Honest comparison
Clipster vs Raycast clipboard history
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Raycast is a launcher first: apps, files, window management, snippets, AI and thousands of extensions. Its Clipboard History is one built-in feature among many, and a very good one. Clipster is only a clipboard manager, built around one idea: your clipboard on every device, encrypted end to end. This page compares Clipster with Raycast's clipboard history specifically, not with Raycast as a whole.
At a glance
| Raycast Clipboard History | Clipster | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One feature of a launcher | A dedicated clipboard manager |
| Cost | Free plan includes Clipboard History; paid plan for longer history and extras | — |
| Platforms (clipboard history) | Mac and Windows | Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), iPhone |
| History length | Up to 3 months on the free plan; longer, up to unlimited, on the paid plan | — |
| Search | Yes, plus filter by type (text, images, files, links, emails, colors) | Full-text search |
| Organization | Pin entries, rename entries, save as Snippet | Pins: named boards that group copies |
| Extras | Paste as plain text, OCR on images, QR code reading, paste sequentially, AI actions (paid plan) | Previews, syntax-highlighted code, iPhone keyboard |
| Sync of clipboard history | No: Raycast's Cloud Sync explicitly excludes it | Yes, Windows ↔ Mac ↔ iPhone |
| Encryption | Stored encrypted on your computer | Local by default; end-to-end, zero-knowledge for synced copies |
| Open source | No (extensions API is open to developers) | No |
Where Raycast is excellent
It's more than a clipboard. If you already use Raycast to launch apps and manage windows, its clipboard history is one shortcut away, with nothing else to install. Adding a separate clipboard app may not be worth it.
A rich clipboard feature set. Raycast keeps text, images, files, links, emails and colors, saves every original format so you can "Paste as…" plain text, rich text, RTF or HTML, extracts text from images and QR codes, renames entries, pastes items sequentially to fill out forms, and can turn an entry into a Snippet. On the paid plan, you can send entries to AI Chat.
Long history. Raycast keeps up to 3 months of history, and up to unlimited on its paid plan.
Privacy-minded defaults. Raycast stores the history encrypted on your computer, ignores password managers and transient data by default, and lets you exclude apps.
Mac and Windows. Raycast for Windows includes clipboard history too.
Where Clipster is different
Sync of the clipboard itself. Raycast's Cloud Sync (paid plan) syncs Quicklinks, Snippets, Notes, AI chats and more across Mac, Windows and iOS, but its manual lists Clipboard History under "Not synced": it always stays on the device. A Raycast developer explained publicly that this is deliberate, for privacy and technical reasons. On Mac, Raycast can save items that arrive through Apple's Universal Clipboard, but that only covers nearby Apple devices and doesn't reach a Windows PC.
Clipster syncs your copies across Windows, Mac and iPhone over the internet, encrypted on your device before they leave (AES-256-GCM, key derived from your master password). Our server stores only ciphertext.
iPhone. Raycast has an iOS app, but clipboard history isn't part of it. Clipster on iPhone gives you your full history and a keyboard that pastes any copy into any app.
Focus. Clipster does one thing, with a visual interface: cards with previews, highlighted code, source-app icons, Pins with icons, drag and drop, light and dark themes. If you don't want a launcher, you don't need one to get a good clipboard history.
Clipster's limits, honestly
- No OCR, no "paste sequentially", no AI features.
- No Linux or Android version.
- Young app; Raycast is a mature, well-funded product.
- Sync needs a master password you must not lose.
Raycast is the better pick if you…
- already use Raycast, or want a launcher anyway
- want a long history on Mac or Windows
- want power features like OCR, paste-as formats and sequential paste
- don't need your clipboard on another device
Clipster is the better pick if you…
- want the same clipboard on your PC, Mac and iPhone
- want synced copies encrypted end to end, zero-knowledge
- want a dedicated, visual clipboard app rather than a launcher
- want to paste copies into any iPhone app
Can you use both?
Yes. Many people keep Raycast as a launcher and disable its Clipboard History (Settings > Clipboard History, toggle at the top right) so it doesn't record copies twice, then use Clipster for the clipboard.
Download Clipster: lightweight and fast. See also Clipster vs Paste and Clipster vs Maccy.
FAQ
Is Raycast's clipboard history free?
Yes. Clipboard History is included in Raycast's free plan, with up to 3 months of history. Raycast's paid plan unlocks longer retention, up to unlimited.
Does Raycast sync clipboard history between devices?
No. Raycast's Cloud Sync explicitly excludes Clipboard History, which always stays on the device. Clipster syncs your copies across Windows, Mac and iPhone.
Does Raycast's clipboard history work on Windows?
Yes. Raycast's manual lists Clipboard History as available on Mac and Windows.
Does Raycast's iPhone app have clipboard history?
Not according to Raycast's manual, which lists Clipboard History for Mac and Windows only. Clipster has a full iPhone app with a paste keyboard.
Can I disable Raycast's clipboard history and use Clipster?
Yes. Turn off Clipboard History in Raycast's settings and keep using Raycast for everything else.
Disclosure: Clipster is our app.
Try it on your own devices
Available on Mac, Windows and iPhone.
Download ClipsterOther comparisons: Clipster vs Paste · Clipster vs Maccy · Clipster vs Ditto · Clipster vs ClipClip · Clipster vs CopyQ · Clipster vs Pastebot · Clipster vs Windows clipboard (Win+V) · every app side by side
Details checked on official websites in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us: contact@clipster-app.com