Is 7-Zip or Maccy better?

Neither clearly leads. 7-Zip starts at Free and Maccy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, 7-Zip or Maccy?

7-Zip starts at Free and Maccy at Free.

Does 7-Zip or Maccy run on more platforms?

7-Zip runs on Windows, Linux, macOS. Maccy runs on Mac.

Can I use 7-Zip for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is 7-Zip best used for?

7-Zip is most often used for creating highly compressed archives for backup and storage optimisation, distributing self-extracting executables to users who lack archive tools, unpacking diverse archive formats (rar, iso, dmg) without purchasing separate tools, ci/cd automation via command-line compression and extraction. Of those, creating highly compressed archives for backup and storage optimisation and distributing self-extracting executables to users who lack archive tools are not what Maccy is typically brought in for.

What can 7-Zip do that Maccy cannot?

Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion.

Utilities · head to head

7-Zip vs Maccy

7-Zip

Utilities

Free and open-source file archiver with high compression and strong encryption

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Maccy

Utilities

Free open source clipboard history manager for macOS with no account, sync fee or subscription

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: 7-Zip windows-centric GUI design; native graphical interface is Windows-only, with no first-class macOS or Linux GUI applications provided; Maccy there is no iPhone or iPad app and no sync between machines, so clipboard history does not follow a user to another device.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 7-Zip and Maccy actually diverge.

Attributes where 7-Zip and Maccy differ
Attribute	7-Zip	Maccy
Pricing model	open-source	Open source, no licence fee
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Mac

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 7-Zip

Nothing recorded that Maccy does not also cover.

Only in Maccy

Clipboard history
Keyboard navigation
Local-only storage
Password exclusion
Lightweight footprint
Open source

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

7-Zip

Creating highly compressed archives for backup and storage optimisationnot Maccy
Distributing self-extracting executables to users who lack archive toolsnot Maccy
Unpacking diverse archive formats (RAR, ISO, DMG) without purchasing separate toolsnot Maccy
CI/CD automation via command-line compression and extractionnot Maccy
Encrypting sensitive files with AES-256 for secure transmissionnot Maccy
Restoring archived VirtualBox and VMware disk imagesnot Maccy

Maccy

A developer or writer who copies and pastes constantly and wants fast, searchable history on one Macnot 7-Zip
Anyone who wants clipboard history but does not want their clipboard data touching any cloud servicenot 7-Zip
A user who tried Paste and does not need iPhone or iPad sync, only wants the Mac functionality for freenot 7-Zip
Someone installing via Homebrew who wants a minimal, single-purpose menu bar utilitynot 7-Zip

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

7-Zip

Windows-centric GUI design; native graphical interface is Windows-only, with no first-class macOS or Linux GUI applications provided
Linux and macOS support primarily through command-line tools; no native file manager integration on these platforms
User interface design is dated compared to modern alternatives; visual feedback and UX polish lag behind commercial archivers
ARM64 support limited to Windows; no ARM64 build for Linux or macOS despite growing ARM adoption
No built-in cloud storage integration or synchronisation; cannot extract directly to Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive

Maccy

There is no iPhone or iPad app and no sync between machines, so clipboard history does not follow a user to another device.
It has no snippets, templates or organised boards, so a user wanting structured reusable text needs a different tool as well.
It is Mac only, so it offers nothing for a Windows machine in the same workflow.
As a volunteer-maintained open source project, there is no guaranteed support response time if something breaks.
Very large clipboard histories with many images can still use meaningful memory, though far less than a heavier commercial equivalent.

Pricing, plan by plan

7-Zip

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the 7-Zip review.

Maccy

Free

MaccyFree
- Free and open source under the MIT licence
- Unlimited local clipboard history
- No account or sync required

Which should you pick?

Choose 7-Zip if

You want to start without paying.
You work on Windows, Linux, macOS.

7-Zip review

Choose Maccy if

You need clipboard history.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac.
You also want keyboard navigation.

Maccy review

Questions people ask

Is 7-Zip or Maccy better?: Neither clearly leads. 7-Zip starts at Free and Maccy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 7-Zip or Maccy?: 7-Zip starts at Free and Maccy at Free.
Does 7-Zip or Maccy run on more platforms?: 7-Zip runs on Windows, Linux, macOS. Maccy runs on Mac.
Can I use 7-Zip for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is 7-Zip best used for?: 7-Zip is most often used for creating highly compressed archives for backup and storage optimisation, distributing self-extracting executables to users who lack archive tools, unpacking diverse archive formats (rar, iso, dmg) without purchasing separate tools, ci/cd automation via command-line compression and extraction. Of those, creating highly compressed archives for backup and storage optimisation and distributing self-extracting executables to users who lack archive tools are not what Maccy is typically brought in for.
What can 7-Zip do that Maccy cannot?: Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

7-Zip: Is 7-Zip free to use commercially?

Yes. 7-Zip is licensed under GNU LGPL with BSD 3-clause portions, permitting commercial and personal use without fees, registration, or restrictions.

Source

Maccy: Is Maccy free?

Yes, entirely. It is open source under the MIT licence with no paid tier.

7-Zip: What file formats does 7-Zip support?

7-Zip natively creates 7z archives and supports packing/unpacking ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, TAR, and WIM. It can unpack 30+ additional formats including RAR, ISO, DMG, and VirtualBox disk images without requiring external tools.

Source

Maccy: Does Maccy sync across devices?

No. It stores clipboard history only on the local Mac, with no iPhone, iPad or cross-Mac sync.

7-Zip: Does 7-Zip work on macOS and Linux?

Yes. 7-Zip operates on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Graphical interfaces are optimised for Windows; Linux and macOS primarily use command-line tools. Port and third-party GUI applications extend functionality on these platforms.

Source

Maccy: Is my clipboard data sent anywhere?

No. Maccy stores everything locally and does not upload clipboard content.

7-Zip vs Maccy

7-Zip

Maccy

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in 7-Zip

Only in Maccy

What people use each for

7-Zip

Maccy

Where each one falls short

7-Zip

Maccy

Pricing, plan by plan

7-Zip

Maccy

Which should you pick?

Choose 7-Zip if

Choose Maccy if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on 7-Zip

More on Maccy

Keep looking

Other head to heads