If you’re looking for something more advanced with your clipboard, there are a variety of free clipboard managers available. These give you far more control than your standard copy and paste.
1. Clip Angel
If you find yourself copying different kinds of media as you work, Clip Angel is a great choice. It watches your clipboard as you use it and stores a history of each item you copy, from text to folders to URLs. What makes it particularly useful are the little icons beside each icon. At a glance, you can tell the difference between a picture and text, for example. It even lets you know where each of these copied items comes from when you click each entry so that you can figure out what came from where. To paste something, simply double-click it on the list. This includes files and folders which can be placed within a folder you’re currently exploring.
2. Ditto
Ditto is a clipboard manager that supports many different types of files. It is a single interface that truncates copied items into rows. You are only able to import files that were created in the system. When you hit “copy + paste,” it automatically saves in the program. As with the previous tool, Ditto allows you to create groupings of clips. One great thing about Ditto is that you are able to share clips between different systems. You just need to add the system information in the Friends tab. Ditto even provides statistics that helps you understand how you are using the Clipboard Manager. Ditto is no doubt a robust clipboard manager. It’s easy to navigate and use and even has a portable version so you can use it on any computer without installing it.
3. ClipClip
ClipClip packs a surprising number of features into a tiny package in this free clipboard manager. In addition to managing clips, it also has a built-in screen capture and recording function. This is ideal for capturing quick screenshots – with an adjustable window of what to capture – and creating short desktop or app tutorials. Easily sort clips by date, type, context, and content. You can even pin or save clips to use later. Set keyboard shortcuts to paste your favorites with ease. The interface may make it a favorite for many users, especially since it’s simple, clean, and modern.
4. Clipboard Fusion
Clipboard Fusion is a free manager that comes with a 30-day trial of its Pro version. As a manager, it comes with many options. This includes hotkeys and macros, and those who opt for the Pro version get access to online syncing between devices. At a base level, it can list the things you’ve copied so far. This can be seen by clicking on “Clipboard Manager” in the settings, followed by “Open Clipboard Manager.” If you’re a programming wizard, you may enjoy the C# macros you can make with Fusion. There’s even a database of premade user macros to select from in case you don’t feel like reinventing the wheel!
5. Clipdiary
Clipdiary would rate higher on the list, but you will need to register for a free license to use it longer than 60 days. However, it’s one of the more simple, yet highly effective, free clipboard managers. It works with most content types and continues to hold on to clips until you manually clear them out. That’s both a good and bad thing since you’ll need to keep your old clips cleared out to avoid a chaotic clipboard manager. You have to clear Windows’s clipboard history, too. Save individual clips or snippets. Organize both in a simple hierarchy style. The snippets feature alone makes it well worth checking out, especially for free. You can only use it for personal or nonprofit use. If it’s business related, income can’t exceed $1,500 per month.
6. Clipboard Master
Clipboard Master comes with multiple tools in one. This helps make it a favorite for many users among the various free clipboard managers. It’s a little tricky to work with at first, but once you go through all the settings, you’ll find it’s a highly robust tool that does far more than just manage clips. You can even manage your passwords, letters, emails, and more. There’s a built-in screenshot tool and steps recorder for recording tutorials. Create collections and filter your clips by type. Hotkeys help you manage your clips even when the manager’s not open on your screen. If you’re looking for even more advanced options, this may be the perfect option to try.
Controlling the Clipboard
While Windows’s default copy-paste function does a good job, it’s lacking for people who want more functionality. Become a true copy and paste master with one of the freebies above. If you are looking for a powerful clipboard manager that you can use on different operating systems, check out CopyQ.
