The Pastebot Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pastebot in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Pastebot
The Insider’s Guide
Mac clipboard manager with pastebins, filters and stacks
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from Pastebot’s own pages.
Made by Tapbots, LLC · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Pastebot’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pastebot’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade
Pastebot is a clipboard manager for the Mac from Tapbots. It keeps a searchable history of what you copy, stores often-used clippings in custom pastebins, and can run a clipping through filters that reformat it before pasting. Pastebot 3 is sold two ways: a one-time license from Tapbots that includes a year of updates, or a monthly or yearly subscription through the Mac App Store.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Pastebot, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Filters and rule-based pastebins take more setting up.
- 1
Best for a Mac clipboard that tidies text before you paste it
Pastebot is a Mac clipboard manager with saved pastebins, stacks that paste in order and filters that clean text on the way out.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial with either purchase option
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Pastebot at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial with either purchase option
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Tapbots, LLC
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a Mac clipboard that tidies text before you paste it
Pastebot is a Mac clipboard manager with saved pastebins, stacks that paste in order and filters that clean text on the way out. There's no free version after the 14-day trial: it's $2.99 a month, $24.99 a year, or $39 once with a year of updates, then $19 for each further year. It needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later, and a Pastebot 2 license doesn't carry over.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No 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. |
| Features | B | It 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. |
| Ease of use | B | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Pastebot is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.08
A month to start, paid by the year
Pastebot is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $2.99 / month or $24.99 / year (App Store), or $39 one-time direct.
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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial with either purchase option
Read from tapbots.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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).
Stated on tapbots.comOther 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.
Stated on tapbots.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Pastebot Yearly Subscription”, against $24.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Rp 399ribu | $22.31 | 11% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,490.00 | $23.72 | 5% less |
| Canada | $34.99 | $24.60 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 2,499 | $25.83 | about the same |
| Brazil | R$ 149,90 | $29.95 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R499.99 | $30.24 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £24.99 | $33.04 | 32% more |
| Germany | 29,99 € | $33.61 | 34% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Mac clipboard manager with pastebins, filters and stacks. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, keyboard-first, clipboard manager.
It works with Apple Shortcuts and iCloud, and things you copy on an iPhone arrive through Universal Clipboard.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Apple Shortcuts
- iCloud
- Universal Clipboard
Pastebot is made by Tapbots, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
18/94
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
Pastebot's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on features (B, above 72 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 6 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pastebot’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 12 of 94
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 94
- BFeaturesAbove 72 of 94
- BEase of useAbove 33 of 94
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 55 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Pastebot is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Pastebot sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $24.99 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could not
- A clipboard history running in the background of your computer.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Pastebot’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Paste, Maccy, CopyClip, CopyQ and Raycast
The 5 tools Pastebot is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Paste
Free trial · from $2.49/mo
Clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad with pinboards.
- Only Paste lists an iOS app.
- 2.8GPA
Maccy
Free plan · from $4.99
Lightweight, open-source clipboard manager for macOS.
- Maccy has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
- Pastebot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Maccy is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
CopyClip
Free plan · from $7.99 one-time
Text-only clipboard manager for the Mac menu bar.
- CopyClip has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
- CopyClip also covers menu bar app.
- 2.8GPA
CopyQ
Free
Open-source clipboard manager with tabs, commands and scripting.
- CopyQ has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only CopyQ lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Pastebot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
Raycast
Free plan · from $96/yr
Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.
- Raycast has a free plan. Pastebot does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Raycast lists Windows and iOS apps.
- Only Raycast lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Pastebot free?
No, Pastebot is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial with either purchase option.
How much does Pastebot cost?
Pastebot lists 3 plans. Monthly Subscription (App Store): $2.99 per month, billed through the Mac App Store.
What platforms does Pastebot work on?
Pastebot is available on macOS.
Does Pastebot offer any discounts?
Pastebot publicly lists the following: Yearly App Store subscription for $24.99; $12.99 upgrade discount for Pastebot 2 owners.
Does Pastebot have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Pastebot is listed for macOS.
Does Pastebot have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Pastebot is listed for macOS.
Is Pastebot open source?
Pastebot is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Pastebot integrate with?
Pastebot's listing names Apple Shortcuts, iCloud and Universal Clipboard.
Who makes Pastebot?
Pastebot is made by Tapbots, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Pastebot?
The closest alternatives to Pastebot in our directory are Paste, Maccy, CopyClip, CopyQ and Raycast.
How does Pastebot compare with other desktop utilities?
Pastebot's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
Is Pastebot good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Pastebot B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 6 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Pastebot?
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pastebot’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Tapbots' own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-23.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Tapbots, LLC. Prices change, so check tapbots.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Pastebot, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pastebot
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Pastebot: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pastebot
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pastebot/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after Pastebot, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 95 desktop utilities we grade, compared
- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Ninite Insider's GuideInstalls and updates many Windows apps at once3.2 GPA
- 7-Zip Insider's GuideFree, open-source file archiver with the 7z format3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Pastebot’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Pastebot is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Tapbots, LLC. Prices and plans change: check tapbots.com before you buy.