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File Storage · head to head

Ceph vs Maccy

Ceph logo

Ceph

File Storage

Open source distributed storage providing object, block and file from one cluster

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Maccy logo

Maccy

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ceph ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.; Maccy there is no iPhone or iPad app and no sync between machines, so clipboard history does not follow a user to another device.
  • They diverge on capability: Ceph covers RADOS object store, Maccy covers Clipboard history.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ceph and Maccy actually diverge.

Attributes where Ceph and Maccy differ
AttributeCephMaccy
PlatformsLinuxMac
CategoryFile StorageUtilities

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Ceph

  • RADOS object store
  • RADOS Gateway
  • RBD block devices
  • CephFS
  • CRUSH placement
  • Erasure coded pools

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.

Ceph

  • Backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an S3 endpoint all need the same hardwarenot Maccy
  • Growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity serversnot Maccy
  • Research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storagenot Maccy
  • Providing an S3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own controlnot Maccy

Maccy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Ceph

  • Ceph assumes an operator who understands placement groups, CRUSH rules and recovery tuning, so organisations without dedicated storage staff routinely end up with a cluster that works until the first failure and then does not.
  • Small clusters are inefficient: three way replication means a third of raw capacity is usable, and erasure coding needs enough failure domains to be safe, so the economics only work above a certain size.
  • Recovery and rebalancing generate heavy internal traffic, so a failed disk can degrade client latency across the cluster unless backfill is throttled correctly beforehand.
  • Upgrades must follow a strict daemon order across monitors, managers, OSDs and gateways, and a mistake in that order on a live cluster is difficult to reverse.
  • Because it is self hosted, every byte served to the internet is transit you pay for on your own links, so the free licence does not mean free egress and bandwidth planning becomes your problem rather than the providers.

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

Ceph

Free
  • CephFree
    • Full functionality, no capacity limit
    • Object, block and file interfaces
    • Community support via mailing list and Slack

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 Ceph if

  • You need rados object store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want rados gateway.
Ceph 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 Ceph or Maccy better?
Neither clearly leads. Ceph 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, Ceph or Maccy?
Ceph starts at Free and Maccy at Free.
Does Ceph or Maccy run on more platforms?
Ceph runs on Linux. Maccy runs on Mac.
Can I use Ceph for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ceph best used for?
Ceph is most often used for backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware, growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers, research and media environments with petabytes of data and staff who can operate storage, providing an s3 endpoint on premises with multi site replication under your own control. Of those, backing a private cloud where virtual machine disks, shared filesystems and an s3 endpoint all need the same hardware and growing past the point where a proprietary array upgrade costs more than a rack of commodity servers are not what Maccy is typically brought in for.
What can Ceph do that Maccy cannot?
Ceph covers RADOS object store, RADOS Gateway, RBD block devices, CephFS. Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ceph: How many nodes do I need to start?

Three is the practical minimum for a replicated cluster with real fault tolerance, and most production advice starts at five once you account for maintenance windows.

Maccy: Is Maccy free?

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

Ceph: Is it faster than a SAN?

Not on single stream latency. It wins on aggregate throughput and on growing without a forklift upgrade, which is a different property from raw speed.

Maccy: Does Maccy sync across devices?

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

Ceph: Can I buy support?

Yes. IBM sells IBM Storage Ceph and SUSE and others have offered supported builds; the upstream project itself is free.

Maccy: Is my clipboard data sent anywhere?

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

Ceph: Should I use it just for S3?

If object is all you need, a dedicated object store is simpler to run. Ceph earns its complexity when you need block and file as well.

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