Paste vs. Maccy vs. Alfred vs. ClipHistory: Head-to-Head Comparison 2026

Paste vs. Maccy vs. Alfred vs. ClipHistory: Head-to-Head Comparison 2026

The clipboard manager market in 2026 offers genuine choices. Here''s how the four leading contenders stack up.

The Contenders

Paste: $4.99/month · Cloud sync · Premium features Maccy: Free · Local only · Lightweight open-source Alfred: $39 one-time · Launcher ecosystem · Customizable ClipHistory: $9.99 one-time · AI transforms · Best value

Feature Comparison

Feature Paste Maccy Alfred ClipHistory
History Depth Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited (free: 50)
Cloud Sync iCloud None None Supabase
AI Transforms No No No Yes
Search Speed Fast Very Fast Fast Very Fast
Keyboard Shortcuts Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sync to iOS Yes No No Coming
Privacy Local No Yes Yes Yes
Snippets Manager Yes Basic Yes Yes
Text Transforms No No Limited Yes (AI)

Use Case Winners

For Developers: ClipHistory (AI transforms) For Designers: Paste (organization) For Writers: Paste (cross-device) For Privacy: Maccy (local-only) For Power Users: Alfred (customization) For Budget: ClipHistory ($9.99)

Pricing Over 5 Years

ClipHistory wins on value. Paste justifies cost only with cross-device sync needs.

Final Verdict

Start free: Try Maccy or ClipHistory''s free tier. Most users are happy with ClipHistory Pro ($9.99). Move to Paste only if you need iOS sync and don''t mind subscriptions.