Compare
Pick the workflow that fits the task.
Four tools, four different jobs. Which devices, which recipients, and what you are actually trying to finish.
Guides
Copy between Macs
The text, link or image you just copied, sent to a group of Macs you chose.
A Universal Clipboard alternative, when the built-in route is closed
Name the missing part: the link between the devices, the handoff itself, or a copy you already replaced.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA TandemClip alternative, if local history is what you want
Same core job. Different answer to where your clipboard history lives.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA PastePal alternative, if you only need the Macs
One covers Mac, iPhone and iPad. The other covers Macs on a LAN and stops there.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA Maccy alternative only earns its place once you have a second Mac
Keep Maccy for a single Mac. Look at Deskferry when a copy has to reach another Mac on your network.
Read the guideCopy between MacsPaste vs Maccy: free history on one Mac, or paid sync across your Apple devices
Pick Maccy for fast, free history on a single Mac. Pick Paste when your clipboard has to follow you to an iPhone or iPad. If the gap is between several Macs on one network, Deskferry is a third option.
Read the guideCopy between MacsChoosing a Paste alternative for Mac by what you use Paste for
Leaving Paste over the subscription? Pesty, Clipbara and Pasty copy its card look for free, Maccy keeps a plain list, and Maus is a one-time purchase. If you rely on iPhone sync, stay on Paste. If your Macs need to pass copies over your network, look at Deskferry.
Read the guideCopy between MacsDo you need a ClipBob alternative? Start with its requirements
ClipBob merges clipboard history across your Macs through iCloud, if they run macOS 26 on Apple Silicon and share one Apple ID. Stay on it if that fits. For history on an iPhone, look at a cross-device app such as Paste. For Macs on different Apple IDs, or Finder files over your network, look at Deskferry, which keeps history on each Mac.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA MultiClip alternative for Macs that should sync without being asked
MultiClip, the open-source Mac menu bar app, shares copies between Macs on one LAN on request: you pick an item and only then does it move. Keep it if that suits you. For automatic sync, look at TandemClip or Deskferry. For history on one Mac, look at Maccy-type apps.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA ClipBook alternative only matters once the copy has to cross
ClipBook keeps a deep, searchable history on the Mac you copied on, and says plainly that it uses no cloud. If both your Macs need the same copy, that is the line you hit.
Read the guideCopy between MacsA PasteBar alternative, when a shared folder is not really sync
PasteBar is free and runs on Mac and Windows, with its source on GitHub under a non-commercial licence, but its data lives on one device. Pointing that data folder at a cloud drive is file sync, not a copy arriving on your other Mac.
Read the guideGuides
Transfer files
Finder handoffs, AirDrop and shared folders answer different questions. Pick the right one.
Guides
Local clipboard history
Find, preview and reuse what you copied earlier on this Mac.
Clipboard history vs clipboard sync: which one you need
One is a question about place. The other is about time.
Read the guideLocal clipboard historyHow to pick the best clipboard manager for your Mac
The right tool shortens a search you keep repeating. Feature-list length is not the test.
Read the guideFour tools that answer four different questions
Start from the job rather than the feature list. Universal Clipboard carries the current copy between compatible Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account, including whole files between supported Macs. AirDrop is built for one explicit handoff to a nearby recipient. File Sharing gives another Mac access to a folder you keep. And for a copy you have already lost, macOS Tahoe 26 or later offers clipboard history in Spotlight, while Deskferry keeps its own local history on macOS 14 or later.
The question underneath is usually how often you repeat the same handoff, and who should be able to receive it. Deskferry is aimed at recurring work across a defined group of trusted Macs, with local history in the same menu-bar app. The comparisons here take each pairing in turn — including the cases where an Apple feature already covers the need and a second app would only add a step.
Official references
Apple feature references checked 16 September 2026. Deskferry is independent of Apple.
Deskferry
Keep the next step simple.
Continue on another Mac, hand off a file, or find an earlier copy.
macOS 14+ · One Mac for history · Reachable LAN for sync
