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Utilities · head to head

HWiNFO vs Paste

HWiNFO logo

HWiNFO

Utilities

Windows hardware information and sensor monitoring tool, free for personal use only

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paste logo

Paste

Utilities

Subscription clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad with iCloud sync between devices

From
$29.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HWiNFO has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Paste it is an ongoing subscription, unlike the free, one-time-cost alternatives Maccy and the built in macOS clipboard, so the cost compounds every year it is used.
  • They diverge on capability: HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Paste covers Clipboard history.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HWiNFO and Paste actually diverge.

Attributes where HWiNFO and Paste differ
AttributeHWiNFOPaste
Starting priceFree$29.99/year
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindowsMac, iOS

Identical on both: 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 Paste

  • Clipboard history
  • iCloud sync
  • Pinboards
  • Rich content support
  • Search and filter
  • Setapp availability

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 Paste
  • Validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurablenot Paste
  • Logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crashnot Paste
  • Confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of themnot Paste

Paste

  • Someone who regularly copies something on their iPhone, such as an address or code, and needs it moments later on their Macnot HWiNFO
  • A user organising reusable snippets like email signatures or boilerplate text into named pinboardsnot HWiNFO
  • A team member already paying for Setapp who wants Paste included rather than purchased separatelynot HWiNFO
  • Anyone who has outgrown a local-only clipboard manager because they now work across multiple Apple devicesnot 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.

Paste

  • It is an ongoing subscription, unlike the free, one-time-cost alternatives Maccy and the built in macOS clipboard, so the cost compounds every year it is used.
  • Sync depends on iCloud, so a user without a reliable iCloud connection or who disables iCloud for privacy reasons loses the entire reason to pay for it over Maccy.
  • It has no Windows or Android app, so sync only works within the Apple ecosystem.
  • Because it preserves rich content and images, the synced history can grow large enough to be noticeable in iCloud storage use over time.
  • A user who only ever uses one Mac gets no benefit from the subscription cost over a free local-only tool like Maccy.

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

Paste

$29.99/year
  • Paste$2.49/month
    • Billed annually at roughly 29.99 USD per year
    • Covers Mac, iPhone and iPad apps under one subscription
    • iCloud sync between all devices

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.
HWiNFO review

Choose Paste if

  • You need clipboard history.
  • You work on Mac, iOS.
  • You also want icloud sync.
Paste review

Questions people ask

Is HWiNFO or Paste better?
Neither clearly leads. HWiNFO starts at Free and Paste at $29.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HWiNFO or Paste?
HWiNFO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HWiNFO and $29.99/year for Paste.
Does HWiNFO or Paste run on more platforms?
HWiNFO runs on Windows. Paste runs on Mac, iOS.
Can I use HWiNFO for free?
Yes. HWiNFO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paste starts at $29.99/year.
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 Paste is typically brought in for.
What can HWiNFO do that Paste cannot?
HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Hardware inventory, Logging, Shared memory interface. Paste covers Clipboard history, iCloud sync, Pinboards, Rich content support.

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.

Paste: Is Paste free?

No. It is a subscription, priced around 2.49 to 3.99 US dollars a month or roughly 30 dollars a year, though it is also available through the Setapp bundle.

HWiNFO: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. It is Windows only; the older DOS builds are discontinued.

Paste: Does Paste sync between my Mac and iPhone?

Yes, that is its main differentiator, using iCloud to sync clipboard history across Mac, iPhone and iPad.

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.

Paste: Is there a free alternative that does not sync?

Yes, Maccy is free, open source and Mac-only with no sync, for users who do not need cross-device history.

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.

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