The clipboard manager is a tool we all use constantly, even if we don’t think about it much. It’s what makes copying and pasting possible! While the built-in Windows clipboard does the basics, modern clipboard managers offer a lot more functionality, and they each work in their own way.
While Windows does allow you to enable clipboard history for the built-in clipboard manager, it’s fairly basic. So, if you’re looking for something with more features, what are the best options available?
Luckily, you don’t have to waste time testing every clipboard manager out there! We’ve done the research and compiled this guide to help you choose the best one for your needs. Whether you need open-source software or something with advanced scripting capabilities, there’s something on this list for you.
ClipClip
This is a great all-around clipboard manager for Windows. It’s free, powerful, and makes copying text, images, and other files a breeze. You can easily browse and organize copied items, and it even has a handy text translation feature.
Features:
- You can copy all kinds of files such as text and images and use hotkeys.
- It lets you browse copied items and keep things organized in folders with titles.
- You can pull up all your previously copied items using a dedicated shortcut.
- ClipClip can translate copied items with a single click.
- Password protection is available for folders.
- You also get cloud syncing with Dropbox and Google Drive, web search, OCR, image editing, text formatting, and screen capture.
Pricing:
ClipClip is completely free. You can download it directly from their website.
CopyQ
This clipboard manager is perfect for those who want some serious control with scripting. CopyQ allows you to add and run custom commands to perform different actions, making it ideal for power users.
Features:
- You can copy images, HTML, text, and other stuff, and you can also add tags and notes to them.
- It saves copied items in custom tabs to make finding things easy and you can also sort and delete items.
- CopyQ also supports keyboard shortcuts for quick operations.
- It allows you to add custom commands and set shortcuts for these actions, including creating custom scripts.
Pricing:
CopyQ is free. You can download it from its website.
Clipboard Master
This option is for those who love customization. Clipboard Master comes with a ton of organizational features and lets you copy many items simultaneously from different locations.
Features:
- Clipboard Master is highly customizable with snippets and macros.
- It can store up to 10,000 copied items in different formats, along with hotkey shortcuts.
- It has organization features like folders with built-in search and filter options to find clippings easily.
- Flexikeys simplifies actions you need to perform repeatedly.
- There is also a screen capture tool, and text-auto complete feature.
Pricing:
Clipboard Master is free to use.
Ditto
If you want something lightweight and open-source, Ditto is a great option. It’s easy to use and can sync across different devices.
Features:
- Ditto works as an extension to the built-in Windows clipboard rather than a completely separate tool.
- It lets you save any type of file, including text, images, links, and HTML, with quick access via a shortcut.
- The Special Paste feature pastes items in various formats, like uppercase, lowercase, sentence case, etc.
- You can share Ditto with others, rearrange copied items, and view stats for copied and pasted clippings.
Pricing:
Ditto is free, but you can donate to support the developers.
ClipboardFusion
Need a clipboard manager that works across different platforms? ClipboardFusion is the answer! It works on Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS.
Features:
- ClipboardFusion offers a good balance of features and ease of use.
- You can sync your clipboard across different devices by creating a Binary Fortress account.
- It allows creating macros with C#, transforming copied text and setting triggers for different actions.
- Macros can help with removing invalid HTML tags, parsing, clearing the clipboard, etc.
- Triggers can help with replacing parts of text with other snippets, formatting, and removing whitespace.
Pricing:
ClipboardFusion has a free plan, and paid plans for different requirements. The Pro Standard plan costs $19 per computer, while the Pro Personal plan costs $29 for unlimited personal computers and one company computer. The Pro Site and Pro Enterprise plans are for multiple computers at a single site and multiple company owned sites, respectively.
ClipMate
If portability is key, check out ClipMate. This clipboard extension enhances the Windows clipboard and can even be used from a USB drive.
Features:
- ClipMate works as an extension to the built-in clipboard, allowing you to manage multiple text snippets.
- It stores copied items for up to 31 days and lets you sync them with other users.
- The portability of ClipMate is its key feature, allowing you to run it from a USB drive.
- The Universal QuickPaste feature lets you quickly paste copied items anywhere by double-clicking, along with drag-and-drop for moving snippets between programs.
- It also has a built-in screen capture tool, along with support for hotkeys and macros.
Pricing:
ClipMate offers a 30-day trial period, and a single-user license costs $34.95 for use on two computers.
1Clipboard
Need a truly universal clipboard manager? 1Clipboard is it. It allows you to copy data and access it from any device, set favorites, and it also features security via syncing through Google Drive.
Features:
- 1Clipboard syncs data between Windows and macOS using your Google Drive account.
- You can search your clipboard history and mark items as favorites.
- It also has an offline mode for privacy.
- 1Clipboard is also an open-source program.
Pricing:
1Clipboard is completely free on both Windows and Mac.
Clipdiary
Clipdiary is a great option for automatic clipboard management. It records every piece of information you copy using its Smart Capture feature, all without requiring any manual input.
Features:
- Clipdiary works with most Windows applications, allowing you to easily copy and save data like files, images, links etc.
- The Smart Capture feature copies data automatically.
- It has a Clipdiary Snippets feature for managing and pasting text.
- It has customization options for the mouse, UI, hotkeys, and more.
Pricing:
Clipdiary offers a 60-day evaluation version. A personal license costs $19.99 and is for non-commercial use with a 30-day money-back guarantee.