Pastebot vs Raycast

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

Raycast

• Mac and Windows users who prefer the keyboard to the mouse
• Replacing separate clipboard, snippet and window utilities with one app
• Developers who want to build their own commands and extensions
• Teams that share snippets, quicklinks and internal extensions

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.

Raycast

• AI is not part of the free plan; Raycast AI, cloud sync and unlimited notes need Pro.
• The free plan keeps 3 months of clipboard history and allows 5 Raycast Notes.
• Top-tier AI models need the Plus or Max tier, at $20 or $50 a month.
• The Windows app does not yet have every macOS feature; Raycast says it is still bringing them across.

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.

Raycast

Launcher with hotkeys and aliases

Open apps, search files and run commands from one keyboard-driven window, and assign hotkeys or aliases to the commands and apps you use most.

Extension store

Thousands of extensions for tools such as Linear, Slack, Notion and Spotify. The extension API lets anyone with web development skills build their own.

Clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks

Built-in utilities included in the free plan. Free keeps clipboard history for 3 months.

Window management

Window management commands are part of the free core features; creating custom window management commands needs Pro.

Raycast AI

Pro adds Quick AI and AI Chat on a monthly credit allowance. A browser extension for Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Chromium browsers passes the active tab to the AI.

Notes and iOS companion app

Raycast Notes captures quick thoughts: 5 notes on Free and unlimited on Pro. The iOS app carries AI, notes, snippets and quicklinks; syncing them across devices needs Pro.

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.

Raycast

• Free$0

  Core launcher features, thousands of extensions, custom extensions, 3 months of clipboard history and 5 Raycast Notes. No AI.

• Pro$96

  per year, or $10 / month billed monthly

  Raycast AI with 500 credits a month, cloud sync, dictation, translator, custom themes, unlimited notes and custom window management commands.

• Pro (Plus tier)$192

  per year, or $20 / month billed monthly

  Pro features with 3,000 AI credits a month and access to top-tier AI models.

• Pro (Max tier)$480

  per year, or $50 / month billed monthly

  Pro features with 7,500 AI credits a month and access to top-tier AI models.

• Teams Pro$144

  per user / year, or $15 / user / month billed monthly

  Pro for each member plus unlimited shared commands and a private store. Plus and Max tiers cost more; a free Teams plan caps sharing at 30 snippets and 30 quicklinks.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Teams Pro plus an AI Control Center and admin controls such as SAML/SCIM, domain capture, enforced 2FA and extension and IP allow-lists.

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.

Raycast

• Annual discount

  Annual billing saves 20%

  Pro is $96 a year against $10 a month, which is $120 over twelve months. Teams Pro is $144 per user a year against $15 per user a month. Both work out 20% cheaper.

• Education

  50% off Pro for verified students

  Raycast's pricing FAQ says verified students get a 50% discount on the Pro plan through an application form.