From Alfred clipboard to Maccy
Alfred’s clipboard history (part of the paid Powerpack) is solid, but you might want a free, dedicated clipboard — or you are paring back what Alfred does. Here is how to move clipboard duties to Maccy and keep Alfred for the rest.
Why move clipboard duties to Maccy
- Free & dedicated: no Powerpack required just for clipboard history.
- Clipboard-first features: pinning, ignore lists, plain-text paste, retention control.
- Open source & local: auditable and private (security review).
See the side-by-side in Maccy vs Alfred clipboard.
Keep Alfred for what it is great at
Alfred is far more than a clipboard — its workflows, snippet expansion, and customisation are in a different category. If you use those, keep Alfred and simply let Maccy take over clipboard history. They coexist without issue.
How to switch, step by step
- Install Maccy and grant Accessibility (install and configure).
- Re-copy and pin the clips you relied on in Alfred — history does not transfer between apps (migrating history). Pin with ⌥ P.
- Disable Alfred’s clipboard history (in Alfred’s Features → Clipboard History) so the two do not both capture, or give them distinct hotkeys.
- Set Maccy’s hotkey to ⌘ ⇧ C and learn the basics (shortcuts).
Note on Alfred snippets
Alfred’s snippet expansion (typing an abbreviation that expands) is a different feature from clipboard history; Maccy does not replace it. If you rely on text expansion, keep using Alfred’s snippets and use Maccy purely for clipboard history. For most people that division of labour works perfectly.
After the switch
You keep Alfred’s power where it counts and gain a free, dedicated, private clipboard. If Alfred’s clipboard was your main use of the Powerpack, Maccy may even let you simplify your setup.
Why switch from Alfred clipboard to Maccy
Alfred’s clipboard history is a solid feature, but it requires the paid Powerpack (~$42 one-time). If you already paid for Alfred’s Powerpack for other features (file navigation, workflows, snippets), the clipboard is a useful bonus. If you are paying for Powerpack primarily for clipboard history, Maccy eliminates that cost entirely.
Maccy also has regex search, per-app ignore list, and iCloud sync — all absent from Alfred’s clipboard feature.
Can you use Alfred and Maccy together?
Yes, and many people do. Use Alfred for app launching, file search, and workflows; use Maccy exclusively for clipboard history. Disable Alfred’s clipboard feature to avoid both apps competing for the same shortcut.
Migration steps
- Install Maccy: download from maccymanager.com/download or
brew install --cask maccy - Export Alfred clipboard snippets: Alfred Preferences → Features → Clipboard → Snippets → Export. This gives you a JSON file. Copy each snippet text into Maccy history manually by pasting it into a text editor, copying it, and then pinning it in Maccy.
- Disable Alfred’s clipboard: Alfred Preferences → Features → Clipboard History → uncheck “Keep Plain Text” and “Keep Images”
- Set Maccy shortcut: Maccy Preferences → General → assign your preferred shortcut (avoid conflicting with Alfred’s)
What you gain
- No Powerpack required for clipboard features
- Regex search for finding patterns in history
- iCloud sync across multiple Macs
- Per-app ignore list
- Free, MIT open source