7 Free Clipboard Managers for Mac

You don't have to pay for clipboard history on a Mac — several genuinely good, genuinely free options exist. Here's what "free" actually means for each one, since the trade-offs differ more than the price tag suggests. (Disclosure: we make Vee, whose free tier is included below.)

1. Maccy — free and open source, no catch

Maccy is fully open source (MIT license) and completely free — not a trial, not a limited tier. Searchable text history in the menu bar, unlimited by default. The trade-off isn't price, it's scope: no images, no favorites boards, no paste-at-cursor. Where people go when they outgrow it.

2. Clipy — free, open source, includes snippets

Similar spirit to Maccy with folder-organized snippets built in. Development is slower and the UI shows its age, but it costs nothing and covers the basics plus simple templates.

3. CopyClip — free, ad-supported for extras

A simple menu-bar clipboard list. The base free version is genuinely usable; a paid unlock removes some nags and extends history length.

4. Raycast's clipboard history — free with the launcher

If you already run Raycast, its built-in clipboard history (searchable, handles images) is free on the base plan. Not worth installing an entire launcher just for this, but zero marginal cost if Raycast is already your daily driver.

5. Vee — free tier, no account, no trial

Vee's free tier keeps your last 20 text items forever — not a 7-day trial, no credit card, no nagging. Press ⌘⇧V and it opens right at your text cursor instead of the menu bar. What's gated behind Pro ($3/mo): unlimited history, images/files, search, favorites, and snippets. If 20 recent text items covers your daily flow, the free tier alone may be all you need — try it.

6. macOS's own two-slot trick — free, always there

Not an app at all: ⌃K cuts to a second, hidden clipboard slot and ⌃Y pastes it back, in most native text fields. One extra item, zero setup, zero download — see the full explanation in how Mac clipboard history works.

7. Universal Clipboard — free, built into every Mac

If your workflow is "I copied this on my iPhone," Universal Clipboard (part of Handoff) moves that single item to your Mac automatically, no app needed. It doesn't add history — it just extends the one slot across devices. Full setup and troubleshooting: Universal Clipboard guide.

Comparison at a glance

Still deciding? The full comparison including paid apps covers Paste and Pastebot too, for when a free tool's limits start to show.

Related guides

• The Best Clipboard Managers for Mac in 2026 (Honest Comparison)
• 6 Maccy Alternatives for Mac (When Minimal Isn't Enough)
• Universal Clipboard: Copy on iPhone, Paste on Mac (Setup + Fixes)