Maccy vs Raycast Clipboard (2026): Dedicated vs All-in-One
Raycast is a powerful all-in-one launcher whose clipboard history is free and very good. Maccy is a dedicated, open-source clipboard manager. Here is an honest look at the trade-off between a focused tool and a do-everything one.
What is Raycast's clipboard history?
Raycast is a fast, extensible launcher for macOS that bundles many tools — app launching, window management, calculations, snippets, extensions, and AI. Its Clipboard History is part of the free plan, and it is good: it stores text, images, files, links, and colours, with search and quick paste. Cloud sync, frontier AI, and custom themes are part of the paid Raycast Pro tier, but you do not need Pro to use clipboard history.
The trade-off is not price — it is scope. You get clipboard history as one capability inside a large, always-running launcher.
What is Maccy?
Maccy is a free, open-source (MIT) clipboard manager that does exactly one thing: searchable copy history you paste back with a keyboard shortcut. It is native, lightweight, local-first, and actively maintained, with no account and no telemetry.
Maccy vs Raycast clipboard at a glance
| Feature | Maccy | Raycast clipboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (in Raycast's free plan) |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No |
| Scope | Dedicated clipboard manager | One feature of a large launcher |
| Footprint | Tiny, clipboard-only | Larger, full launcher always running |
| Fuzzy search | Yes | Yes |
| Pinned items | Yes | Limited |
| Images, files, colours | Yes | Yes |
| Plain-text paste | Yes | Yes |
| Password-manager safety | Automatic | Yes |
| Local-only storage | Yes | Local; sync needs Pro |
| Cloud sync | Optional iCloud (Macs) | Raycast Pro |
| Telemetry | None | Analytics |
Focused tool vs do-everything launcher
This is the heart of the comparison. Raycast is a Swiss-army launcher: clipboard history is one blade among many. That is wonderful if you want a single surface for launching, window management, snippets, and AI. But it also means a larger, always-on app, more settings, and a clipboard feature that shares space with everything else. Maccy is the opposite: one small app, one shortcut, one job, done fast.
Raycast asks “what else can this launcher do for you?” Maccy asks “how fast can I give you back what you copied?” Both are good questions — pick the one that matches how you work.
Price and what is actually free
To be clear and fair: Raycast's clipboard history is free, and you do not need Raycast Pro to use it. Maccy is also free, and open source on top. So this is not a free-versus-paid story for clipboard history specifically — it is dedicated-and-open versus bundled-in-a-suite. Cloud sync of clipboard data is where Raycast charges (Pro); Maccy offers optional iCloud sync between Macs at no cost.
Search, pinning, and recall
Both offer quick search and paste. Maccy's window is purpose-built for clipboard recall and pinning, so the path to a pasted clip is short and predictable. Raycast's clipboard search is good but accessed through the launcher's broader interface. If pinning and instant recall are your priority, Maccy's dedicated design helps; details in the search and regex guide.
Privacy and security
Maccy is local-first and collects no analytics; your history never leaves the Mac unless you turn on iCloud sync between your own Macs. Raycast stores clipboard data locally too, but it is a larger product with analytics and optional cloud features, so there is more surface area to understand. Both avoid capturing password-manager entries. If you want the smallest, most auditable footprint, Maccy's open-source, single-purpose design is the safer bet. See does Maccy see your passwords?
Performance and footprint
Maccy is tiny and starts instantly because it only loads a clipboard engine. Raycast is a full launcher running in the background with many subsystems; it is well-optimised, but it is doing far more than store your clips. For a clipboard-only need, Maccy's smaller footprint is a genuine advantage.
Where Raycast is the better choice
Choose Raycast if you want one tool for everything — launching, window management, snippets, extensions, AI — and you are happy for clipboard history to ride along inside it. If Raycast is already your command centre, its clipboard is more than good enough and there is little reason to add a second app.
Where Maccy wins
Choose Maccy if you want a focused, open-source, local-first clipboard manager that is fast, private, and tiny — without adopting a whole launcher. For people who specifically want great clipboard history (not a suite), Maccy is the cleaner, lighter choice.
Can you use both? Yes.
It is common to run Raycast as a launcher and still use Maccy for clipboard on a dedicated hotkey — especially if you prefer Maccy's pinning and want a local-only history independent of Raycast. They coexist without issue; just give each its own shortcut.
How to switch to Maccy
- Install Maccy from the download page or with Homebrew:
brew install --cask maccy. - Grant Accessibility permission so it can paste into other apps.
- Give Maccy a summon shortcut that does not clash with Raycast.
- Pin your frequently used clips and add sensitive apps to the Ignore list.
- Optionally disable Raycast's clipboard history to keep one source of truth.
A fuller guide is in switching from Raycast to Maccy.
What about the built-in macOS Tahoe clipboard?
macOS 26 Tahoe added a basic clipboard history to Spotlight (⌘Space, then ⌘4). It covers quick recall but tops out at a seven-day history with no pins and no per-app exclusion, so most Raycast and Maccy users keep their dedicated tool. Details: using the Tahoe Spotlight clipboard history.
The bottom line
Raycast's clipboard is free and capable, but it comes attached to a large launcher. Maccy is the focused, open-source, local-first alternative for people who want clipboard history on its own terms. See the wider picture in the best free clipboard manager round-up.