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Utilities · head to head

Find My vs Paste

Find My logo

Find My

Utilities

Apple's built-in app for locating devices, AirTags and shared people locations

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 Find My has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Find My it only works within Apple's own device and accessory ecosystem, so it cannot locate Android phones or non-Apple trackers.; 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: Find My covers Device location, Paste covers Clipboard history.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Find My and Paste actually diverge.

Attributes where Find My and Paste differ
AttributeFind MyPaste
Starting priceFree$29.99/year
Pricing modelFree, built into Apple hardware and iCloudPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, macOSMac, 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 Find My

  • Device location
  • Lost Mode and remote erase
  • AirTag and Find My network tracking
  • People sharing
  • Unknown tracker alerts
  • Offline finding

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.

Find My

  • Locating a lost or stolen iPhone, iPad or Mac and remotely locking or erasing itnot Paste
  • Tracking an AirTag attached to keys, a bag or luggagenot Paste
  • Sharing live location with family members who have mutually agreed to share backnot Paste
  • Getting an alert if an unknown tracker appears to be travelling with you unexpectedlynot Paste

Paste

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

Where each one falls short

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

Find My

  • It only works within Apple's own device and accessory ecosystem, so it cannot locate Android phones or non-Apple trackers.
  • People location sharing requires both parties to have Apple devices and an iCloud account, which limits it in mixed-platform families or groups.
  • AirTags and the Find My network have been documented as a stalking tool when hidden on a person or vehicle without their knowledge, and while Apple has added unknown-tracker alerts, the underlying misuse risk is real and has prompted lawsuits and product changes over time.
  • Remote erase on a lost device is permanent and cannot be undone if the device is later recovered, so users need to be certain before using it.
  • It depends on other nearby Apple devices for offline location via the Find My network, so location accuracy in areas with few Apple device users nearby can be poor.

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

Find My

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Included with every Apple device and iCloud account
    • No subscription tier

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 Find My if

  • You need device location.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, macOS.
  • You also want lost mode and remote erase.
Find My review

Choose Paste if

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

Questions people ask

Is Find My or Paste better?
Neither clearly leads. Find My 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, Find My or Paste?
Find My has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Find My and $29.99/year for Paste.
Does Find My or Paste run on more platforms?
Find My runs on iOS, macOS. Paste runs on Mac, iOS.
Can I use Find My for free?
Yes. Find My has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paste starts at $29.99/year.
What is Find My best used for?
Find My is most often used for locating a lost or stolen iphone, ipad or mac and remotely locking or erasing it, tracking an airtag attached to keys, a bag or luggage, sharing live location with family members who have mutually agreed to share back, getting an alert if an unknown tracker appears to be travelling with you unexpectedly. Of those, locating a lost or stolen iphone, ipad or mac and remotely locking or erasing it and tracking an airtag attached to keys, a bag or luggage are not what Paste is typically brought in for.
What can Find My do that Paste cannot?
Find My covers Device location, Lost Mode and remote erase, AirTag and Find My network tracking, People sharing. Paste covers Clipboard history, iCloud sync, Pinboards, Rich content support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Find My: Does Find My cost anything?

No, it is free and built into every Apple device with an iCloud account.

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.

Find My: Can someone track my location without my consent?

Not through the People feature, which requires mutual opt-in, though hidden AirTags placed without consent are a documented separate misuse case Apple has added alerts to detect.

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.

Find My: Is this the same as Find My Kids?

No, Find My Kids is an unrelated third party family location tracking app, not made by Apple.

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.

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