Clypy vs CopyQ: build your clipboard, or install one
CopyQ is the clipboard manager for people who want to script their clipboard. It is free, open source, and runs on all three desktop platforms. Clypy trades that scriptability for encrypted sync and apps for your phone.
- Tabs to organise history however you like
- Custom commands, run automatically or from a menu
- A scripting engine for automatic transforms
- Windows, macOS and Linux, all free
CopyQ is unusually powerful
Getting a clip onto your second device
- Install CopyQ on each desktop.
- Point its storage at a folder a sync service shares.
- Clips sit in that folder in a form the sync service can read.
- Phones are out of reach: CopyQ is desktop-only.
- 1Install Clypy on each device, phones included.
- 2Pair them by scanning a QR code.
- 3Every clip is encrypted on the device that copied it.
- 4Paste on the phone from the Clypy keyboard, in any app.
If you script your clipboard, stay with CopyQ
Clypy vs CopyQ, line by line
| Feature | Clypy | CopyQ |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, macOS, Linux | ||
| iOS & Android | ||
| Open source | ||
| Price | Free, or $29.99 once for Pro | Free |
| Scripting & custom commands | ||
| Built-in encrypted sync | ||
| Send files between devices | On your network, end-to-end encrypted | |
| Search by meaning | Semantic, on-device | Text match |
| OCR on screenshots | ||
| Templates with fill-in fields |
Which one should you use?
You want to script your clipboard, you want open source, you are desktop-only, and you would rather configure than be given defaults.
CopyQ's siteWhat CopyQ users ask
Can Clypy do scripted transformations like CopyQ?
No. Clypy has templates with fill-in fields, which can be limited to the apps you choose, and a command-line tool with fixed transforms, but there is no scripting engine. If automation is the reason you use CopyQ, Clypy will not replace it.
Does Clypy run on Linux as well as CopyQ?
Clypy ships .deb packages for Ubuntu and Debian, .rpm packages for Fedora and RHEL, and an AppImage for other distributions, all on x64, with full support on X11 and Wayland-aware fallbacks. CopyQ has broader distribution coverage and longer Linux history.
Is there a way to get CopyQ clips onto a phone?
Not natively. That gap is most of the reason people look at Clypy after using CopyQ.