The Sip Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Sip 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.
Sip
The Insider’s Guide
Mac color picker with palettes, formats and a contrast checker
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from Sip’s own pages.
Made by Sip · checked Nov 13, 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 Sip’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Sip’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade
Sip is a Mac color picker that lives in the menu bar and a full window. It picks colors from the screen, organizes them into palettes and sub-palettes, converts them to the format your app needs and checks contrast. It is sold as a per-seat license with a year of updates.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Sip, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating is on record, but you install it and click a pixel with nothing to set up.
- 1
Best for picking and organising colors on a Mac
Sip picks colors from the screen on a Mac, keeps them in palettes, converts formats and checks contrast.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $29.99 per seat.
- 3
You can try it first
15-day free trial, no credit card required.
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
Screen picker
Pick one or several colors from anywhere on screen with keyboard shortcuts and send them to other tools.
- 6
Palettes and sub-palettes
Organize colors with descriptions and nested palettes, and share them with a team.
- 7
Smart formats and profiles
Detects the frontmost app to choose a color format and applies the matching color profile.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 35 of 186
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.
Sip at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $29.99 per seat
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial, no credit card required.
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Sip
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for picking and organising colors on a Mac
Sip picks colors from the screen on a Mac, keeps them in palettes, converts formats and checks contrast. It is $29.99 per seat with one year of updates, then 70% of the price to keep getting them, and it runs on Mac only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $29.99 per seat with a year of updates, then a 70% extension. Over two years it is about $51, under two years of this category's middle subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 15-day trial with no credit card, and no free plan. |
| Features | B | Screen picker, palettes and sub-palettes, format conversion, contrast checker, color vision simulation and a dock. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating is on record, but you install it and click a pixel with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | macOS only. There is 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 Sip is for
- Fits if you collect colors from screens into palettes on a Mac
- Works for designers who check contrast and copy values in the format an app needs
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you use Windows, as there is no version for it
- Skip it if you want updates forever: after the first year they cost 70% of the price
- Tight if you want a free tool, as only a 15-day trial exists
- Watch out: sync and sharing are listed as features but plan limits are not described
Good to know
Good for
- Designers and developers who pick colors from the screen all day
- Teams that share palettes
- Mac users who want a menu bar color tool
Worth knowing
- Runs on macOS only; there is no Windows version.
- The license includes one year of updates; after that, updates need a paid extension at 70% of the original price.
- Also available through Setapp.
- Sync and sharing between devices are listed as features, but the pages do not describe plan limits for them.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29.99
To start
Sip is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29.99 per seat.
Sip license
$29.99
per seat, includes 1 year of updates
Keep using the version you downloaded after the year, or extend the license for 70% of the original price. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trying it first
15-day free trial, no credit card required.
Read from sipapp.io on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
50% education discount
Sip's pricing page offers 50% off to people in education; send proof of enrollment by email, and the page says review can take up to 2 business days.
Stated on sipapp.io
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 color picker with palettes, formats and a contrast checker. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, menu bar app.
Screen picker, palettes and sub-palettes, format conversion, contrast checker, color vision simulation and a dock.
- Screen picker
- Pick one or several colors from anywhere on screen with keyboard shortcuts and send them to other tools.
- Palettes and sub-palettes
- Organize colors with descriptions and nested palettes, and share them with a team.
- Smart formats and profiles
- Detects the frontmost app to choose a color format and applies the matching color profile.
- Contrast checker
- Flags low-contrast text and background pairs and can save corrected colors as a new palette.
- Color vision simulation
- Previews palettes as seen with protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia and achromatopsia.
- Color dock
- Keeps favorite colors on any screen edge.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Setapp
Sip is made by Sip.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/186
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
Sip's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 33.
It stands best on features (B, above 113 of 186) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 187 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Sip’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 28 of 186
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 186
- BFeaturesAbove 113 of 186
- BEase of useAbove 78 of 186
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 186
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.
Sip 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.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- 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. Sip’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
ColorSnapper, Just Color Picker, Raycast and Microsoft PowerToys
The 4 tools Sip is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
ColorSnapper
Free trial
Mac color picker with a magnifying glass and 30+ export formats.
- Sip also covers menu bar app.
- 3.2GPA
Just Color Picker
Free
Free portable color picker and editor for Windows and macOS.
- Just Color Picker has a free plan. Sip does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Just Color Picker lists a Windows app.
- Sip 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. Sip does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Raycast lists Windows and iOS apps.
- Only Raycast lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
Microsoft PowerToys
Free
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11.
- Microsoft PowerToys has a free plan. Sip does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Sip lists a macOS app.
- Only Microsoft PowerToys lists a Windows app.
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 Sip free?
No, Sip is a paid product, but you can try it first. 15-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Sip cost?
Sip lists one plan. Sip license: $29.99 per seat, includes 1 year of updates.
What platforms does Sip work on?
Sip is available on macOS.
Does Sip offer any discounts?
Sip publicly lists the following: 50% education discount.
Does Sip have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Sip is listed for macOS.
Does Sip have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Sip is listed for macOS.
Is Sip open source?
Sip is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Sip integrate with?
Sip's listing names Setapp. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Sip have a student discount?
50% education discount. Sip's pricing page offers 50% off to people in education; send proof of enrollment by email, and the page says review can take up to 2 business days.
Who makes Sip?
Sip is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Sip?
The closest alternatives to Sip in our directory are ColorSnapper, Just Color Picker, Raycast and Microsoft PowerToys.
How does Sip compare with other desktop utilities?
Sip's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 33.
Could I make my own version of Sip?
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 Sip’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Sip's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Sip. Prices change, so check sipapp.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Sip, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/sip
- 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, "Sip: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sip
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sip/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded desktop utilities after Sip, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Desktop Utilities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 187 desktop utilities we grade, compared
- Just Color Picker Insider's GuideFree portable color picker and editor for Windows and macOS3.2 GPA
- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Mos Insider's GuideFree Mac menu bar utility for smooth mouse wheel scrolling3.2 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 Sip’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. Sip is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Sip. Prices and plans change: check sipapp.io before you buy.