A Maccy alternative with Pages and iCloud sync
Looking for a Maccy alternative with projects and sync? PasteNotch keeps the fast, keyboard-first clipboard and adds Pages for each project, iCloud sync and a visual panel that opens from your notch. It costs $4.99 once after a 14-day free trial.
Maccy is a very good app. It is free, open source and quick, and for many people it is all they need. This page is honest about that. Maccy details come from maccy.app, its GitHub page and its Mac App Store listing, checked on November 7, 2026.
How do Maccy and PasteNotch compare at a glance?
| PasteNotch | Maccy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 once, after a 14-day trial | Free; $9.99 on the Mac App Store |
| Source code | Closed | Open source, MIT license |
| macOS | macOS 14 or later | macOS 14 or later |
| Default shortcut | ⇧⌘V, or click the notch | ⇧⌘C |
| Keyboard-first | Yes: arrows, Return, ⌘1 to ⌘9 | Yes |
| Image previews | Yes, as cards | Yes, in a preview panel |
| Search text in images | Yes, on your Mac | Yes |
| Organize | Pins and project Pages | Pins |
| Sync | Your own iCloud | None; stays on your Mac |
| Skip apps and passwords | Ignored apps; skips password manager copies; masks likely secrets | Ignored apps; follows your password manager |
Is Maccy free, and what does PasteNotch cost?
Maccy is free and open source under the MIT license. You can download it from its site or install it with Homebrew. The Mac App Store version costs $9.99.
PasteNotch is $4.99, paid once, after a 14-day free trial. The trial needs a free sign-in with Google or email, and no subscription. When the trial ends, your clips, search and paste keep working. Saving new clips pauses until you buy.
PasteNotch Cloud is optional, at $4.99 a month. It includes the app and adds capture tools and a web library. You don't need it for the clipboard.
Is PasteNotch as fast to use as Maccy?
Speed is the reason people pick Maccy, so PasteNotch keeps your hands on the keyboard. Press ⇧⌘V and type to search. Use the arrow keys to move between clips, and Return to paste. ⌘1 to ⌘9 paste one of the first nine clips straight away.
The difference is the view. Maccy pops up a list from the menu bar. PasteNotch drops down from the notch as a row of cards, so you can see an image, a link or a file before you paste it. If you only copy text and want the smallest possible window, Maccy's list is hard to beat.
Automatic paste in PasteNotch needs the Accessibility permission. Copying works without it.
What does PasteNotch add on top of Maccy?
Maccy already shows image previews and can search text inside images. So the gap is not images. It is how you organize and where your clips go.
Pages for each project
Give a project its own Page: the Figma link, brand colors, the command you always forget. Switch Pages from the keyboard with Tab or the up and down arrows. Pins still work for the few things you use everywhere.
Sync through your own iCloud
Maccy keeps everything on the Mac you copied it on. PasteNotch also stays local first, and it syncs your library through your own iCloud account. Your clips go to PasteNotch Cloud only if you subscribe and turn on clip sync.
Care with secrets
Both apps respect password managers. PasteNotch also spots likely secrets, such as API keys and tokens, shows them masked and can let them expire.
Capture tools with Cloud
PasteNotch Cloud adds screenshots, screen recording, text capture from any area of the screen, and Screenshot Studio for marking up and pixelating private details. These are part of Cloud, not the $4.99 app.
Does my clipboard stay private?
Maccy stores everything on your computer. PasteNotch keeps your library on your Mac and in your own iCloud. Signing in does not upload it. Cloud clip sync is a separate choice, and sensitive clips, locked Pages and temporary clips are left out of it.
Which Macs and devices does each one support?
Both need macOS 14 or later. PasteNotch works on Macs with or without a notch. The PasteNotch iPhone app is in internal TestFlight testing and is not on the App Store, so today PasteNotch is a Mac app.
When is Maccy the better pick?
- You want free. Maccy costs nothing outside the App Store.
- You care about open source. You can read Maccy's code, build it and change it.
- You mostly copy text on one Mac. A fast list with search and pins is all you need.
- You want the smallest footprint. Maccy describes itself as doing one job: keeping your copy history at hand.
PasteNotch is the better fit if you juggle projects, want your history on more than one Mac, or like seeing your clips as cards.
How do I switch from Maccy to PasteNotch?
PasteNotch can't import your Maccy history, so start fresh and re-add the few items you rely on.
- Download PasteNotch, move it to Applications and sign in to start the trial.
- Quit Maccy so only one app records your clipboard. Maccy uses ⇧⌘C and PasteNotch uses ⇧⌘V, so the shortcuts don't clash.
- Copy your pinned Maccy items again and pin them or add them to a Page.
- Try it for the 14-day trial. If it isn't for you, Maccy is still there.
PasteNotch is made by one developer, Vladimir Babic. Questions about switching? Email [email protected].
Try PasteNotch free for 14 days
A clipboard manager for Mac that lives in your notch. Sign in, use everything for 14 days, then $4.99 once.