Clipboard manager · alternatives
The best PastePal alternatives for Mac
PastePal: $14.99 once, Mac (macOS 13+), iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision. Verified 2026-09-04.
Why people switch
Why people look for a PastePal alternative
PastePal is where a lot of former Paste users land, and for good reason: $14.99 once buys the Mac and iOS apps together. The complaints that send people looking elsewhere are almost all about reliability. Reviewers describe iCloud sync that quietly stops, and copies that were never recorded because the app was not open, which you only discover when you go back for something and it is not there.
What to look for instead
A replacement should make it obvious that capture is working. SnipVault shows a live capture counter in the menu bar, keeps sync off by default so nothing depends on iCloud, and never syncs secrets at all. It costs more than PastePal, but it also adds hotkey screen OCR rather than only recognising text in images you already copied, plus snippets with :keyword expansion. If you only want a cheap history with an iPhone app and sync is not a concern, PastePal remains hard to beat on price.
Our pick
1. SnipVault
Clipboard history, screenshot OCR, and snippets in one keyboard-first Mac app.
Next to SnipVault, PastePal has no snippets with :keyword expansion, or otp / card-number auto-expiry. Full table.
- ✓You want hotkey screen OCR, not just OCR on images you already copied
- ✓You want snippets and text expansion
- ✓You want a capture counter so you know nothing was silently missed
Other options
Other clipboard managers worth a look
Still with them?
When PastePal is still the right call
- •You want the cheapest one-time price that includes an iPhone app
- •Collections and a paste queue are all the organisation you need
FAQ
What is the best PastePal alternative?+
For most Mac users it is SnipVault: unlimited history with pinboards and tags, plus screenshot OCR and snippet expansion that PastePal does not offer, for $29.99 a year or $79 once. Maccy is the best free pick.
Is there a free PastePal alternative?+
Maccy is free and open source, and fine if a searchable list is all you need. SnipVault is paid, with a 7-day trial that needs no card.
How do I switch from PastePal to SnipVault?+
Install SnipVault and let it build its own history while PastePal keeps running. After a week, pin what matters and quit PastePal.
Nothing to migrate: install it, keep PastePal open, and see which one you reach for.