Tool profile
PastePal: cost, fit and limits
PastePal is a clipboard manager for Apple devices made by Indie Goodies LLC that shows copied items in a side window with rich previews for links, colors and code, and stores unlimited history built natively in Swift.
What to know first
PastePal is free to download and try, and a one-time premium upgrade of $14.99 gives lifetime access with free updates. The App Store build and the standalone Mac build differ, and the standalone Mac version has no iCloud sync or iPhone and iPad app. The home page promises no analytics and no data collection, which is the main privacy claim to weigh against the sync caveat. No AI feature is named.
PastePal at a glance
| Maker | Indie Goodies LLC (privacy and terms pages), Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $14.99 |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Clipboard Manager Apps in 2026, rank 6 of 13 |
| Website | indiegoodies.com/pastepal |
Who PastePal is best for
Visual scanners
Previews show a link's card, a color swatch or formatted code, so a person who recognizes items by sight finds them faster than in a plain text list.
Buyers who dislike subscriptions
The premium upgrade costs $14.99 once, and the vendor describes lifetime access with updates included, so there is no yearly renewal to track.
Heavy shortcut users
Cmd 1 to 9 paste the first nine clips, and the side window can sit on any screen edge, vertically or horizontally, to suit different monitor layouts.
PastePal plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Premium upgrade | $14.99 | One-time purchase with lifetime access and free updates. The free download lets you try the app, but pasting needs this upgrade. |
Checked November 2026.
What PastePal does
- Rich previews
- Links show their preview, colors show their swatch and code keeps its formatting, which makes the history readable at a glance without opening each item to check what it is.
- Side window
- A panel docks to any screen edge, vertical or horizontal, and holds the history for quick selection without covering the application you are working in, which helps on small laptop screens.
- Collections bar
- A bar along the bottom gives one-click access to saved groups, so frequently reused clips sit apart from the rolling history of recent copies and stay one click away.
- Unlimited history
- The history has no cap, with instant indexing and search, so old items remain findable. Cmd 1 to 9 paste the first nine clips straight away, and indexing happens instantly.
- Native build
- The app is built natively in Swift with AppKit, with no Catalyst, and the home page names more than 35 interface languages, so non-English speakers are covered.
How PastePal handles your data
PastePal's home page says clips stay on the user's own devices and that iCloud keeps Apple devices in sync, and it states 'No analytics and no data collection.' The privacy and terms pages name Indie Goodies LLC as the operator. The pages we read give no retention period, no statement about model training and no certification. The FAQ adds a key caveat: the standalone Mac version does not support iCloud sync across devices.
Where PastePal falls short in practice
- Two builds, different features. The App Store version and the standalone Mac version differ. The standalone Mac build has no iPhone or iPad app and no iCloud sync, per the FAQ.
- Free download is a trial. The free download is for trying the app, and pasting needs the premium upgrade, so budget the $14.99 if you intend to use it beyond a short test.
- No AI feature. The pages we read name no AI feature, so there are no paste suggestions or assistant connections to compare with Paste or Raycast, only the history itself.
Works with
Alternatives to PastePal
PastePal: common questions
How much is PastePal Premium?
The premium upgrade is a one-time $14.99 purchase with lifetime access and free updates, according to the vendor pages. The app is free to download and try, but the FAQ says pasting needs the upgrade. No subscription option was named on the pages we read.
Does PastePal sync with iCloud?
The home page says iCloud keeps Apple devices in sync. The FAQ adds that the standalone Mac version does not support iCloud sync across devices and does not include the iPhone or iPad app. Check which build you are buying before you count on sync.
Does PastePal collect analytics?
The home page says 'No analytics and no data collection.' Clips stay on the user's own devices, with iCloud used only to keep Apple devices in sync. The privacy page names Indie Goodies LLC, though it was not detailed on retention or training, and no certification was listed.
What does a PastePal preview show?
Links show their preview, colors show their swatch and code keeps its formatting. This lets you identify an item without pasting it. Plain text, images and other formats appear in the same side window, which can dock to any screen edge in a vertical or horizontal layout.
How many clips can PastePal store?
The vendor describes unlimited history with instant indexing and search, so no fixed cap is named. Cmd 1 to 9 paste the first nine clips. The pages we read do not describe a retention schedule, which means old items stay until you delete them.