay less
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.
PasteNow
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pastebot or PasteNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pastebot starts at $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct, and PasteNow starts at $7.99 (PasteNow Pro, App Store in-app purchase).
Which has a free plan, Pastebot or PasteNow?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Pastebot nor PasteNow has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Pastebot 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.