Clipboard managers make information technology much easier to re-introduce school tex or anything else that you've recently copied and pasted, adding an array of parvenu capabilities to the default Windows clipboard. Although they differ in features, the typical clipboard manager automatically saves text, images and other items as they are copied to your clipboard, displaying them in a name-panach GUI that makes it simple to re-copy Oregon paste something later.

Once you're used to relying on a clipboard manager, it works out similarly as how you become more efficient with triple monitors or virtual desktops. In this case, knowing you can copy several items before moving along to where you want to paste, performing several copy processes at once lets you save prison term and clicks, without having to go back and off between windows or applications.

We've been fans of Flycut (free) and Spread (paid) on macOS and like how orderly their interface is, especially its hotkeyable overlays which show a clean list of your clipboard history and an editable text field if you want to spend a penny some changes. We went impermissible looking a similar tool that runs on Windows with a similarly polished interface (that look in particular was ambitious to witness on Windows apps unfortunately) and useful configuration options that don't get ahead overboard -- essentially something that "precisely industrial plant" without getting in the style.

Features such as automatically excluding passwords from the clipboard history and ignoring duplicate entries are a nice bonus with Flycut, just aren't available in all clipboard manager, so we'll be taking those types of extras into thoughtfulness passim testing and as we make our picks...

The best Windows clipboard managers

ClipClip

Our first pick for having the well-nig straightforward interface that is responsive and provides just enough functionality. ClipClip is as wel one of the most modern looking options we could find. Like most other managers it lets you assign a hotkey (defaults to Ctrl + Sack + V) which then displays a small overlay with your last copied items. You can browse this heel with the arrow keys and configure how some items and how so much selective information you want to see (file size of it, type, etc.) The inclination is also searchable (going back hundreds of clips if you configure information technology to).

ClipClip also lets you ignore certain type of items (images Oregon files) based on size, for example to ignore images that are over 5MB. In that location are configurable hotkeys for pasting with and without formatting and the overlay also lets you edit text on the vaporize. We wishing we could configure arrow keys equally the Paste menu hotkey, so browsing between clips would be more seamless, but this seems to embody a limitation that affects all some other apps. Thanks to its muddle-free UI and straightforward operation, we give ClipClip the top recommendation for most users.

Ditto mark

Using Ditto is meant to glucinium a straightforward affair though the wealth of options available and old school UI may turning bump off galore. Ditto works by right clicking the system of rules tray icon which opens a context of use menu with options, while left clicking icon launches your clipboard story, which can also be staring with a keyboard shortcut of your choosing (Ctrl + ` by default).

You can interact with the clipboard history in a variety of ways: double clicking an item on the list bequeath stimulate it automatically copied and/or affixed depending on whether you bear a text edition theatre selected in the background.

You can perform the same carry out by tapping a number on your keyboard that corresponds to an item happening the list, while right clicking something in your clipboard history provides a greater rove of options such as the ability to open the item in a copy editor or paste information technology with special character data formatting (completely caps or all lower case for instance). Of note, although the software detects duplicate entries, if two school tex entries are copied with different attributes such atomic number 3 ii unlike types of fonts and so they will appear as separate entries.

Although it doesn't automatically exclude passwords, if you use votive password direction software such as Keepass then you bathroom have Ditto exclude anything copied to the clipboard from that covering and this is likewise provided by many of the other tools mentioned in this article.

Overall, it doesn't look like any Major lineament is missing from Ditto except perhaps a more intuitive interface and more than accessible form panel. Thumbnail or ikon previews for files instead of only displaying the directory text could be another potential addition though for those who prefer simplistic interfaces, thumbnails wouldn't look as clean.

ClipboardFusion

At first installs with a trial of the In favor version which is downgraded to the free copy after 30 days but retains most of the effect features assuming you don't care about the company's online offerings so much as clipboard syncing. This one is worth trying if you like how polished Ditto is but wish IT had a more fully featured port and options such as macros.

Heading to Settings > Hotkeys > Show History Bill of fare and applying a shortcut such as Ctrl + ` bequeath toggle your clipboard history in a compact heel just like Ditto. Incidentally, so will "Show History Menu," although when we tested this option it seemed to motorcar-close the history after lease the hotkey go. This can be annoying ab initio, but if you suppress material possession one key the number remains open for you to hover over an point with your sneak out and that item is automatically pasted as the list closes when you let the key conk out.

Also good

CLCL

Not quite as modern looking as Ditto but similarly straightforward functionality and may eve be preferred by power users for its antediluvian school simplicity and the amount of info displayed. Larboard clicking CLCL's arrangement tray picture opens a compact number containing your clipboard history while right clicking opens the chronicle in an explorer elan window with full details about each entry and you can edit an item with one click (click indefinite in the left-hand column). This tool doesn't have quite an the refine or feature set Eastern Samoa the other two only you can set a custom-built hotkey for introduction both menus.

1Clipboard

1Clipboard arguably looks flat wagerer than ClipClip, but it lacks more basic customization options that the former provides without getting into interwoven territory like Ditto. Like many else clipboard managers, 1Clipboard's spread menu shows up as a sidebar and not as an overlay at the cursor location, and its interface Crataegus laevigata be the best of all apps we dependable, showing image thumbnails and other items in a same clean fashion.

Ultimately what turned us outside from 1Clipboard is that it's not arsenic keyboard shortcut friendly as we expect. Summoning the paste menu results in the user having to enter a number or selecting what nip off to replicate. Using the arrow keys to defecate your selection is erratic, which is not helped by the fact that 1Clipboard volition not automatically paste the item in your running windowpane, which we found unquiet for our work flow.

ClipX

Similar old shoal interface as CLCL but strips IT down to the essentials. Doesn't have a ton of form options and it won't auto-exclude duplicate entries to the running list of protected clips just it is surprisingly seamless to use once you head to Configure > Hotkeys and set a keyboard shortcut for "Spread Carte du jour (Primary)" besides as "Manage" (we used Ctrl + ` and Ctrl + Alt + `).

Alternatives with some caveats

M8 Free Clipboard - Dated, semi-clunky interface (particularly the options carte) and doesn't have features such as detecting duplicate items or many options for hotkeys. However, the software is seamless with the way it shows the full clipboard entry in a pop-fly window A you vacillate, and you can tap a single of import to begin editing the item.

ArsClip - Similar drawbacks here: the interface isn't as clean as the tools mentioned above and in fact we rule the clipboard story difficult to read. It could use better spacing and/or less clutter, not to mention that it doesn't auto-blue-pencil duplicates etc. Nevertheless, the software does what it claims if you'rhenium interested in this tool concluded the others for some reason.

More alternatives with straight more caveats

ClipboardMaster - Has features such as an integrated screenshot tool, password manager and a list of prewritten letter closings (Warm regards etc.) but falls short on some basic interface functionality in our opinion. For instance, both the left and right mouse button execute the same action when clicking the arrangement tray icon -- they both open the same options computer menu instead of one of them being victimised to open your clipboard chronicle. However, you can set your clipboard account to open with a hotkey as we described in the intro and you can edit these entries within a click or two from there, so total this software fits our needs, although information technology's bulkier than necessary and not as seamless As information technology could personify.

Clipboard Assistant - Our evaluation of this software complete upon seeing its irresistible/antediluvian user interface and errors on launching -- the opposite of a tool that "just plant".

Clip Plus - Instead of having compact menus, this instrument runs entirely in a wide-cut screen window, albeit uncomparable that is much more organized and modern looking than Clipboard Assistant. While we could see how some users might prefer a single-window solution, Clip Plus doesn't put up the level of functionality we'd expect from a clipboard manager, lacking hotkey settings for instance and other features that are available gratis in Ditto and others, whereas Clip Plus costs $12 afterwards 30 days.

And a barebones bonus...

As a final mention, ClipCube may be of matter to if you want a barebones tool that only records text from your clipboard, runs in a single emulator-esque window that closes to your system tray and has just nonpareil page of options. However, it's lightweight and works wellspring atomic number 3 a basic clipboard director if you aren't look for bells and whistles merely simply want a running account of the text from your Windows clipboard.

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