Alternatives to CopyQ
Scriptable cross-platform clipboard
CopyQ ranks #2 of 12 in Clipboard managers, with an Alt Score of 85. It is licensed under GPL-3.0, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 9 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Power users and developers on Windows, macOS, or Linux who copy and paste frequently and want more control over clipboard history than the OS provides.
A persistent, searchable clipboard history organized into customizable tabs, supporting text, HTML, images, and other custom formats. Items can be tagged, annotated, sorted, and filtered, with a built-in text editor (Vim-like shortcuts) for editing entries. Automation is supported via a command-line interface and a JavaScript scripting API, including custom keyboard shortcuts and window/content filtering rules.
CopyQ runs as a background service (accessible from the system tray or command line) that continuously monitors the system clipboard and stores new items, restoring the full history on restart. Scripted commands and actions can be triggered by keyboard shortcuts, menu selections, or clipboard changes.
Why people leave CopyQ
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
ClipboardFusion is a Windows clipboard manager from Binary Fortress Software (also makers of DisplayFusion) that adds cloud sync, macro-based text transformation, and multi-machine clipboard sharing.
ClipClip is a free Windows clipboard manager that stores up to 1,000 text, image, and file clips, organizes them into multiple named clipboards, and bundles screenshot/screen-recording capture tools.
CrossPaste is an open-source, cross-platform clipboard manager built with Kotlin/Compose Multiplatform that syncs clipboard history in real time across desktop and mobile devices, with end-to-end encr.
Rememory is an open-source Windows clipboard manager that automatically saves every copied item (text, images, links) with unlimited storage, supports app-based filtering to exclude sensitive apps, an.
PasteBar is a free, open-source clipboard manager built with Tauri and Rust for Mac and Windows, offering unlimited history, saved clips organized into collections/tabs/boards, and PIN-protected colle.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Clipboard managers checklist (13 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Clipboard managers checklist | CopyQ | ClipboardFusion | Pastebot | ClipClip | CrossPaste | Ditto |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| History depth | ||||||
| Search | ||||||
| Pinned snippets | ||||||
| Sync across devices | ||||||
| Images & files support | ||||||
| Ignore sensitive apps | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Keyboard-first UX | ||||||
| One-time purchase option |
Every fact and feature listed for CopyQ is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-08
No pricing page; free and open source, optional Liberapay donation.
CopyQ is advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting features.
https://hluk.github.io/CopyQ/ -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-08
CopyQ is advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting features.
https://hluk.github.io/CopyQ/ -
Status active verified 2026-07-08
tag_name": "v16.0.0", "published_at": "2026-05-30T05:27:11Z""
https://api.github.com/repos/hluk/CopyQ/releases/latest -
License GPL-3.0 verified 2026-07-08
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hluk/CopyQ/master/LICENSE -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-08
Support for Linux, Windows, and macOS 13+
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hluk/CopyQ/master/README.md -
History depth Yes verified 2026-07-08
By default, the application stores any new clipboard
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/basic-usage.html -
Search Yes verified 2026-07-08
In the list you can filter items by typing some text.
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/basic-usage.html -
Pinned snippets Yes verified 2026-07-08
This page describes how to pin selected items in a tab so they cannot be
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pin-items.html -
Sync across devices Partial verified 2026-07-08
Sync via shared/Dropbox folder; no built-in cloud/device sync.
This page describes how to keep items in a tab synchronized with files in a directory on a disk (or a Dropbox folder).
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/synchronize.html -
Images & files support Yes verified 2026-07-08
Store text, HTML, images, and any other custom formats
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hluk/CopyQ/master/README.md -
Ignore sensitive apps Yes verified 2026-07-08
CopyQ recognizes this and silently ignores the clipboard change
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/security.html -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-08
GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hluk/CopyQ/master/LICENSE -
Keyboard-first UX Yes verified 2026-07-08
CopyQ is keyboard-friendly, i.e. it should be possible to quickly access any functionality with keyboard without using mouse.
https://copyq.readthedocs.io/en/latest/keyboard.html -
One-time purchase option No verified 2026-07-08
Free and open source; no paid purchase option.
CopyQ is advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting features.
https://hluk.github.io/CopyQ/
FAQ
Yes. ClipboardFusion, ClipClip and CrossPaste have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
CrossPaste, Ditto and Clipy — every license claim links its source.