A PastePal alternative, if you only need the Macs

Which PastePal alternative you actually need

PastePal sells clipboard management across the Apple family: unlimited local history, collections, optional iCloud Sync, and Peer Share so its apps on the same network can share content without Handoff or iCloud. People searching for a replacement usually want one of two very different things — that whole Apple-family shelf, or just Mac-to-Mac paste on a desk LAN. Work out which before you read any feature table.

The Maccy comparison helps sort the buckets. Maccy is a free, open-source, local-first clipboard manager for Mac. PastePal adds Apple-device reach and Peer Share on top of a history manager. Deskferry sits in the multi-Mac LAN lane rather than either: trusted-group sync of new copies, optional Finder handoff, local history. Apple's own Continuity and Universal Clipboard remain the baseline when accounts and Handoff cooperate, and AirDrop moves files you confirm one at a time. Neither of those is a competitor — they are the defaults you leave behind when Continuity is off or the accounts differ.

Peer Share and Deskferry do overlap

Both move content between machines on a local network, and that is the real point of contact. Deskferry runs in the menu bar on macOS 14 or later. An administrator chooses Add Mac; the other Mac joins with a 6-digit code, valid 120 seconds with three tries, and waits for approval. Once both show the same current group and a connected status on a reachable network, a new copy on one Mac is ready to paste on the others. Free covers text, links and images sitting directly on the clipboard, and nothing is relayed through a Deskferry cloud.

File handoff comes from the same app. With an administrator on Pro or Max, copy in Finder and paste into a folder on the other Mac for an independent copy; folders need Max. Members do not need a matching tier for group file rights, though personal history access still follows each person's own plan. Everyday text and image sync does not involve any of this.

History is where the two stories separate for good. Deskferry keeps a searchable history on each Mac and does not publish a cross-Mac shared library or a fleet picker of everything the group has copied. PastePal's pitch is built the other way: rich local history, collections, optional iCloud sync across your Apple devices. If that shared shelf is what you liked, this is the wrong swap. If you want LAN sync of the current copy, Finder handoff and local recall, it is a close fit.

When this is a fair swap

Choose Deskferry when your Macs can reach each other on a LAN, you are happy with a menu-bar app, and trusted-group sync of the current copy matters more to you than iPhone history or a shared timeline. A work Mac and a personal Mac on the same network is the usual shape.

Skip it when you need iPhone, iPad, Windows or Android clients; a public-internet relay between sites; or PastePal-style collections and iCloud history across your devices. One practical trap as well: guest Wi-Fi with client isolation blocks LAN sync even when both Macs show the same SSID, and nothing in the app can work around that.

For the install itself, check the download page. The app is a free download on the Mac App Store.