Best Mac launchers with clipboard history in 2026: Spotlight, Raycast, Alfred, Everpaper

A launcher is a text box you reach with one shortcut. Clipboard history is the feature people add one for, so it is the axis here: how long copies are kept, what it skips, and what it costs.

Quick comparison

Spotlight

On macOS Tahoe 26 you open Spotlight with Command-Space and press Command-4, or click the Clipboard button beside the search field. The first time, macOS asks if you want clipboard results. Apple notes that sensitive information may show up on the clipboard and gives a Clear History command under More. It costs nothing and there is nothing to install.

Raycast

Raycast’s Free plan includes Clipboard History, Quicklinks, Calculator, Snippets and Window Management. Free keeps 3 months of clipboard history, and Pro and above keep unlimited history. Pro is $10 a month or $96 a year and includes 500 AI credits a month, Plus is $20 or $192 with 3,000, Max is $50 or $480 with 7,500. AI is not part of the Free plan.

Alfred

Alfred’s Powerpack is a one-time purchase, and its page lists clipboard history under the features that save text, images and files. The page links to a separate license page for exactly which features need the Powerpack, so check that before you buy.

Everpaper

Everpaper is our product, and its launcher is one part of a memory app. Press ⌥Space anywhere and type. It finds apps, Settings panes, commands, files and what is inside them, images, a quick calculation, and everything Everpaper remembers: past moments, meetings and screen history. When nothing matches, it offers a web search.

Clipboard history is on by default. It keeps copies for 7 days, stays on your Mac, and skips passwords that apps mark as secret, private windows it can detect, and the apps and sites you skip. Everpaper tells you once and lets you turn it off then or later in Settings. The shortcut can be changed in Settings.

Limits: it needs macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon, it is in private beta with no public price, and it is not a standalone launcher you can buy. If you want snippets, window management or a large extension store, Raycast and Alfred are further along.

How to choose

1. You want nothing to install: Spotlight on Tahoe.
2. You want clipboard history beyond 3 months and extensions: Raycast Pro.
3. You prefer a one-time license: Alfred, after reading what the Powerpack covers.
4. You want one box for your files, clipboard and the things you saw and heard: Everpaper.

Apply for the Everpaper private beta.

Frequently asked questions

Does Spotlight have clipboard history?

Yes, on macOS Tahoe 26. Open Spotlight with Command-Space, then press Command-4 or click the Clipboard button next to the search field. The first time, macOS asks whether to allow clipboard results. Apple warns that sensitive information may appear on the clipboard, and you can clear the history from the More button.

Is Raycast clipboard history free?

Yes, with a limit. The Free plan includes Clipboard History with 3 months of history. Pro, Plus and Max keep it unlimited.

How much does Raycast cost?

Free is $0. Pro is $10 a month or $96 a year with 500 AI credits a month, Plus is $20 or $192 with 3,000, and Max is $50 or $480 with 7,500. AI is included only in the paid plans.

What does Everpaper's launcher do with the clipboard?

Clipboard history is on by default, keeps copies for 7 days, stays on the Mac, and skips passwords that apps mark as secret, private windows it can detect, and the apps and sites you skip. Everpaper tells you once and lets you turn it off on the spot or later in Settings.

Can a launcher search my files and screenshots?

Everpaper's launcher finds files and what is inside them, images, and everything Everpaper remembers, including meetings and screen history.

Sources

1. Apple Support: search your clipboard history in Spotlight
2. Raycast pricing
3. Alfred Powerpack
4. Everpaper release notes, 2.0.0-b101