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Utilities · head to head

Maccy vs WinDirStat

Maccy logo

Maccy

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-

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.; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: Maccy covers Clipboard history, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Maccy and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where Maccy and WinDirStat differ
AttributeMaccyWinDirStat
PlatformsMacWindows

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 WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

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 WinDirStat
  • Anyone who wants clipboard history but does not want their clipboard data touching any cloud servicenot WinDirStat
  • A user who tried Paste and does not need iPhone or iPad sync, only wants the Mac functionality for freenot WinDirStat
  • Someone installing via Homebrew who wants a minimal, single-purpose menu bar utilitynot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot Maccy
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot Maccy
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot Maccy
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot 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.

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Maccy

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

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

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.

Choose WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.

Questions people ask

Is Maccy or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. Maccy starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Maccy or WinDirStat?
Maccy starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does Maccy or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Maccy runs on Mac. WinDirStat runs on Windows.
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 WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can Maccy do that WinDirStat cannot?
Maccy covers Clipboard history, Keyboard navigation, Local-only storage, Password exclusion. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Maccy: Is Maccy free?

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

WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

Maccy: Does Maccy sync across devices?

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

WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

Maccy: Is my clipboard data sent anywhere?

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

WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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