Compare · UniClipboard vs Maccy
Maccy is the open-source clipboard for one Mac. UniClipboard is the open-source clipboard for all your machines.
Maccy is a beloved open-source clipboard manager for macOS — local-only by design, fast, and tastefully simple. UniClipboard shares the same open-source ethos and adds what Maccy intentionally does not: end-to-end encrypted sync of clipboard content across macOS, Windows, and Linux. The two tools are happy to coexist on the same Mac, and many people run both.
Last updated·
TL;DR
Where Maccy is great
Maccy is the kind of tool open-source enthusiasts love: small, fast, native Swift, opinionated in the right places. It sits in the menu bar, opens with ⌘⇧C, lets you pin frequent items, search history, and filter by content type. The MIT license is friendly to anyone who wants to fork it. For a single Mac that does not need cross-device sync, Maccy is genuinely hard to beat — and recommending it for that case is the honest answer.
Where UniClipboard adds the missing piece
The thing Maccy does not do — by design — is leave the Mac. The moment you add a Windows laptop, a Linux desktop, or even a second Mac to your daily setup, the clipboard history splinters. UniClipboard is built for that case: end-to-end encrypted sync of clipboard content with XChaCha20-Poly1305 AEAD, desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, no cloud account, P2P on the same Wi-Fi with NAT hole-punching across networks, and a per-device encrypted history index.
Side-by-side
| Feature | UniClipboard | Maccy |
|---|---|---|
| Supported platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux (native) | macOS only |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Cross-device sync | End-to-end encrypted sync across paired devices | Not by design — local-only on a single Mac |
| Clipboard history | Encrypted local index, per-device, searchable | Local history, searchable, with pin and filters |
| Distribution | Signed direct downloads + Homebrew cask (mac) + Snap (linux) | Mac App Store, Homebrew, build from source |
| Pin / favorite items | Not yet — on the roadmap | Yes — first-class feature |
| Account required | None — public-key device pairing | None — local-only |
| Encryption | XChaCha20-Poly1305 AEAD in transit and at rest | Local storage only — no network transit to encrypt |
| Price | Free | Free from source / Homebrew; paid on the Mac App Store |
Comparison reflects publicly documented behaviour as of 2026-05. Maccy facts verified against github.com/p0deje/Maccy.
Setup
Verdict
If you only ever use one Mac, Maccy is the right answer — full stop. Pick UniClipboard when a second device joins the picture (Windows, Linux, or another Mac) and you want clipboard content to follow you. The two are not really competitors: Maccy is the local layer; UniClipboard is the sync layer. Many people use both.
FAQ
Yes. They observe the same macOS clipboard and do not interfere with each other. Maccy keeps its local history; UniClipboard keeps its encrypted per-device history and syncs copies to your other devices. Many users run both.
Both directions. UniClipboard's clipboard is symmetric: a copy on the Windows side is available on the Mac, and vice versa. Maccy continues to record only what happens on the Mac it runs on.
Maccy lets you configure how many items to keep, stored locally on that Mac. UniClipboard keeps an encrypted local history per device with a configurable retention window (default 30 days). The two histories are independent — Maccy does not see UniClipboard's, and vice versa.
For end-users, no — both let you read, modify, and share the code. AGPL-3.0 only adds obligations if you modify UniClipboard and run it as a network service for others. Personal and team use is unaffected. Maccy's MIT license is more permissive for embedding in a closed-source product, but UniClipboard is a standalone app, so that distinction rarely matters in practice.
Not currently. UniClipboard ships as signed, notarized direct downloads from the website, and as a Homebrew cask via brew install --cask uniclipboard/tap/uniclipboard. Maccy is on the Mac App Store (paid) and also free from Homebrew or source. If Mac App Store distribution specifically matters to you, that is still a real point in Maccy's favour today.
For local clipboard history search the two are comparable — both index locally and search in milliseconds. UniClipboard adds a network step when syncing to other devices, but the local UX on the Mac stays instant: the system clipboard updates as soon as ⌘C fires.
Get UniClipboard
macOS 12+, Windows 10/11, Linux x86_64 / ARM64. Free, open source, end-to-end encrypted. Coexists with Maccy.