Device guides · 2026
Share Clipboard Between Mac and Linux
Developers hit this daily: a Mac laptop and a Linux workstation or server, and a command, a key, or a log line that needs to cross. Apple’s clipboard tools ignore Linux, so the options come from the terminal and from open-source tools. Here is what works, from a one-line pipe to a history that syncs.
Your options
Three options, plus the terminal
What each one needs, and where each falls short. Our own card has a catch too.
Input Leap (or Barrier)
Computers side by side on one desk
- Price
- Free (open source)
- Runs on
- Windows · macOS · Linux
Shares one keyboard and mouse across computers on your network, and the clipboard comes along: copy on one screen, move the pointer over, paste on the other.
The catch: Only while the machines are on the same network and connected. One computer acts as the server. Clipboard sharing does not work yet on Linux under Wayland, and there is no history.
CopyQ
Desktop power users who script their tools
- Price
- Free (open source)
- Runs on
- Linux · Windows · macOS
A scriptable clipboard history on the desktop. It can sync a tab with a folder you keep in Dropbox or on a network share.
The catch: No phone app, so it does not move text from your phone at all. Pair it with something else for that.
Pasteable vs CopyQPasteable
We make this oneDay-to-day copy and paste, with history
- 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.
With Pasteable
Mac to Linux with Pasteable
- 1
Install on Mac
Download Pasteable for Mac (macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel), sign in, and turn on sync.
- 2
Install on Linux
Download Pasteable for Linux (64-bit), sign in, and turn on sync. Use the same account on both.
- 3
Copy as usual
Text, rich text, links, images, files, and code go into your history and sync, end-to-end encrypted.
- 4
Paste on the other one
Press Ctrl+Shift+V to open your history there, pick the clip, and paste.
Linux to Mac
- 1
Copy on Linux
Copy from any app or terminal. Pasteable saves it and syncs it, end-to-end encrypted.
- 2
Paste on the Mac
Press ⌘+Shift+V to open your history and paste.
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.
Good to know
Details for Mac and Linux machine
Linux → Mac clipboard over SSH
Run on the Mac. This assumes xclip is installed on Linux and you are logged in to an X11 desktop there as the same user on display :0 (check with echo $DISPLAY in that desktop). On Wayland, use wl-paste from wl-clipboard with WAYLAND_DISPLAY and XDG_RUNTIME_DIR set to your session’s values instead.
ssh linux-box "DISPLAY=:0 xclip -o -selection clipboard" | pbcopyMac → Linux clipboard over SSH
Run on the Mac, with the same X11 assumptions. xclip stays running to hold the clipboard, so its output is redirected to stop SSH waiting for it. On Wayland, use wl-copy the same way.
pbpaste | ssh linux-box "DISPLAY=:0 xclip -selection clipboard >/dev/null 2>&1"Just a file’s contents
To copy a remote file straight to the Mac clipboard, skip the Linux clipboard entirely:
ssh linux-box "cat ~/notes.txt" | pbcopy
FAQ
Common questions
Is there a built-in way to share the clipboard between macOS and Linux?+
No. Universal Clipboard is Apple-only. The terminal pipes above need only SSH plus xclip (or wl-clipboard) on the Linux side, and the apps here cover everything else.
Does Input Leap support macOS and Linux?+
Yes, it runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. On Linux, clipboard sharing works on X11; it does not support Wayland yet.
Can I keep a history of what I copy on both?+
Pasteable keeps a local history on each machine and syncs it between them, with full-text and on-device semantic search. CopyQ keeps a history on each, synced through a folder you set up.
Does Pasteable blur secrets I copy, like API keys?+
Yes. Detected secrets such as API keys and passwords are blurred in your history, and every clip is encrypted on your device before it syncs.
Is it free?+
Input Leap and CopyQ are free and open source. 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. Your phone can join later.
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