The best cross-platform clipboard managers in 2026

What "cross-platform" actually means

Two different things hide behind the word:

1. The app runs on several operating systems (CopyQ runs on Windows, Mac and Linux).
2. Your clipboard history syncs between them (copy on your phone, paste on your PC).

Many apps do the first but not the second. When we say "cross-platform" below, we mean both, and we point out where an app only does the first.

Comparison table

Clipster: Windows, Mac and iPhone, encrypted (our app)

Clipster runs on Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and iPhone. With sync turned on, your copies sync between all of them over the internet, so your devices don't need to be on the same network or even on at the same time. Each copy is encrypted on your device (AES-256-GCM, key derived from your master password) and our server only stores ciphertext. On iPhone, a keyboard pastes any copy into any app. Pins organize the copies you reuse.

Limits: there's no Linux or Android app, it isn't open source, and it's a young app. Download Clipster.

CrossPaste: open source and serverless

CrossPaste is free and open source (the desktop app is AGPL-licensed, on macOS, Windows and Linux), and its website also lists Android, iOS and HarmonyOS. It syncs directly between your devices over your local network, with end-to-end encryption and no server at all. It supports text, HTML, rich text, links, images and files, plus OCR, a CLI and a Chrome extension.

Best for: people who want free, open source and no cloud, and whose devices share a network. Trade-off: being LAN-only, it won't sync when you're away from that network.

ClipboardFusion: Windows power tool with phone apps

ClipboardFusion, by Binary Fortress, is a Windows clipboard manager famous for scrubbing text formatting, find-and-replace, triggers and C# macros. Its free version covers the basics on your PC; the paid version adds clipboard syncing through a Binary Fortress account, with companion apps for Android, iPhone/iPad, macOS and the web. Synced data uses 256-bit encryption.

Best for: Windows users who automate text and want their phone in the loop. Trade-off: sync is text-focused, and the Mac side is a companion app rather than a full manager.

Paste: the best choice inside the Apple ecosystem

Paste is a beautifully polished manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad, synced through your iCloud, with pinboards and fast search. It's a paid app (subscription or lifetime purchase, also available through Setapp), with a free trial. Not cross-platform beyond Apple: there's no Windows or Android app. See Clipster vs Paste.

CopyQ: cross-platform desktop, no phone

CopyQ is free, open source and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with tabs, scripting and a CLI. It has no mobile app and no built-in cloud sync (you can sync a tab with a folder). Excellent if all your devices are computers. See Clipster vs CopyQ.

Built-in options (free, limited)

• Apple Universal Clipboard: copy on one Apple device, paste on another nearby device signed in to the same Apple Account (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Handoff on). Only the current item, only briefly, Apple-only.
• Windows clipboard sync: syncs copied text between Windows devices with your Microsoft account. On Android, Microsoft SwiftKey can sync your last copied text with Windows; Microsoft says this isn't available on iOS. See Clipster vs the Windows clipboard.
• Raycast: runs on Mac and Windows, with an excellent clipboard history, but its Cloud Sync explicitly excludes clipboard history. See Clipster vs Raycast.

How to choose

1. List your devices. Linux in the mix? CrossPaste or CopyQ. Android? CrossPaste or ClipboardFusion. Windows + iPhone? Clipster, ClipboardFusion or CrossPaste.
2. Decide where sync should work. Same Wi-Fi only (CrossPaste) or anywhere (Clipster, ClipboardFusion, Paste via iCloud).
3. Check the encryption promise. Clipboards hold passwords and private messages. Prefer end-to-end encryption if the data goes through a server.
4. Try the free version first. Most of these apps have one.