Free clipboard manager for Mac — never lose what you copy

What Clipboard History does

• Brings back copied text, links, images, rich text, and Finder items — your last 1,000 copies by default, configurable from 100 up to 10,000.
• Opens with one keyboard shortcut — Shift + Command + V by default, changeable to anything in Settings.
• Instant search: the field is focused the moment the panel opens; it matches text, links, and filenames.
• Preserves direct PNG and TIFF clipboard images with bounded preview thumbnails. It does not perform OCR, QR recognition, or image-content search.
• Preserves RTF or HTML formatting together with a searchable plain-text fallback for apps that do not accept the rich format.
• Files and folders copied in Finder are saved by reference — with thumbnails, click-to-preview, and Reveal in Finder — and paste back as real files.
• Star favorites and organize clips into named groups; starred and grouped clips are never auto-removed.
• Works completely offline. Your clipboard history never leaves your computer.
• Skips copies made while a supported password manager is frontmost (1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, KeePassXC, Apple Passwords, Keychain Access, or LastPass) and clipboard items their source app marks concealed, transient, or automatically generated.
• Pause recording any time from the menu bar; it stays paused until you resume.
• System, Light, and Dark appearance.
• Opens on the screen you're actually using — even over fullscreen apps.
• Lives in the menu bar with no Dock icon; first-run setup lets you choose whether it starts at login.
• Free, open source, and ad-free.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clipboard History free?

Yes. Free, open source, no account, no trial, no ads. The code is on GitHub if you want to look at it.

Will it record my passwords?

Copies made while a supported password manager is frontmost are skipped, as are clipboard items their source app marks concealed, transient, or automatically generated. Clipboard History cannot identify every secret copied as ordinary content, so exclude other sensitive apps in Settings → Privacy or pause recording when needed.

Which Macs does it work on?

Any Mac running macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer. Apple Silicon and Intel both supported.

Will it slow down my Mac?

It is designed to stay out of the way, checking the clipboard twice a second. Finder items are stored by reference, and text, rich-text, and image payloads are limited by the size cap in Settings. Download size varies by release.

How is this different from the built-in macOS clipboard?

macOS 26 Tahoe includes recent clipboard history in Spotlight: press Command + Space, then Command + 4. Clipboard History also supports macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia, keeps 1,000 items by default (adjustable up to 10,000), opens directly with Shift + Command + V, saves Finder file and folder references, and keeps starred or grouped clips until you remove them. Read the current macOS clipboard history guide.

How does it compare to Paste, Maccy, or Alfred's clipboard?

Clipboard History is free, open source, and focused. Paste is paid and syncs across devices. Maccy is also free and open source, while Alfred's clipboard comes with the Powerpack. Clipboard History keeps history local and handles Finder references in detail; choose another tool if you need cloud sync, OCR, QR recognition, editing, or automation.

Does it sync between my Macs?

No, and it won't. Your clipboard often contains passwords, private messages, and tokens — sending that to a server (even Apple's) is a tradeoff we don't want to make on your behalf. Clipboard History stays on the Mac it's installed on.

Where is my clipboard data stored?

In a SQLite file inside the app's macOS sandbox container at ~/Library/Containers/app.clipboard-history/Data/Library/Application Support/Clipboard History/clipboard.sqlite. Nothing is uploaded. Updates migrate history from the older unsandboxed location.

What can it capture?

It captures plain text and links, preserves RTF or HTML with a plain-text fallback, and stores direct PNG or TIFF clipboard images with bounded preview thumbnails. Finder files and folders are saved by reference, not duplicated. It does not perform OCR, QR recognition, or image-content search.

Can I change the shortcut? The theme?

Both. Record any keyboard shortcut in Settings → General — Shift + Command + V is just the default. And the app follows your choice of System, Light, or Dark appearance: switch it in Settings or with the sun/moon button right inside the overlay.

Does it start automatically?

You choose whether to launch at login during first-run setup, and can change that choice later in Settings → General. Clipboard recording starts only after setup is complete. The app then lives in the menu bar with no Dock icon.

Why does auto-paste request permission?

Automatic paste needs macOS permission to post the Command + V keyboard event. The permission is optional: without it, pressing Return still puts the selected clip on the clipboard, and you paste manually with Command + V.

How do updates work?

The download is signed and notarized by Apple, so you won't see the scary "unidentified developer" warning. The app checks for updates in the background and every update is cryptographically verified before it installs (it uses Sparkle, the standard open-source updater for Mac apps). You can also check manually from the menu bar.

How do I uninstall Clipboard History?

Quit the app from the menu bar, then drag Clipboard History from Applications to the Trash. To erase history first, use Settings → Storage → Clear all history. The uninstall guide shows where to remove the sandbox-container data if you want a complete cleanup.