Pastyx vs Maccy
Maccy is a free, open-source clipboard manager for macOS that does one job: keep your copy history at hand. If you use a single Mac, it may be all you need. Pastyx is paid and closed source; what it adds is Windows, the web and sync between devices.
Stay with Maccy if
- You work on one Mac and don’t need sync.
- You want a free, open-source tool whose code you can read and change.
- You want all data to stay on the Mac and never leave it.
Pastyx may suit you better if
- You want your history synced across Macs, Windows PCs and the browser.
- You want pinboards for things you reuse, or to paste several clips in sequence.
- You prefer a card-based preview shelf to a list menu.
Side by side
| Item | Pastyx | Maccy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac (macOS 14+), Windows 10 2004+ / 11 (x64), web; iPhone / iPad (iOS 17+) coming soon to the App Store | macOS only (macOS Sonoma 14 or higher)1 |
| Price | US$9.99 once for Mac and Windows (one license, up to 3 devices), 7-day trial; iPhone / iPad and web are free | Free. Download from GitHub Releases or install with Homebrew; the Mac App Store version costs US$9.99 (US storefront) to support development123 |
| Source code | Closed source | Open source under the MIT license, on GitHub12 |
| Where history lives | In a SQLite database on the Mac or PC; without signing in it never leaves the device | Everything is stored on the Mac13 |
| Sync between devices | Optional. After sign-in, clips sync through Pastyx’s server over HTTPS | No sync; the App Store page says the data “never leaves” the Mac3 |
| Organizing | Favorites, pinboards, custom titles; pinboards can’t be shared with other people | Pinning (⌥P): pinned items stay on top of the list and get a permanent keyboard shortcut2 |
| Text inside images | Recognized on the device and searchable; the recognized text is not synced | Searches text inside images with OCR and can copy the recognized text3 |
| Search and filters | Full-text search and type filters; app: filters by source app (Mac and Windows) | Keyboard-first: open it and type to search12 |
| Passwords and privacy | Skips items password managers mark as concealed and apps you choose to ignore; can hide clips while the screen is shared (Mac and Windows) | Ignores pasteboard types marked confidential or transient by default; more types can be added in settings2 |
| Other | Clipboard only. No snippets or text expansion, and no shared team pinboards | 2.4 MB download; can be automated with Shortcuts actions3 |
Moving from Maccy to Pastyx
- Install Pastyx for Mac (7-day trial). Leave Maccy installed: the import only reads its data and never changes it.
- In Pastyx open Settings › History › Import from another app… and pick Maccy. This is available from the next Mac release.
- The direct-download build finds Maccy’s history itself (macOS asks you to allow access to another app’s data). The Mac App Store build asks you to choose Maccy’s folder: ~/Library/Containers/org.p0deje.Maccy/Data/Library/Application Support/Maccy.
- Text, rich text, images, copied files, the source app and the original copy dates are imported. Pinned items go to a pinboard named “Maccy”.
- Once everything looks right, quit Maccy so the two don’t both record. The default shortcuts differ: ⇧⌘C for Maccy, ⌘⇧V for Pastyx.
Not carried over: copy counts, and unpinned clips older than Pastyx’s “Keep history for” setting. Clips already in Pastyx are skipped, so importing twice adds nothing.
Questions
Maccy is free. Why pay for Pastyx?
If you use one Mac, there may be no reason to. Pastyx charges US$9.99 once for the Mac and Windows apps; what you get beyond Maccy is mainly the Windows app, the web app, sync between devices, pinboards and the paste stack.
Is Pastyx open source too?
No, Pastyx is closed source. Maccy is open source under the MIT license, on GitHub.
Can I bring my Maccy history?
Yes. Settings › History › Import from another app… in Pastyx for Mac reads Maccy’s history directly (available from the next Mac release); pinned items go to a “Maccy” pinboard.
Does Pastyx require an account or upload my data?
No. The Mac app works without signing in and keeps history on the device. Only after you sign in do clips sync through Pastyx’s server (over HTTPS).
Sources
What this page says about Maccy comes from the pages below. Information checked on 2026-09-30. Later changes on their side are not reflected here; their own site is authoritative.
Try Pastyx
The Mac and Windows apps are free to try for 7 days, then US$9.99 once (one license, up to 3 devices). The web app is free; iPhone / iPad is coming soon.