Maccy vs OneTap (2026): Free Mac-only vs Cross-device Subscription
OneTap keeps a clipboard history that follows you across every Apple device — Mac, iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro. Maccy keeps a deeper, more capable clipboard history on your Mac for free. If you work across devices, OneTap solves a problem Maccy cannot. If you work on Mac, the choice is easy.
Quick verdict. OneTap is a subscription-based clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. If you genuinely work across all those devices and paste between them, OneTap solves a problem Maccy cannot. If you work primarily on Mac, Maccy is free and more capable. The products target different users.
What is OneTap?
OneTap is a cross-platform clipboard manager from a small indie team. It runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS — sharing a universal clipboard history across all Apple devices via iCloud. Copy on iPhone, paste on Mac; copy on Mac, paste on iPad. The subscription is typically $2.99–$4.99/month or $24.99/year.
The core value proposition is cross-device: it goes further than Apple's Universal Clipboard (which only syncs the single most recent item and expires quickly) by maintaining a full searchable history on every device.
Maccy vs OneTap — full comparison
| Feature | Maccy | OneTap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | ~$24.99/year |
| macOS clipboard history | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone/iPad clipboard history | No — Mac only | Yes |
| Cross-device sync (Mac↔iPhone) | No | Yes — core feature |
| Open source | Yes — MIT | No |
| Regex search | Yes | No |
| App exclusion (ignore list) | Yes — per-app | Limited |
| Homebrew / enterprise deploy | Yes | No |
| History size | Up to 999,999 | Subscription-tier dependent |
| RAM usage (Mac) | 14–22 MB | ~35–60 MB |
| Subscription required | No | Yes |
When OneTap is the right choice
OneTap solves a specific problem: you regularly copy text, URLs, or images on one Apple device and need them available on another. Real examples:
- Copy an address on your Mac → paste into Apple Maps on iPhone
- Copy a tracking number on iPhone → paste into a browser on Mac
- Copy notes from an iPad meeting → paste into a Mac document
- Copy product URLs on Mac → paste into iPhone shopping apps
If these workflows are part of your daily routine, OneTap's cross-device sync has genuine value that Maccy cannot provide.
When Maccy is the right choice
If your workflow is primarily Mac-based — you copy and paste within your Mac, not between devices — Maccy does everything you need at $0.
The $24.99/year OneTap subscription is hard to justify for Mac-only clipboard history. Maccy has deeper Mac integration (regex search, Homebrew deployment, enterprise MDM support, open-source auditability) than OneTap on the Mac side.
The subscription consideration
OneTap is a subscription. Over five years: $125. Maccy is free over five years, ten years, permanently. If cross-device sync is not essential for you, that recurring cost is difficult to justify.
Can I use both?
Not recommended on the same Mac — both monitor the clipboard and may conflict on shortcuts. Choose one. If you genuinely need cross-device clipboard, OneTap covers the Mac side too. If you only need Mac clipboard history, Maccy is the better choice.
Questions
Does Maccy sync to iPhone?
No. Maccy is Mac-only. It has optional iCloud sync for Mac-to-Mac clipboard history, but no iPhone or iPad app. If you need iPhone clipboard history, look at OneTap or Paste.
Is OneTap privacy-focused?
OneTap stores history in iCloud (encrypted). Maccy is open source and can be verified; OneTap is closed source. Both use iCloud for sync. For maximum privacy and auditability, Maccy with local storage is the stronger choice.
What's cheaper: OneTap or Paste?
They're in the same price range (~$25–30/year). OneTap covers more devices (including visionOS). Paste has a longer track record and more Mac features. Neither is free. Maccy is free.