Switching tools · 2026
CopyQ Alternatives for Simpler Setup and Phone Sync
CopyQ is the power user’s clipboard manager: free, open source, scriptable, and on every desktop. People who look for an alternative usually want less to configure, sync that does not depend on a shared folder, or a way to get clips onto their phone. Here is the right tool for each.
CopyQ at a glance
- Runs on
- Linux · Windows · macOS
- Price
- Free
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Phone
- No
Why people look for a CopyQ alternative
- You want a clipboard manager that works well without scripting or tuning.
- Sharing tabs through a synced folder feels fragile, or you do not want clips in a cloud drive in the clear.
- You want your clips on your phone, and CopyQ is desktop only.
Keep CopyQ if
You script your tools, rely on CopyQ’s tabs, commands, or CLI, and only need clips on your desktops. Nothing here matches its scripting.
Start here
Pick by what you need from CopyQ
Built into KDE Plasma
Klipper
Already in your tray, with actions on copied text. One machine.
Windows, nothing to install
Win+V
Built-in history with text sync between PCs on one Microsoft account.
Free and deep on Windows
Ditto
Groups, search, and network sending between PCs running Ditto.
Sync across desktops and your phone
Pasteable
End-to-end encrypted sync with nothing to set up, on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and the web.
The alternatives
4 honest options
Not a ranking: they solve different problems. Each card ends with its catch, ours included.
- 01
Pasteable
We make this oneSync between computers and your phone
- Price
- Free · Pro $6/mo or $60/yr · $80 founder lifetime
- Runs on
- Mac · Windows · Linux · Android · Web (iPhone app in App Store review)
Install it on each computer and sign in with the same account. Copy as usual: the clip lands in your history on the other machines, end-to-end encrypted, and Ctrl+Shift+V (⌘+Shift+V on a Mac) pastes it.
The catch: Sync needs an account and an internet connection. Free syncs your 25 most recent clips; Pro syncs up to 10,000. It shares your clipboard history, not your keyboard and mouse.
- 02
Klipper (KDE Plasma)
Plasma desktops
- Price
- Free, built into Plasma
- Runs on
- Linux (KDE Plasma)
Plasma’s built-in clipboard history in the system tray, with actions you can run on what you copy.
The catch: One machine, Plasma only, and no sync.
- 03
Ditto
A deep, free history on Windows
- Price
- Free (open source, GPL-3.0)
- Runs on
- Windows
A long-standing clipboard manager with groups and search. It can send clips to other PCs running Ditto on your network.
The catch: Windows only. Network sharing is set up by hand and there is no Mac, Linux, or phone version.
Pasteable vs Ditto - 04
Maccy
A light, local Mac history
- Price
- Free (open source, MIT)
- Runs on
- Mac (macOS 14 or later)
A small, keyboard-first clipboard history in the menu bar. Install it from maccy.app, GitHub, or Homebrew.
The catch: Mac only, needs macOS Sonoma 14 or later, and keeps history on one Mac with no sync.
Pasteable vs Maccy
FAQ
Common questions
What is a simpler alternative to CopyQ on Linux?+
On KDE Plasma, the built-in Klipper. On GNOME, a clipboard history extension. Pasteable has a 64-bit Linux app with history, search, and optional sync.
Does Pasteable have scripting like CopyQ?+
No. Pasteable has snippets with text expansion, collections, and pins, but no scripting API or command line. If you rely on CopyQ scripts, keep CopyQ.
How does Pasteable sync compare with a CopyQ synced folder?+
CopyQ writes a tab to a folder you put in a cloud drive, so it is as private as that drive. Pasteable encrypts each clip on your device before upload, so the cloud copy is unreadable without your key.
Can I get my CopyQ clips on my phone?+
Not with CopyQ. Pasteable’s Android app has a keyboard with your synced clips; an iPhone uses the web app today.
Is it free?+
CopyQ, Klipper, Ditto, and Maccy are free. Pasteable is free to start with 25 end-to-end encrypted synced clips and files up to 1 GB; Pro syncs up to 10,000 clips and files up to 5 GB for $6/month, $60/year, or a one-time Lifetime licence ($80 founder price for the first 100 buyers, then $100).
Keep reading
Related guides and comparisons
Your clipboard, on every device
Free on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with 25 end-to-end encrypted synced clips. The Android app is included; an iPhone joins through the web app today.
v3.2.25
Pasteable for Android is on Google Play. The iPhone app is in App Store review right now. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the moment it’s live, or use the web app on your iPhone today.
On your phone? Open the web app