PasteNook vs Maccy, Paste, and Raycast Clipboard History: How to Choose a Mac Clipboard Manager
If you want a lightweight keyboard-only history list and prefer open-source software, start with Maccy. If you already use Raycast for launching apps and running commands, its built-in Clipboard History covers everyday single-item recall. If you want a visual bottom pinboard synced across Mac and iOS via iCloud, look at Paste. Choose PasteNook when your workflow centers on selecting multiple clips to merge-copy in one step, splitting sentences into words (Smartisan-style BigBang), running on-device Vision OCR and QR tools, and translating copied text with macOS 15+ system translation while keeping all data in a local Mac database.
PasteNook vs Maccy, Paste, and Raycast Clipboard History: How to Choose a Mac Clipboard Manager
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| Dimension | PasteNook | Maccy | Paste | Raycast Clipboard History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Local-first Mac clipboard manager with batch merge copy, word splitting, local OCR, and system translation | Lightweight keyboard-driven open-source clipboard history menu | Visual clipboard pinboard drawer with iCloud sync across Apple devices | Launcher-integrated clipboard history inside the Raycast command bar |
| Supported clipboard types | Text, links, images, files, and color values, with source app labels and plain-text copy | Text, rich text, images, and file references in a compact menu list | Text, links, images, files, and code snippets with visual preview cards | Text, links, images, files, and color hex previews inside Raycast |
| Batch multi-select merge copy & word splitting | Built-in multi-select batch merge copy (newline or space separator) and word/token splitting (Pro) | Single-item paste or plain-text paste; no built-in word-splitting panel | Paste Stack for sequential pasting; no built-in token word-splitting panel | Single-item paste or copy actions; no built-in multi-clip merge or word-splitting panel |
| On-device OCR, QR tools & translation | On-device Apple Vision OCR and QR tools (Pro), plus free macOS 15+ Apple system translation | Focused on clipboard history without built-in image OCR or translation | Search and link previews; no built-in image OCR or translation panel | Requires separate extensions or Raycast Pro AI for OCR and translation tasks |
| Storage & privacy boundary | Stored locally on your Mac in SQLite and app storage; supports ignored apps and auto-expiration | Stored locally on your Mac; supports ignoring specific apps and concealed clipboard types | Local storage with optional iCloud sync across signed-in Apple devices | Stored locally on your Mac with optional encrypted cloud sync in paid Raycast tiers |
| Distribution & pricing model | Mac App Store download with Free tier (100 items / 500 MiB) and Pro monthly, yearly, or lifetime unlock | Open-source on GitHub with paid Mac App Store and direct download options (check official page) | Mac App Store / direct subscription and Setapp availability (check official page) | Direct download with free core launcher and optional paid Raycast Pro subscription (check official page) |
Choose by everyday clipboard workflow
You only need a minimal keyboard history list or macOS Tahoe Spotlight history
On macOS Tahoe 26, check whether Spotlight's built-in clipboard history (Command–Space, then Command–4) already covers recent copies. If you want a lightweight dedicated menu bar list without OCR or batch text processing, Maccy is a strong minimalist option.
You frequently collect multiple quotes, cells, or code snippets to paste together
PasteNook lets you copy several fragments in a row, select them in the clipboard panel, and merge-copy them with newline or space separators in one step—or split a long sentence into tokens to extract just the part you need.
You want image OCR, QR recognition, and translation inside the clipboard
When screenshots or QR codes land on your clipboard, PasteNook can extract text and QR payloads locally via Apple Vision and translate copied text using macOS 15+ system translation without uploading your clipboard history to a third-party server.
Questions and troubleshooting
Why does this page avoid listing fixed prices for Maccy, Paste, or Raycast?
Third-party pricing, bundles, and regional App Store tiers change independently. We cite each product's official website so you can verify current pricing directly from the source.
Can I run PasteNook alongside Raycast or Spotlight?
Yes. Assign PasteNook its own shortcut in settings so it does not conflict with Spotlight or Raycast, and use ignored-app rules if you want certain apps excluded from capture.
What is included in PasteNook Free vs Pro?
PasteNook is free to download on the Mac App Store (up to 100 items / 500 MiB, source-app filter, plain-text copy, and macOS 15+ system translation). Pro unlocks unlimited history, multi-select batch merge copy, word segmentation, and local Apple Vision OCR & QR tools via Monthly, Yearly (with a 1-month free trial when eligible), or Lifetime purchase.
Official sources & documentation
PasteNook
