ClipboardlyCopyClip Alternative: Clipboardly vs CopyClip for Mac
CopyClip is a free menu bar clipboard app from FIPLAB that keeps up to 80 recent clips and shows 20 in its menu. Its paid successor, CopyClip 2, adds search and pinning. Clipboardly is a free alternative with unlimited history you control, search, pins, project boards, PIN-locked clips and iCloud Sync, opened with ⌘⇧X.
- CopyClip (free) is a simple menu bar list of up to 80 recent clips.
- CopyClip 2 is a separate paid app that adds search, pinning and a private mode.
- Clipboardly is free and adds boards, 12 clip types, PIN-locked clips and iCloud Sync.
At a glance
| Clipboardly | CopyClip | CopyClip 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Paid (free trial) |
| History size | As long as you choose | Up to 80 clips | Not stated |
| Search | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pin clips | Yes | No | Yes |
| Boards / projects | Boards with an active board | No | No |
| Lock sensitive clips | 4-digit PIN | No | Private mode |
| Sync between Macs | iCloud | No | No |
| Minimum macOS | 10.15 | 10.13 | 11.5 |
Where CopyClip is the better choice
CopyClip is tiny (about 2.6 MB), runs on macOS 10.13, and does one thing: a list of recent copies in the menu bar. If you only ever need the last few things you copied and want nothing else on screen, it's hard to make simpler.
Where Clipboardly is the better choice
- You need more than 80 clips. Keep history as long as you like and search all of it with ⌘⇧X.
- You want to find things fast. Search, a date filter and 12 automatic clip types (links, code, colors, emails and more).
- You work in projects. Boards keep each client or launch separate.
- You use more than one Mac. iCloud Sync runs through your own iCloud account.
- You don't want to pay for search. Clipboardly is free.
Switching from CopyClip
- Download Clipboardly and move it to Applications.
- Quit CopyClip and turn off its “launch at startup” option so two apps aren't saving your clipboard.
- Copy as usual. Press ⌘⇧X to search and paste, or ⌘⇧V to open the Clipboard panel.
Frequently asked questions
Is CopyClip free?
Yes. The original CopyClip is free on the Mac App Store. CopyClip 2 is a separate paid app with a free trial.
How many clips does CopyClip keep?
CopyClip stores up to 80 clips and shows 20 in its menu bar dropdown, according to its App Store listing.
Does CopyClip have search?
Search is a CopyClip 2 feature. The free CopyClip shows a list of recent clips. Clipboardly includes search for free.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Prices and features of other apps can change; check each app’s site for the latest.
Written by Sheikh Saadi, founder of Growbig100. Updated .