The Best Clipboard Managers for Every Platform in 2026

Your computer’s clipboard does one job. It holds the last thing you copied. Copy something new and whatever came before is gone, with no trace and no recovery. Just the most recent item sitting in temporary memory until you overwrite it again.

That’s fine for casual use. For researchers pulling quotes, support reps drafting responses, developers context-switching between tasks, and writers juggling sources, the native clipboard is a slow leak. Minor friction, constant repetition. It adds up.

Finding the right best clipboard manager for your workflow comes down to platform and use case. This guide covers the top picks for 2026: Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and Chrome. Skip to your platform or read through for the full picture.

Best clipboard manager 2026: Quick picks by platform

Platform | Winner | Free?
Mac | Paste | Trial available
Windows | Ditto | Yes
Android | Clipper+ | Yes (free tier)
iOS | Paste | Trial available
Linux | CopyQ | Yes
Chrome | Clipboard History Pro | Yes (free tier)
Teams + text expansion | TextExpander | Free trial

The best clipboard manager that works in every app: TextExpander

Clipboard managers save what you’ve already copied. TextExpander does something different.

It lets you pre-write your most-used content (responses, templates, medical notes, legal boilerplate) and deploy it instantly with a short abbreviation, in any app, on any device. Nothing to copy. Nothing to paste from a history list. Type a short abbreviation, get the full text, move on.

The distinction matters more than it might seem. Clipboard managers are reactive: Something lands in your clipboard, the tool captures it, you retrieve it later. TextExpander is proactive: You build a library of your approved, best-version content, and it deploys that content everywhere you type, identically, every time.

Where clipboard managers stop, TextExpander starts:

Fill-in fields. Templates with built-in prompts that appear when you expand. Customize the variable parts (name, date, case number) on the fly without touching the underlying structure. Useful for support tickets, clinical documentation, sales follow-ups.

Team sharing. Everyone on your team uses the same Snippet library. One update propagates to the whole team immediately. No one sends the outdated version.

Works everywhere you type: Email, Slack, Salesforce, EHR systems, ticket tools, browser. No app-switching, no tab-juggling.

AI and TextExpander together. Use AI to draft something once, save it as a Snippet, deploy it reliably across your team. AI creates. TextExpander deploys. Teams using both see the biggest productivity gains.

TextExpander runs on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome.

Stop retyping the same things every day. Start your free trial

Best clipboard manager for Mac

macOS holds one clipboard item at a time. For writers, researchers, and anyone in support or documentation, that’s a genuine constraint. A third-party clipboard manager is the fix.

Paste is the best overall for Mac. It became the standout option for Apple users by doing the obvious thing extremely well: Syncs your full clipboard history across Mac, iPhone, and iPad via iCloud, with fast search and a clean interface that stays out of your way. Apple Intelligence integration arrived in November 2025, adding OCR search across image clips and smarter text suggestions. Paste 6 launched September 2025 with a full redesign. The Shared Pinboards feature lets small teams share curated clip collections. Pricing: $2.49/month or $29.99/year. Free trial available.

Alfred is the pick for Mac users who already use it for search and automation. The clipboard module is one of the best parts of the Powerpack (paid upgrade), and if you’re already running Alfred for file navigation and custom workflows, it slots into that setup without friction. Mac only. One-time Powerpack purchase, no subscription.

CopyClip is the best free Mac option. Lives in the menu bar. Stores recent clipboard items. No sync, no subscription, no frills, no cost. Good if you want clipboard history without any commitment.

Universal Clipboard (built-in): Worth knowing about before paying for anything. Copy on iPhone, paste on Mac (or vice versa). One item at a time with no history, but it’s already there and free.

Winner: Paste. For serious Mac users in 2026, Paste’s combination of iCloud sync, Apple Intelligence integration, active development, and cross-device reach makes it the right call.

If you’re on a team that repeats the same content across email, chat, and support tickets, text Snippets can do more than clipboard history alone.

Best clipboard manager for Windows

Here’s something most Windows users don’t know: Windows 10 and 11 both have a built-in clipboard manager. Press Win + V and you get a history panel with text, images, and HTML. It syncs across devices signed into the same Microsoft account. For everyday use, it’s genuinely good.

For power users who need more, there are several solid free options:

App | Best for | Price
Ditto | Most users who want something simple and reliable | Free
Clipboard Master | Windows 11 users who want more polish | Free
CopyQ | Developers, scripting, advanced automation | Free
ClipClip | Feature-rich free option with folder organization | Free
Windows Clipboard History | Already installed, good for casual use | Free

Ditto is the most consistently recommended option. Open source, actively maintained, handles text and images, syncs across Windows machines on the same local network. Nothing to pay for, nothing complicated.

Clipboard Master has a more polished interface and handles multi-format content and hotkey customization well, making it a solid step up for Windows 11 users.

CopyQ is the developer’s pick. Custom scripts, macros, conditional actions, advanced filtering. Steep learning curve, powerful once you know it.

ClipClip rounds out the list as a free Windows app with folder-based organization, paste preview, and built-in text converters. Last updated August 2025.

Winner: Ditto. Free, open source, reliable. Works on Windows 10 and 11 without configuration.

Clipboard history is reactive. Text expansion is proactive.

You’ve picked your clipboard manager. Now add the other half: a library of your most-typed content, ready to deploy with a short abbreviation. TextExpander saves email replies, templates, code blocks, and standard responses as Snippets with fill-in fields. Works alongside Ditto, Paste, or any clipboard manager on every platform.

Free for 30 days. No credit card required.

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Best clipboard manager for Android in 2026

Android’s native clipboard keeps one item. That’s the default, and it hasn’t changed.

The practical starting point for most Android users: Gboard. Google’s keyboard app comes pre-installed on the majority of Android phones, and it has a built-in clipboard tray accessible by tapping the clipboard icon in the keyboard toolbar. Clips auto-delete after one hour unless pinned. Not a full manager, but it’s free, already there, and handles casual use without setup.

For real clipboard management:

Clipper+ tops the Android category. 4.1-star rating with 6,500+ reviews on Google Play. Manages clipboard history across text, images, and links. Lets you pin frequently-used clips. Organized without being cluttered. Free, with optional paid upgrade.

Clipboard Manager is the reliable fallback. 3.4 stars with 6,500+ reviews. Solid basic option for users who don’t need Clipper+’s additional features. Free.

Winner: Clipper+. Best-rated, actively maintained, handles the most common use cases cleanly.

Best clipboard manager for iOS in 2026

iOS restricts background clipboard access more aggressively than Android or desktop systems. Most iOS clipboard managers work via app extensions, the share sheet, or a custom keyboard. They capture content when you explicitly share it, not automatically in the background.

Paste wins on iOS for the same reasons it wins on Mac. Syncs clipboard history across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. 4.2-star rating with 1,200+ App Store ratings. Apple Intelligence integration added November 2025. Shared Pinboards for team use added in 2025. Consistently updated. Pricing: $2.49/month or $29.99/year.

Anybuffer works as both a clipboard manager and personal content organizer. Handles links, images, and text in a visual interface that feels more like a scrapbook than a history list. Worth considering if you want a different UI approach or don’t want a subscription.

Universal Clipboard (built-in): Free, zero setup, single-item sync between Apple devices. Covers the most common scenario (copy on iPhone, paste on Mac) without installing anything.

Winner: Paste. Best-rated, actively maintained, the only iOS clipboard manager that also syncs with Mac and iPad.

TextExpander works across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android — so your team’s Snippets follow you everywhere. See how it works

Best clipboard managers for Ubuntu Linux

Linux has good options. The right one depends on your desktop environment.

CopyQ is the most capable cross-environment choice. Clipboard history, scripting support, advanced search, multi-format handling. Works on GNOME, KDE, and most others. If you want one tool that does everything, CopyQ is it.

Klipper is built into KDE Plasma and covers standard clipboard history without any configuration. If you’re on KDE, you already have it.

GNOME Clipboard History adds a clipboard panel to the GNOME notification area as a shell extension. Minimal and lightweight, good if you want the basics without overhead.

Parcellite is another lightweight option for users who want a simple clipboard history in the system tray.

For most Ubuntu users: CopyQ. For KDE: Klipper handles everyday needs and is already installed.

Best clipboard manager for Google Chrome

Chrome extensions can’t run in the background across your OS, but they work well for managing content within the browser, which is enough if Chrome is where you spend most of your time.

Clipboard History Pro is the top Chrome extension for clipboard management. Saves history across browsing sessions, supports folder-based organization and search, and includes cloud sync with privacy controls. Free tier available.

Permanent Clipboard is the simpler alternative. 4.3-star rating with 220+ reviews. Better suited for saving specific text snippets you reuse frequently rather than keeping a full copy history. Free.

ChromeOS Clipboard (built-in): Press Launcher + V on a Chromebook to see the last five copied items. No installation needed. For light use, this is sufficient. For anything more, Clipboard History Pro is the extension to add.

Winner: Clipboard History Pro.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best clipboard manager?

Platform-dependent. Paste for Mac and iOS. Ditto for Windows. Clipper+ for Android. CopyQ for Linux. Clipboard History Pro for Chrome.

For teams, or anyone who finds themselves copying the same content repeatedly, the better tool is TextExpander, which goes beyond clipboard history to give you a deployable library of pre-written Snippets with fill-in fields, team sharing, and cross-platform access.

Does Windows 10 have a clipboard manager?

Yes. Enable it in Settings > System > Clipboard, then press Win + V to open the history panel. Stores text, images, and HTML. Syncs across Microsoft account devices. Users who need more (cross-device network sync, advanced search) can get those features with Ditto, for free.

Can hackers see my clipboard?

Malicious software can access clipboard contents. The practical rule: Don’t copy sensitive data (passwords, card numbers, SSNs) when you can help it. Clipboard managers with encrypted storage, app exclusion lists, and automatic deletion timers reduce exposure. Keep apps updated.

How do you find the clipboard on Android?

Android stores only the most recent copied item by default. On Gboard, tap the clipboard icon in the keyboard toolbar to see recent items. For full history with search, install Clipper+.

What does a clipboard manager do?

It keeps a searchable history of everything you copy (text, images, links, files) so you can retrieve any of it later. The better ones add pinning, categories, search, and device sync.

Are clipboard managers secure?

Well-designed ones are. Look for: Encrypted storage, an option to exclude password managers and sensitive apps, local-only storage mode, and automatic history deletion. Read the privacy policy before syncing clipboard contents to any cloud service.

Do clipboard managers work across devices?

Some do. Paste syncs across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Ditto syncs across Windows devices on the same network. For cross-platform access covering Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, TextExpander’s Snippet library is the most reliable option. It deploys your saved content across all platforms with a short abbreviation.

What’s the difference between a clipboard manager and text expansion?

Clipboard managers save what you’ve recently copied so you can paste it later. Text expansion lets you pre-write content and deploy it with a short abbreviation, no copying required. Clipboard history is reactive: you copied something, now you want it back. Text expansion is proactive: you built the library in advance and deploy on demand. For teams that need consistent messaging, text expansion wins. Everyone gets the same content, every time.

How can teams use clipboard managers effectively?

For individuals, a clipboard manager delivers speed: Faster access to recent clips. For teams, the bigger leverage comes from shared text expansion: one Snippet library that everyone uses, managed centrally, deployed everywhere. Clipboard managers handle personal and ad hoc content. TextExpander handles the standardized, consistent messaging your team sends at scale.

Conclusion

No single app wins across every platform. Paste is the best clipboard manager for Mac and iOS. Ditto handles Windows. Clipper+ leads on Android. CopyQ is the solid Linux choice. All are free or low-cost. All are actively maintained.

If you copy the same things repeatedly, or work on a team that needs consistent messaging across every channel, clipboard history alone won’t get you there. TextExpander turns your best, approved content into a deployable library that works everywhere you type.

Try TextExpander free for 30 days — no credit card required. Start your free trial

Go beyond clipboard history

You’ve found the right clipboard manager for your platform. Now pair it with TextExpander to handle the content you type repeatedly. Save your best email replies, onboarding docs, support responses, and templates as Snippets with fill-in fields, then expand them with a short abbreviation in any app. One library, shared across your whole team, on every device.

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