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Utilities · head to head

Maccy vs Rclone

Maccy logo

Maccy

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rclone logo

Rclone

Utilities

Command line sync and mount tool for around 70 cloud storage providers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Maccy there is no iPhone or iPad app and no sync between machines, so clipboard history does not follow a user to another device.; Rclone sync deletes files at the destination to make it match the source, so one transposed argument between source and destination can wipe a backup and there is no undo.
  • They diverge on capability: Maccy covers Clipboard history, Rclone covers Unified backend model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Maccy and Rclone actually diverge.

Attributes where Maccy and Rclone differ
AttributeMaccyRclone
PlatformsMacWindows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Maccy

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

Only in Rclone

  • Unified backend model
  • Crypt overlay
  • FUSE mount
  • Bisync
  • Server-side transfers
  • rclone serve

What people use each for

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

Maccy

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

Rclone

  • Migrating tens of terabytes between two object storage providers without staging on local disknot Maccy
  • Encrypted offsite backup to a cheap provider that you do not want reading your filenamesnot Maccy
  • Mounting an object bucket for a media server that expects a filesystem pathnot Maccy
  • Nightly one-way sync from an on-premises NAS to cloud storage as a second copynot Maccy

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Rclone

  • Sync deletes files at the destination to make it match the source, so one transposed argument between source and destination can wipe a backup and there is no undo.
  • Google Drive throttles the shared default OAuth client, so large jobs stall until you register a private API client ID, a step that is documented but easy to miss until a migration is already days behind.
  • Millions of small files hit per-provider request ceilings rather than bandwidth limits, which makes transfer time nearly impossible to estimate from data volume alone.
  • The FUSE mount is not a real filesystem; applications that expect POSIX locking, partial writes or fast directory listings will behave badly or corrupt state on network interruption.
  • Support is a community forum and a single principal maintainer, so an organisation that needs contractual response times on a data movement tool has no vendor to buy that from.

Pricing, plan by plan

Maccy

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

Rclone

Free
  • RcloneFree
    • MIT licence with no paid edition
    • All backends and features included
    • Single static binary, no runtime dependencies

Which should you pick?

Choose Maccy if

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

Choose Rclone if

  • You need unified backend model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker.
  • You also want crypt overlay.
Rclone review

Questions people ask

Is Maccy or Rclone better?
Neither clearly leads. Maccy starts at Free and Rclone at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Maccy or Rclone?
Maccy starts at Free and Rclone at Free.
Does Maccy or Rclone run on more platforms?
Maccy runs on Mac. Rclone runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Docker.
Can I use Maccy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Maccy best used for?
Maccy is most often used for a developer or writer who copies and pastes constantly and wants fast, searchable history on one mac, anyone who wants clipboard history but does not want their clipboard data touching any cloud service, a user who tried paste and does not need iphone or ipad sync, only wants the mac functionality for free, someone installing via homebrew who wants a minimal, single-purpose menu bar utility. Of those, a developer or writer who copies and pastes constantly and wants fast, searchable history on one mac and anyone who wants clipboard history but does not want their clipboard data touching any cloud service are not what Rclone is typically brought in for.
What can Maccy do that Rclone cannot?
Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion. Rclone covers Unified backend model, Crypt overlay, FUSE mount, Bisync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Maccy: Is Maccy free?

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

Rclone: Does rclone cost anything at scale?

The software does not. Your storage provider bills egress and API requests, and a failed transfer that retries pays those charges twice.

Maccy: Does Maccy sync across devices?

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

Rclone: Can I use it as a backup tool?

It copies and syncs but does not do versioned incremental backup by default. Use it under a backup tool, or use its own crypt and backup-dir options deliberately.

Maccy: Is my clipboard data sent anywhere?

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

Rclone: Why is my Google Drive transfer so slow when my link is fast?

You are almost certainly rate limited on the shared OAuth client. Create your own client ID in Google Cloud Console and configure the remote to use it.

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