Softwr

Utilities · head to head

BetterTouchTool vs Paste

BetterTouchTool logo

BetterTouchTool

Utilities

Mac gesture, shortcut and automation customisation tool sold as a one-time licence with a lifetime tier

From
$12/one-time
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

  • Each has a real cost: BetterTouchTool the preferences interface has hundreds of settings across many tabs, so getting one custom gesture working can take longer than with a dedicated single-purpose app.; 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: BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, Paste covers Clipboard history.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BetterTouchTool and Paste actually diverge.

Attributes where BetterTouchTool and Paste differ
AttributeBetterTouchToolPaste
Starting price$12/one-time$29.99/year
Pricing modelOne-time purchasePer user per month
PlatformsMacMac, iOS

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 BetterTouchTool

  • Gesture customisation
  • Keyboard shortcut remapping
  • Window snapping
  • Touch Bar customisation
  • Scripted actions
  • Floating menus and widgets

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.

BetterTouchTool

  • A power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific actionnot Paste
  • Someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviournot Paste
  • A user who wants window snapping bundled with much broader system customisation rather than a single-purpose appnot Paste
  • Someone already on a Setapp subscription who wants BetterTouchTool included rather than purchased separatelynot Paste

Paste

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

Where each one falls short

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

BetterTouchTool

  • The preferences interface has hundreds of settings across many tabs, so getting one custom gesture working can take longer than with a dedicated single-purpose app.
  • The Standard Licence stops receiving updates after two years unless renewed or upgraded to Lifetime, which is easy to miss and can leave a user on an outdated build.
  • It is Mac only, offering nothing for a Windows machine in a mixed household.
  • Because it can intercept almost any input, misconfiguration can make gestures or shortcuts behave unpredictably across different apps, which takes time to debug.
  • It overlaps in function with several single-purpose tools such as Rectangle for windows or Karabiner-Elements for key remapping, so a new user has to decide whether they want one broad tool or several focused ones.

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

BetterTouchTool

$12/one-time
  • Standard Licence$12/one-time
    • Free updates for two years
    • App keeps working on the last version after that
    • Single user licence
  • Lifetime Licence$24/one-time
    • Free updates for as long as the app exists
    • Single user licence
    • Also available bundled through Setapp

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 BetterTouchTool if

  • You need gesture customisation.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want keyboard shortcut remapping.
BetterTouchTool review

Choose Paste if

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

Questions people ask

Is BetterTouchTool or Paste better?
Neither clearly leads. BetterTouchTool starts at $12/one-time and Paste at $29.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or Paste?
BetterTouchTool starts at $12/one-time and Paste at $29.99/year.
Does BetterTouchTool or Paste run on more platforms?
BetterTouchTool runs on Mac. Paste runs on Mac, iOS.
What is BetterTouchTool best used for?
BetterTouchTool is most often used for a power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific action, someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviour, a user who wants window snapping bundled with much broader system customisation rather than a single-purpose app, someone already on a setapp subscription who wants bettertouchtool included rather than purchased separately. Of those, a power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific action and someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviour are not what Paste is typically brought in for.
What can BetterTouchTool do that Paste cannot?
BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, Keyboard shortcut remapping, Window snapping, Touch Bar customisation. Paste covers Clipboard history, iCloud sync, Pinboards, Rich content support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BetterTouchTool: Is BetterTouchTool a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase, either a Standard Licence with two years of updates or a Lifetime Licence with updates indefinitely.

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.

BetterTouchTool: Can I get it without buying it directly?

Yes, it is included in the Setapp subscription bundle alongside other Mac utilities.

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.

BetterTouchTool: Does it replace Rectangle or Karabiner-Elements?

It can cover much of what both do, since it includes window snapping and key remapping, but each of those apps is more focused on its single job.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on BetterTouchTool

More on Paste

Keep looking

Other head to heads