Utilities · head to head
HWiNFO vs Maccy
HWiNFO
Utilities
Windows hardware information and sensor monitoring tool, free for personal use only
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Maccy
Utilities
Free open source clipboard history manager for macOS with no account, sync fee or subscription
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: HWiNFO the free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.; 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: HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Maccy covers Clipboard history.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HWiNFO and Maccy actually diverge.
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 HWiNFO
- Sensor coverage
- Hardware inventory
- Logging
- Shared memory interface
- Alerts
- Portable build
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.
HWiNFO
- Diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloadsnot Maccy
- Validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurablenot Maccy
- Logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crashnot Maccy
- Confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of themnot Maccy
Maccy
- A developer or writer who copies and pastes constantly and wants fast, searchable history on one Macnot HWiNFO
- Anyone who wants clipboard history but does not want their clipboard data touching any cloud servicenot HWiNFO
- A user who tried Paste and does not need iPhone or iPad sync, only wants the Mac functionality for freenot HWiNFO
- Someone installing via Homebrew who wants a minimal, single-purpose menu bar utilitynot HWiNFO
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HWiNFO
- The free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.
- It is Windows only, so mixed estates need a separate tool for macOS and Linux hardware diagnostics.
- It reports single machines rather than fleets, with no central console, so it answers a diagnostic question instead of monitoring an estate.
- The volume of sensors displayed is overwhelming without hardware knowledge, and readings with similar names measure genuinely different things, which leads to wrong conclusions.
- Sensor access requires a kernel-level driver and administrator rights, which anti-cheat systems and some hardened endpoint configurations block outright.
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
HWiNFO
Free- HWiNFO PersonalFree
- Full sensor and hardware detail
- Logging and alerts
- Personal, non-commercial use only
- HWiNFO Pro$undefined/year
- Licence required for any business or commercial use
- Per-seat licensing
- Priority support
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 HWiNFO if
- You need sensor coverage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want hardware inventory.
Choose Maccy if
- You need clipboard history.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Mac.
- You also want keyboard navigation.
Questions people ask
- Is HWiNFO or Maccy better?
- Neither clearly leads. HWiNFO 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, HWiNFO or Maccy?
- HWiNFO starts at Free and Maccy at Free.
- Does HWiNFO or Maccy run on more platforms?
- HWiNFO runs on Windows. Maccy runs on Mac.
- Can I use HWiNFO for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is HWiNFO best used for?
- HWiNFO is most often used for diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloads, validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurable, logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crash, confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of them. Of those, diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloads and validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurable are not what Maccy is typically brought in for.
- What can HWiNFO do that Maccy cannot?
- HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Hardware inventory, Logging, Shared memory interface. Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
HWiNFO: Can I use the free version at work?
No. Free use is personal only. Any business use, including internal IT diagnostics, requires the paid licence.
Maccy: Is Maccy free?
Yes, entirely. It is open source under the MIT licence with no paid tier.
HWiNFO: Does it run on macOS or Linux?
No. It is Windows only; the older DOS builds are discontinued.
Maccy: Does Maccy sync across devices?
No. It stores clipboard history only on the local Mac, with no iPhone, iPad or cross-Mac sync.
HWiNFO: Why do temperatures differ from the motherboard utility?
Because vendor tools usually show one averaged figure while HWiNFO reports each sensor separately. The difference is labelling and selection, not accuracy.
Maccy: Is my clipboard data sent anywhere?
No. Maccy stores everything locally and does not upload clipboard content.
HWiNFO: Is it safe to run alongside other monitoring tools?
Usually, but several tools polling the same sensors through their own drivers can cause conflicts and bad readings. Run one at a time when the numbers look wrong.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- HWiNFO vs GParted
- HWiNFO vs CCleaner
- HWiNFO vs WizTree
- HWiNFO vs CrystalDiskInfo
- HWiNFO vs AutoHotkey
- HWiNFO vs WinDirStat
- HWiNFO vs TreeSize
- HWiNFO vs Karabiner-Elements
- HWiNFO vs Rclone
- HWiNFO vs BetterTouchTool
- HWiNFO vs Deluge
- HWiNFO vs Kap
- HWiNFO vs VTScada
- HWiNFO vs Yelp
- HWiNFO vs Syncthing
- HWiNFO vs balenaEtcher
- HWiNFO vs Paste
- HWiNFO vs Shottr
- HWiNFO vs Rectangle
- HWiNFO vs Hazel
- HWiNFO vs Magnet
- HWiNFO vs CleanShot X
- HWiNFO vs Ventoy
- HWiNFO vs Google Lens
- HWiNFO vs Calsense
- HWiNFO vs Dominos
- HWiNFO vs McDonalds
- Maccy vs GParted
- Maccy vs CCleaner
- Maccy vs WizTree
- Maccy vs CrystalDiskInfo
- Maccy vs AutoHotkey
- Maccy vs WinDirStat
- Maccy vs TreeSize
- Maccy vs Karabiner-Elements
- Maccy vs Rclone
- Maccy vs BetterTouchTool
- Maccy vs Deluge
- Maccy vs Kap
- Maccy vs VTScada
- Maccy vs Yelp
- Maccy vs Syncthing
- Maccy vs balenaEtcher
- Maccy vs Paste
- Maccy vs Shottr
- Maccy vs Rectangle
- Maccy vs Hazel
- Maccy vs Magnet
- Maccy vs CleanShot X
- Maccy vs Ventoy
- Maccy vs Google Lens
- Maccy vs Calsense
- Maccy vs Dominos
- Maccy vs McDonalds