Pastebird vs the clipboard history in Spotlight
Since macOS 26, Spotlight keeps a clipboard history, so every Mac has one built in. Here is how Pastebird compares, including what Spotlight does better.
On Windows? Compare Pastebird with Win+V and Ditto →
| Feature | Pastebird | Spotlight (macOS 26) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Built into macOS |
| Open source | YesMIT license | No |
| History | 50 to 500 items, plus pinned items | Kept for 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days |
| Search | YesFuzzy, as you type, also the text in screenshots | YesIn Spotlight: ⌘Space, then ⌘4 |
| Pin items | Yes | No |
| Copied files | YesPaste as real files in Finder | Yes |
| Images | Yes | Yes |
| Formatting (bold, colors) | Yes⌘↩ pastes plain text | NoPastes plain text |
| Sync between Macs | NoStays on your Mac, by design | NoStays on your Mac |
| Look | Translucent macOS popup, light and dark | Part of Spotlight |
| Installation | Disk image: drag to Applications | Built in; turn it on in System Settings → Spotlight |
| Requires | macOS 13 or later | macOS 26 or later |
Based on the documentation of each app, October 2026. Something out of date? Let us know.
Which one is right for you?
Pastebird
You work from the keyboard and want to find something you copied days ago by typing a few letters. You copy text, links, paths, files and screenshots, you want to pin what you use often, and you want it simple and private.
Spotlight (macOS 26)
You only need what you copied today or this week, already use Spotlight, and don't want to install anything.
Give your clipboard a memory
Free for Windows 11 and Mac. Installs in seconds, no account needed.
Pastebird is for Windows 11 pcs and Macs. Send yourself the link and install it on your computer.
Link copied. Paste it in a message or email to yourself.