CopyQ is an open-source clipboard manager for macOS, Windows, and Linux that stores everything you copy into a searchable, scriptable history you can recall instantly from the keyboard.
What is CopyQ?
CopyQ is a cross-platform clipboard manager that intercepts every text snippet, image, file path, or rich-text block you copy and holds them in an organised, persistent queue. Unlike the single-slot system clipboard built into macOS, CopyQ remembers hundreds — or thousands — of past copies and surfaces them through a fast, filterable popup. Think of it as a second brain for your clipboard: patient, precise, and always ready.
The project is entirely open source (GPLv3) and has been under active development for over a decade, which gives it a depth of capability that most commercial clipboard tools haven't matched.
What does CopyQ do best?
CopyQ earns its reputation through three strengths: scripting, persistent tabs, and pinned items. Where apps like Paste or Maccy treat clipboard history as a read-only log, CopyQ lets you write JavaScript-like commands against each entry — automatically stripping formatting, injecting timestamps, transforming text, or routing specific patterns to named tabs. I have a tab called Snippets that receives anything matching a regex for API keys so I stop losing them in the general noise.
- Global hotkeys: configurable per-action, not just a single "show history" shortcut
- Tabs and pinned items: organise clips into persistent named workspaces; pins survive restarts
- Image support: screenshots and copied graphics appear as thumbnails in the history
- Command scripting: a built-in editor lets you write automation commands triggered on copy, paste, or a hotkey
- SQLite backend: history is stored in a real database — durable, portable, and queryable externally
The main UI is a floating window that doubles as a mini text editor. Selecting an entry and pressing F2 lets you edit the clip before pasting — genuinely useful when you want to scrub a URL's tracking parameters before it lands in a document.
Is CopyQ free?
Yes — CopyQ is completely free to download and use, with no premium tier, no subscription, and no feature paywalls. It is open source under the GPL, so the full source is auditable on GitHub. There are no ads, no analytics, and no account required. If you want to support the project, donations to the developer are accepted but entirely optional.
Who should use CopyQ?
CopyQ is built for power users who are comfortable spending thirty minutes in a preferences panel to save thirty seconds every day. Developers, writers, researchers, and support engineers — anyone whose workflow involves repeating structured text, juggling multiple snippets simultaneously, or automating repetitive paste sequences — will feel at home. If you just want a clean "recent copies" popup, lighter apps like Maccy (free, minimal) or Pasta are easier to set up. If you want a polished iCloud-synced experience across iPhone and iPad too, Pasty or Clipboard Manager by Faber make more sense. But if you want programmatic control over what happens to every item you copy, CopyQ has no peer on the platform.
What are the best CopyQ alternatives?
The clipboard manager market on macOS is unusually competitive. Maccy is the go-to minimalist pick — free, open source, menu-bar only, zero configuration. Paste offers a gorgeous three-panel board interface with iCloud sync and is worth the subscription price if aesthetics matter. Alfred's built-in clipboard history is excellent if you already use Alfred as your launcher, though you'll need a Powerpack licence. Raycast ships clipboard history for free inside its launcher and covers most users' needs without a separate app. CopyQ's niche is the user who has outgrown all of the above and wants to script their clipboard like it's a database.
How does CopyQ compare to Maccy?
Maccy wins on simplicity: install, grant accessibility permission, done. CopyQ wins on depth: tabs, commands, image handling, and a full scripting engine. Maccy is one menu-bar icon with a search box; CopyQ is a workbench. Both are free and open source. My recommendation is to start with Maccy — if you find yourself wanting to sort, tag, transform, or automate what you copy, that's when you migrate to CopyQ.
