Can I keep my clipboard history private with ClipHistory?

Yes. ClipHistory stores everything 100% locally on your Mac with no cloud sync or account required. Your clipboard history—including sensitive code, passwords, and personal notes—never leaves your device.

What AI models does ClipHistory support for transforms?

ClipHistory works with 5 AI providers: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, and custom endpoints. You bring your own API keys, so you control the model and cost—no lock-in to Raycast's service.

How much clipboard history does ClipHistory save?

ClipHistory saves 150 unpinned clips (rotating automatically as you copy new items) plus unlimited pinned clips. This means you can keep frequently-used snippets and important items forever by pinning them with ⌘⇧V.

Is ClipHistory a subscription or one-time purchase?

ClipHistory is a one-time lifetime license for $19.99—no subscription, no recurring fees, ever. Compare that to Raycast's $8–15/month plan, and ClipHistory pays for itself in months while you own it permanently.

ClipHistory vs Raycast AI: Clipboard Manager & AI Transform Comparison

If you spend your day copying and pasting—code snippets, URLs, customer emails, design tokens—you know how quickly clipboard chaos takes over. Both ClipHistory and Raycast AI promise to organize your clipboard and supercharge it with AI. But they solve the problem differently, and choosing the right tool depends on what you actually need.

This guide breaks down the key differences so you can decide which fits your workflow.

What Each Tool Does

ClipHistory is a dedicated clipboard manager for macOS that saves your entire clipboard history and adds AI-powered transforms. It's laser-focused on one job: keeping every clip you've ever copied safe, searchable, and smart.

Raycast AI is a command launcher and productivity platform that includes clipboard access and AI features alongside dozens of other tools—extensions, window management, scripts, quick links, and more.

Think of it this way: ClipHistory is a specialist. Raycast is a Swiss Army knife.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	ClipHistory	Raycast AI
Clipboard History Limit	150 unpinned + unlimited pinned	Limited by Raycast's design
History Storage	100% local, no cloud	Cloud-dependent components
AI Transforms	5 providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, Custom)	Raycast's AI service (requires account)
Bring Your Own API Key	Yes—use your own keys	Limited; relies on Raycast infrastructure
Privacy/Offline	Fully local, no account required	Requires Raycast account
Search & Pin	⌘⇧V shortcut, instant search	Launcher-based workflow
Price	$19.99 lifetime (one payment)	Free tier + paid plans ($8–15/month)
Auto-Type Detection	Yes (URL, email, code, color, phone, image)	Basic clipboard access
Snippets & Boards	Yes (Custom Boards, Paste Stack)	Yes (via extensions)

Key Differences Explained

Privacy & Data Storage

ClipHistory runs entirely on your Mac. Your clipboard history never leaves your device. There's no account, no cloud sync, no data collection. Your clips—including sensitive passwords, private notes, and proprietary code—stay private.

Raycast AI requires a Raycast account and syncs some data to Raycast's servers. While the company has a good privacy reputation, clipboard data does travel off-device if you use AI transforms or sync across machines.

Winner for privacy-conscious users: ClipHistory.

AI Transform Flexibility

Both tools offer AI-powered transforms to summarize, translate, rewrite, or clean your clips.

ClipHistory lets you bring your own API keys from 5 providers: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, or a custom endpoint. You control which AI model powers each transform, and you're never locked into Raycast's AI service. This approach also keeps costs low if you already have existing API credits.

Raycast AI uses Raycast's own AI service, which bundles various models but requires a Raycast account and their pricing structure.

Winner for flexibility: ClipHistory.

Clipboard History & Search

ClipHistory stores 150 unpinned clips (with older ones rotating out) plus unlimited pinned items. Press ⌘⇧V, search by content or type, and instantly recover anything you pinned.

Raycast includes clipboard access but is designed as a launcher first. Clipboard management is secondary, and history depth is more limited.

Winner for clipboard-first workflow: ClipHistory.

Cost & Commitment

ClipHistory costs $19.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase. No subscriptions, no recurring fees, no surprises.

Raycast has a free tier, but AI features and extended functionality require a paid plan ($8–15/month). That's $96–180 per year, or $960–1,800 over ten years.

Winner for budget-conscious teams: ClipHistory (especially if you only need clipboard + AI, not a full launcher suite).

When to Choose Raycast Instead

If you want one tool for launching apps, searching files, managing clipboard, running scripts, and accessing AI—and you're happy with cloud sync and a recurring subscription—Raycast is excellent. It's a mature, polished platform with a large extension ecosystem.

But if you just need a clipboard manager that's private, fast, and cheap, Raycast is overkill.

Who Should Use ClipHistory?

Developers & designers who paste code, snippets, colors, and URLs all day
Security-conscious users who don't want clipboard data in the cloud
Teams with API budgets who already pay for Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI services
Mac-only users willing to skip iOS/iPad/Windows support
Budget-conscious individuals who prefer one-time purchases over subscriptions

Verdict

If privacy, simplicity, and clipboard-first design matter to you, ClipHistory is the better choice. You get unlimited pinned history, local-only storage, flexible AI transforms with your own keys, and a lifetime license for $19.99.

If you want a comprehensive launcher that also handles clipboard, Raycast remains a solid alternative—just know you're paying for a broader platform, not just clipboard management.

Get ClipHistory — $19.99 and reclaim control of your clipboard.