Published: · Read time: 6 min
Before Maccy, the free Mac clipboard manager space was Flycut, Clipy, CopyClip, and Jumpcut — a handful of open-source or free tools that each had a loyal following. In 2026, some of them haven’t been updated in years. This is an honest look at where they stand now, how they compare to Maccy, and whether any of them are still worth installing on a modern Mac.
The short answer
If you’re choosing a free clipboard manager for Mac today, Maccy is the clear pick — actively maintained, open-source, native Swift, with image support and modern macOS compatibility. The legacy options (Flycut, Clipy, CopyClip, Jumpcut) still work for some people, but none are actively developed and all lack features that are standard in 2026. If you already use one and it works, there’s no emergency — but for a new install, start with Maccy.
All free options at a glance
| App | Price | Open-source | Images | Search | Actively maintained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maccy | Free | Yes (MIT) | Yes | Fuzzy search | Yes | Modern, native Swift, local-only, concealed flag |
| Flycut | Free | Yes | No | No | No (last update ~2022) | Based on Jumpcut, text-only, ⇧⌘V |
| Clipy | Free | Yes | Yes | Limited | Sporadic | ClipMenu fork, snippet support |
| CopyClip | Free | No | No | No (free ver.) | Minimal | Simple menu bar dropdown, text-only |
| Jumpcut | Free | Yes | No | No | No (legacy) | Original that Flycut forked from, very old |
Maccy vs Flycut
Flycut is a text-only clipboard manager based on Jumpcut, using ⇧⌘V to step through recent clips. It’s simple, lightweight, and beloved by developers who adopted it years ago. The honest caveat: its last meaningful update was around 2022, and it’s listed as discontinued on multiple aggregators. It works on current macOS for many people, but it’s running on borrowed time — no image support, no search, no concealed-flag handling, and no one is actively fixing compatibility if a future macOS update breaks it.
If you already use Flycut and it does what you need, there’s no urgency to switch. If you’re installing something new, Maccy gives you everything Flycut does plus images, fuzzy search, pinning, paste without formatting, and active development — for the same price (free).
Maccy vs Clipy
Clipy is a free, open-source clipboard manager descended from the old ClipMenu project. It supports snippets and images, which puts it ahead of Flycut on features. Development has been sporadic — updates come in bursts with long gaps between them. It still works for many users, but its codebase is older and some report compatibility issues with recent macOS versions.
Compared to Maccy: Clipy has snippet support that Maccy doesn’t (beyond pinned items), but Maccy has more reliable modern macOS compatibility, faster fuzzy search, the concealed-pasteboard flag for password safety, and consistent active development. For most users, Maccy is the safer long-term bet.
Maccy vs CopyClip
CopyClip is a free, closed-source clipboard manager from the Mac App Store. It’s the simplest option — a menu bar dropdown showing recent text clips. No images, no search in the free version (CopyClip 2 adds search for €8.99), no concealed-flag support. It works, it’s simple, and it’s fine for someone who copies text occasionally and wants basic recall.
Compared to Maccy: CopyClip is simpler but significantly less capable. Maccy adds images, fuzzy search, pinning, paste without formatting, open-source transparency, and password protection — all free. CopyClip’s only advantage is its extreme simplicity, and even that is a narrow edge since Maccy’s defaults are already simple.
Maccy vs Jumpcut
Jumpcut is the original that Flycut forked from — even older, even more minimal. It’s effectively a historical artifact at this point. If you’re still running it, it still works for basic text recall, but there’s no reason to install it on a new Mac when Maccy exists.
Why legacy tools are fading
The pattern is the same across all four: they were built for a simpler macOS era, they did the job well, and their developers moved on. None of them handle the concealed-pasteboard flag (meaning password copies land in history), none have modern fuzzy search, and most are text-only. macOS itself has evolved — permission models changed, Accessibility requirements tightened, Apple Silicon arrived — and unmaintained tools accumulate compatibility debt with each system update.
Maccy is the tool that fills the same niche (free, open-source, Mac clipboard history) but with modern engineering: native Swift, universal binary, active maintenance, image support, concealed-flag respect, and feature parity with tools that cost money. It’s the natural successor, not because the legacy tools were bad, but because they stopped.
How to switch
Install Maccy, let it start capturing. There’s no migration tool between these apps — clipboard histories aren’t cross-compatible. After a few days your current workflow is in Maccy’s history. The keyboard shortcuts default to ⌘⇧C (remappable to ⇧⌘V if you want to match Flycut’s muscle memory). Remove the old tool when you’re comfortable.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flycut still maintained?
Effectively no. Its last meaningful update was around 2022 and it’s listed as discontinued on multiple sites. It still runs on current macOS for many users but receives no new development.
What replaced Flycut and Clipy?
Maccy fills the same niche — free, open-source Mac clipboard history — with modern compatibility, image support, fuzzy search, and active development.
Does CopyClip support images?
No. CopyClip (free version) is text-only with no image support and no search. Maccy supports both text and images with thumbnails.
Do legacy clipboard managers handle passwords safely?
Generally no. Flycut, Clipy, CopyClip, and Jumpcut do not check the macOS concealed-pasteboard flag, so password copies from managers like 1Password may be stored in history. Maccy detects and drops concealed items.
Can I remap Maccy’s shortcut to match Flycut?
Yes. Maccy defaults to ⌘⇧C but you can remap it to ⇧⌘V or any other shortcut in Maccy’s settings to match your muscle memory.