The short answer
Choose Alfred Powerpack if you want clipboard items to feed snippets, text expansion, custom workflows, file navigation, and a deeply configurable Mac launcher. Choose Clipboard History if you only need a searchable clipboard, want named groups and Finder references, or do not want to buy a broader automation suite.
Alfred’s free launcher does not include clipboard history: the feature is part of the Powerpack. That price buys much more than a clipboard manager, which can be excellent value—or unnecessary scope—depending on how you work.
Alfred and Clipboard History compared
| Area | Alfred Powerpack | Clipboard History |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Clipboard History requires Powerpack. As checked July 27, 2026, Alfred lists a £34 single-user v5 license and £59 Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades. Official Powerpack page. | Free, open source, and MIT-licensed with no paid tier. Source and releases. |
| Product scope | A Mac launcher and automation system with search, workflows, snippets, file navigation, contacts, themes, and more. Powerpack features. | A standalone menu-bar clipboard utility. How Clipboard History works. |
| Captured content | Searchable text, images, and file links. Alfred Clipboard History help. | Searchable text, links, and Finder file/folder references; no bitmap-only clipboard images. Clipboard History FAQ. |
| Retention | User chooses 24 hours, seven days, one month, or three months. Alfred history settings. | Item-based limit from 100 to 10,000, with 1,000 by default; grouped and starred items remain until removed. |
| Reusable text | Save a history item as a snippet, auto-expand snippet keywords, and sync or share snippet collections. Alfred snippets. | Star an item or put it in a named group; no automatic text expansion or shared snippet collections. |
| Clipboard automation | Merge copied text with Command-C-C and use previous clipboard items as variables in workflows. Clipboard workflows. | No merging, placeholders, scripting, or workflow builder. |
| Files and folders | Records file links and can feed clipboard values into Alfred workflows. Alfred help. | Stores Finder references with previews, pastes the real file or folder, flags missing originals, and reveals them in Finder. |
| Privacy | Disabled until the user enables it; ignores popular password apps and concealed content by default. Alfred says history data is stored locally and not sent to it. Clipboard privacy controls and local-storage explanation. | Local SQLite storage, no sync or app telemetry, plus password-manager, app, concealed, and transient exclusions. Privacy details. |
| Source code | Proprietary. | The complete application is open source under MIT. |
Alfred licenses and feature boundaries can change. The comparison uses Alfred’s official Powerpack and help pages as checked on July 27, 2026; verify the linked purchase page before buying.
When Alfred is the better fit
- You want automation, not just recall. Clipboard placeholders, merging, workflows, and scriptable actions can turn copied content into multi-step processes.
- You maintain a snippet library. Auto-expansion and shareable collections are much more powerful than basic Favorites and groups.
- You already own Powerpack. Its clipboard history is included, so a separate manager may add little.
- You want one launcher for many jobs. File navigation, custom searches, contacts, themes, and workflows make Alfred the broader system.
When Clipboard History is the better fit
- You only need clipboard history. Installation and preferences stay focused on one job.
- You want to pay nothing. Clipboard capture, search, groups, favorites, and file handling have no license gate.
- You prefer an item-count limit. Up to 10,000 items—and permanent grouped or starred items—may fit better than deleting all ordinary history after a time window.
- You want inspectable software. The complete source and MIT license are public.
Read the Mac clipboard history guide for the built-in macOS option, or see more choices in the free clipboard-manager roundup.
Clipboard History limitations to know first
- No bitmap image history, while Alfred can record images.
- No text expansion, clipboard merging, workflow variables, scripts, or automation builder.
- No synchronization between Macs and no shared snippet collections.
- No general launcher, file search, contacts, custom web searches, or theme editor.
- File and folder items are references rather than backups and depend on the original remaining available.
If Alfred’s automation or snippets would replace other utilities for you, Powerpack can be the better overall value despite not being free.
Sources and methodology
Alfred facts and prices come from the official Powerpack page, Clipboard History help, and workflow documentation. Clipboard History facts come from its public source and documentation. We do not estimate sales, users, traffic, or performance.