Cupola vs Paste: clipboard history, compared honestly
Updated October 20, 2026
Paste and Cupola both keep a history of what you copy, but they're built for different jobs. Paste is a dedicated clipboard app with unlimited history, pinboards, and sync across Mac, iPhone and iPad, sold as a subscription (or a lifetime option). Cupola is a $20 one-time app that puts your real Apple Calendar, Reminders and Notes in the notch, with a clipboard tab as one of five, not a standalone clipboard product. If you need your clipboard to follow you across every Apple device with pinboards for organizing snippets, Paste is built for exactly that. If you want a simpler clipboard history bundled with quick notch access to your calendar, reminders and notes, that's Cupola.
What each app actually is
Paste, from the makers at pasteapp.io, keeps a visual timeline of everything you copy, text, links, images, PDFs, files and rich content, with full-text search (including text recognized inside images), filters by content type, source app, device and date range, and "Pinboards" for organizing reusable snippets, templates and project material, including shared pinboards for collaborating with others. It syncs clipboard history and pinboards across Mac, iPhone and iPad via iCloud, supports a Paste Stack for pasting several items in sequence, Quick Look previews, and an "Intelligent Clipboard" feature on macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled. It's priced as a subscription ($3.99/month, or $29.99/year paid annually, about $2.49/month) with a one-time Lifetime option, plus Family (App Store only) and Teams plans.
Cupola is a native Mac app that puts your real Apple Calendar, Reminders and Notes, plus a clipboard tab and a Focus timer, in the MacBook notch (five tabs total), and opens into a full app window when you want more room. Its Clipboard tab remembers what you copy, text, links, images and files, keeping your newest 500 clips plus anything you pin, stored only on your Mac. Passwords from password managers are skipped automatically. You can filter by kind, search, edit a text clip or type a new one, pin clips into your own order, and select several clips at once to copy together, pin, unpin or delete them. It's a single $20 purchase with a 7-day free trial (no card) and a 14-day refund window.
Feature comparison
| Cupola | Paste | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Notch access to Apple Calendar, Reminders, Notes, a clipboard tab and a Focus timer | Dedicated cross-device clipboard manager and pinboard app |
| Price | $20 once, lifetime license | $3.99/month, or $29.99/year (about $2.49/mo paid annually); Lifetime one-time option also sold; Family and Teams plans available |
| Trial | 7 days, no card | 7 days, all features, no card required when downloaded directly |
| Where it lives | MacBook notch (five tabs) + full app window | Menu bar, with a full Mac window; also iPhone and iPad apps |
| Clipboard history limit | Last 500 clips kept, pinned ones never drop off | Unlimited history (Personal plans) |
| Content types kept | Text, links (with page preview), images, files | Text, links, images, PDFs, files, rich content |
| Cross-device sync | Not offered, local to this Mac only | Yes, via iCloud across Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Pinboards / shared collections | Not offered | Yes, including shared pinboards for collaborating with others |
| Passwords | Skipped automatically | Configurable exclusion of password managers / specific apps |
| Search | Yes, in-notch and in-app | Yes, including text recognized inside images |
| Pin items | Yes, with drag-to-reorder | Yes, via pinboards |
| Multi-select actions | Yes, select several clips, then Copy Together, Pin, Unpin or Delete at once | "Paste Stack" for pasting multiple items in sequence |
| AI-assisted suggestions | Not offered | "Intelligent Clipboard" on macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled |
| Calendar / Reminders / Notes | Yes, all three, synced with Apple's own apps | Not offered |
| Storage | Local only, on your Mac | Local, plus private iCloud when sync is enabled (not stored on Paste's servers) |
| Requirements | Apple silicon Mac, macOS 26 or later | macOS 14 or later |
| Install | One Terminal line or direct download | Mac App Store, direct download, or Setapp |
Prices above are as of October 2026 and can vary by region, taxes, and purchase channel.
Where Paste is the better choice
If you work across a Mac, iPhone and iPad and want the same clipboard history and organized pinboards on all three, Paste is built for exactly that; Cupola doesn't sync anything off your Mac at all. Paste's unlimited history, content-type/app/date filters, and shared pinboards are aimed at people who treat their clipboard as a serious part of their workflow (developers reusing snippets, designers collecting assets, teams sharing boilerplate). If those are the features you need, the subscription buys real capability Cupola doesn't attempt to match.
Where Cupola is the better choice
Cupola is the better pick if you don't need cross-device sync or pinboards and would rather pay once than keep a subscription running. Its clipboard tab covers the core moves, pin, search, filter by kind, edit, multi-select, skip passwords, and it comes bundled with your real Apple Calendar, Reminders and Notes in the same notch space, plus a Focus timer. If your clipboard needs are Mac-only and you'd rather have one $20 purchase than an ongoing bill, Cupola gets you clipboard history plus three more tools Paste doesn't offer.
Verdict
Pick Paste if you need clipboard history and pinboards synced across Mac, iPhone and iPad, and you're fine with a subscription (or its Lifetime option). Pick Cupola if your clipboard needs are Mac-only and you'd rather have calendar, reminders, notes, clipboard and a Focus timer together in the notch for a one-time $20. Try Cupola free for 7 days at /#get.
Sources
- Cupola:
cupola-landing/index.html(Clipboard Spotlight section, pricing, trial, refund, requirements),/tmp/cupola-seo/changelog.json(v1.13.0, v1.13.1) - Paste pricing page: pasteapp.io/pricing (Personal monthly/annual/lifetime pricing, Family and Teams plans, 7-day free trial terms, Setapp availability)
- Paste Teams pricing: pasteapp.io/teams ($26.99/user/year at 5 seats)
- Paste help, Paste on Mac: pasteapp.io/help/paste-on-mac (content types, sync, local/iCloud storage, privacy controls)
- Paste help, Intelligent Clipboard: pasteapp.io/help/intelligent-clipboard (macOS 26 / Apple Intelligence requirement)
- Paste download page: pasteapp.io/download (macOS 14+ requirement)
Give your notch something to do.
Try Cupola free for 7 days, then pay once ($20) to keep it.