The short answer
Choose Maccy if you want a mature, deliberately minimal utility, Homebrew or App Store installation, and a documented “paste without formatting” action. Choose Clipboard History if named groups, searchable file and folder references, previews, and an explicit local-only, no-telemetry design better match your workflow.
There is no bad choice here. Maccy describes itself as doing one job with “no fluff,” and its public source and MIT license back up the free, open-source positioning. Clipboard History is also MIT-licensed and focused on clipboard recall rather than becoming a general launcher.
Maccy and Clipboard History compared
| Area | Maccy | Clipboard History |
|---|---|---|
| Price and source | Free, open source, MIT-licensed, according to the official Maccy site. | Free, open source, MIT-licensed; source and releases are on GitHub. |
| Mac support | Requires macOS Sonoma 14 or newer, per the official repository. | Requires macOS Sonoma 14 or newer on Apple silicon or Intel; see the Clipboard History FAQ. |
| Find and paste | Open with Shift-Command-C, search by typing, then copy with Return or paste with Option-Return. Maccy usage guide. | Open with Shift-Command-V, search immediately, then paste with Return or Command-1 through 9. Shortcut guide. |
| Keep useful clips | Pin an item to the top and give it a persistent numbered shortcut. Maccy usage guide. | Star clips or place them in named groups; starred and grouped clips are kept until removed. Clipboard History FAQ. |
| Paste formatting | Documents Option-Shift-Return for pasting without formatting. Maccy usage guide. | No dedicated paste-as-plain-text command is currently documented. |
| Files and folders | Maccy’s main documentation focuses on fast retrieval and pinning rather than a dedicated file-reference workflow. | Stores Finder items by reference, shows a preview, pastes the real item, and can reveal the original in Finder. Clipboard History FAQ. |
| Privacy controls | Stores history on the computer and honors confidential or transient copy types; recording can be paused. Maccy privacy summary and ignore-type documentation. | Local SQLite storage, no app telemetry or cloud sync, password-manager exclusions, and a persistent pause control. Clipboard History privacy details. |
| Installation | Official site, Mac App Store, GitHub, or Homebrew. Official download options. | Signed and notarized DMG from the download page and GitHub Releases; not currently in the Mac App Store or Homebrew. |
Facts above come from each product’s official site or documentation and were checked on July 27, 2026. Features and distribution options can change; follow the linked sources before making a long-term decision.
When Maccy is the better fit
- You want a proven minimalist. Maccy has a deliberately narrow interface and a long-running public project.
- You paste plain text often. Its documented no-formatting shortcut is a practical advantage today.
- You prefer Homebrew or the App Store. Maccy officially supports both routes in addition to direct downloads.
- Pins are enough organization. Maccy keeps pinned items at the top and assigns direct numbered shortcuts.
When Clipboard History is the better fit
- You copy files and folders in Finder. File references, thumbnails, Quick Look-style previews, missing-file warnings, and Reveal in Finder make that workflow explicit.
- You want named collections. Groups separate project clips, while Favorites gives starred items a permanent home.
- You want an explicit no-network posture for history. Clipboard data stays in a local SQLite file and does not sync.
- You like the Shift-Command-V model. The panel opens ready to search, with direct Command-number paste shortcuts.
See the broader Mac clipboard history guide or compare more options in our free clipboard-manager roundup.
Clipboard History limitations to know first
Clipboard History is not the automatic winner just because this page lives on its website. It currently has several meaningful limits:
- No Mac-to-Mac, iPhone, or iPad sync.
- No direct capture of bitmap-only clipboard images, including “Copy Image” and screenshots copied straight to the clipboard. Saving the image as a file works.
- No OCR, clipboard editor, or dedicated paste-as-plain-text command.
- macOS 14 or later only, and distribution is currently through a direct DMG rather than the App Store or Homebrew.
- Copied files are references, not backups. Moving or deleting the original means the app cannot paste that file from its old location.
If any of those are central to your day, Maccy—or another product in the comparison guide—may serve you better.
How this comparison was made
We compared current public features in the official Maccy website, the maintainer’s GitHub repository, and Clipboard History’s public documentation and source. We did not use download estimates, search-traffic guesses, or unsupported performance claims.