Pastyx vs Paste
Paste has been a clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad for ten years, with iCloud sync, shared pinboards and AI tool integration. Pastyx does less, adds Windows and the web, and costs US$9.99 once.
Stay with Paste if
- You only use Apple devices and want your clipboard to stay on them and in your private iCloud, never on a vendor’s server.
- You share pinboards with a team or family and decide who can view and who can edit.
- You want your clipboard history available to Claude, Cursor and other AI tools (Paste has built-in MCP support on the Mac).
Pastyx may suit you better if
- You use both a Mac and a Windows PC and want one history on both.
- You’d rather not subscribe, and US$99.99 for a lifetime plan is more than you want to spend.
- You want to open your history in any browser, or send a clip to someone with a link.
Side by side
| Item | Pastyx | Paste |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac (macOS 14+), Windows 10 2004+ / 11 (x64), web; iPhone / iPad (iOS 17+) coming soon to the App Store | Mac, iPhone, iPad. App Store listing: macOS 14.0+, iOS / iPadOS 26.0+, visionOS 26.0+13 |
| Price | US$9.99 once for Mac and Windows (one license, up to 3 devices), 7-day trial; iPhone / iPad and web are free | Subscription US$3.99 / month or US$29.99 / year; Lifetime US$99.99; Family US$59.99 / year (App Store only, up to six people). 7-day trial. The Mac app is included in Setapp. Prices in USD before tax, the same on the US App Store; other regions can differ23 |
| Where history lives | In a SQLite database on the Mac or PC; without signing in it never leaves the device | On your devices and in your private iCloud1 |
| Sync between devices | Optional. After sign-in, clips sync through Pastyx’s server over HTTPS | iCloud sync between Mac, iPhone and iPad; the site states the clipboard “never touches our servers”13 |
| How long history is kept | Favorites and clips on a pinboard never expire | Unlimited clipboard history13 |
| Organizing | Favorites, pinboards, custom titles; pinboards can’t be shared with other people | Pinboards; they can be shared with a team, family or clients, with view / edit permissions3 |
| Pasting in sequence | Paste stack on Mac and Windows: collect several clips, then paste them in order | Paste Stack: queue items and paste them in order3 |
| Text inside images | Recognized on the device and searchable; the recognized text is not synced | Searches text inside screenshots and photos3 |
| Search and filters | Full-text search and type filters; app: filters by source app (Mac and Windows) | Full-text search; filters by app, date, device and content type3 |
| 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) | Rules skip passwords and sensitive apps; can hide from screen sharing and recordings; capture can be paused13 |
| On the phone | iPhone / iPad app with a keyboard and a share extension (coming soon); the web app works in a phone browser and can create share links | iPhone / iPad app is on the App Store, with the Paste Keyboard3 |
| Other | Clipboard only. No snippets or text expansion, and no shared team pinboards | Built-in MCP on the Mac connects clipboard history to Claude, Cursor and other AI tools; Intelligent Clipboard suggests what to paste next13 |
Moving from Paste to Pastyx
- Install Pastyx (7-day trial on Mac and Windows). It starts recording what you copy from the moment it is installed. The Windows installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen shows a warning; choose More info › Run anyway.
- Run both for a while. Pastyx can’t import Paste’s history directly: Paste stores it on disk in a private format that Pastyx can’t read.
- In Paste, copy the pinboard items you still need once more; Pastyx records each copy.
- Create pinboards with the same names in Pastyx and add the clips you just captured.
- Sign in from Settings if you want the history on several devices; without it the history stays on this computer.
Questions
Is there a Windows version of Paste? Of Pastyx?
Paste’s site lists Mac, iPhone and iPad. Pastyx has a Windows 10 2004+ / 11 app that shares one license with the Mac app.
How does sync differ?
Paste syncs through iCloud, and its site says your data stays on your devices and in your private iCloud, never on Paste’s servers. Pastyx syncs through its own server after you sign in, over HTTPS; without signing in, history stays on the device. If you don’t want your clipboard on a third party’s server, Paste is the better fit.
How do the prices compare?
Paste’s site lists US$3.99 / month or US$29.99 / year, and US$99.99 for the Lifetime plan. Pastyx is US$9.99 once for Mac and Windows (up to 3 devices); iPhone / iPad and web are free.
Can Pastyx share pinboards?
No. Pinboards in Pastyx belong to your own account. If you need shared team pinboards, stay with Paste.
Sources
What this page says about Paste 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.