️ Utilities (112) > SaneClip
Clipboard manager with Touch ID protection, AES-256-GCM encryption, and sensitive data detection.
🔐 SaneClip
The Only Clipboard Manager That Takes Privacy Seriously
Privacy-first clipboard history · On-device by default · No personal-content upload · Pro adds Touch ID + AES-256 encryption
⭐ Star this repo if you find it useful! · ⬇️ Download Free · 💰 Upgrade to Pro for $14.99 once
What's New • Features • Security • Automation •
🚨 The Problem
Most clipboard managers are security nightmares:
- ❌ Store your passwords, API keys, and credit cards in plaintext
- ❌ Send your clipboard data to the cloud
- ❌ Track everything you copy with analytics
- ❌ Let any app access your clipboard history without permission
You deserve better.
✅ The Solution
SaneClip is the first clipboard manager built with security as the foundation:
| Security Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| 🔒 AES-256-GCM Encryption (Pro) | Encrypts your clipboard history at rest. Even if malware accesses your disk, it can't read your clips. |
| 🔐 Touch ID History Lock (Pro) | Locks history behind biometrics. 30-second grace period means no repeated prompts. |
| 🛡️ Keychain Integration | All secrets (webhook keys, encryption keys) stored in macOS Keychain — never in JSON files. |
| 🚫 HTTPS Enforcement | Webhooks must use HTTPS (localhost exempt for testing). No accidental plaintext transmission. |
| ⚠️ URL Scheme Confirmation | Destructive commands (copy, paste, clear) require user approval. No silent data loss. |
| 📵 App Exclusions | Block 1Password, banking apps, or any sensitive app from clipboard capture entirely. |
| 🕵️ Sensitive Data Detection | Automatically flags credit cards, SSNs, API keys, passwords, private keys. |
On-device by default. Optional iCloud sync between your devices. No clipboard-content upload to SaneApps. A few simple anonymous app counts help us improve the app.
🆕 Current macOS Direct Download: v2.2.15
Current direct-download release (Apr 2026)
- ✅ Makes pinning free on Mac so Basic matches the App Store promise and the iPhone companion
- ✅ Clarifies Pro upgrade messaging around organization tools while keeping the advanced workflow layer in Pro
- ✅ Keeps the clipboard history popover pinned under the menu bar icon more reliably
- ✅ Improves the upgrade popup so license entry and dismissal behave cleanly
The prior 2.2.13 mobile follow-up restored the color-coded source indicators on iPhone and iPad and improved recovery for older Mac updater installs.
🧾 Free vs Pro (Current)
Free includes
- Clipboard history (last 50 items)
- Standard paste with original formatting
- Search and source-aware filtering
- Pin and unpin important clips
- Capture Screenshot into history
- Excluded apps and auto-delete controls
- Optional "open at mouse cursor" launch mode
- Free iPhone/iPad companion app with optional private iCloud sync
- On-device privacy defaults
Pro adds
- Unlimited history
- Touch ID history lock
- History encryption (AES-256-GCM)
- OCR Capture for text grabs and searchable screenshot sidecars
- Smart paste + plain text paste
- Text transforms
- Paste stack (FIFO/LIFO)
- Snippets with placeholders
- Titles, tags, collections, and item notes
- Clipboard rules
- Export and import
⚡️ Features
Keyboard-First Design
- ⌘⇧V — Open clipboard history
- ⌘⌃1-9 — Paste items 1-9 instantly
- ⌘⇧⌥V — Paste as plain text
- ⌘⌃V — Paste from stack (oldest or newest first — configurable in Settings)
- ↑↓ or j/k — Navigate through history
Smart Snippets
Create reusable text templates with dynamic placeholders:
Hello {{name}},
Thank you for your {{reason}}.
Today's date is {{date}}.
Best regards,
{{clipboard}}
Built-in placeholders:
{{name}}— Prompts for input when pasting{{date}}— Auto-fills current date{{time}}— Auto-fills current time{{clipboard}}— Current clipboard content
Text Transforms
Right-click any text item and choose "Paste As..." to transform before pasting:
| Transform | Description |
|---|---|
| UPPERCASE | Convert to all caps |
| lowercase | Convert to all lowercase |
| Title Case | Capitalize each word |
| Trimmed | Remove leading/trailing whitespace |
| Reverse Lines | Reverse order of lines |
| JSON Pretty Print | Format JSON with indentation |
| Strip HTML | Remove HTML tags, keep text |
| Markdown to Plain | Strip markdown formatting |
Clipboard Rules
Automatic processing applied to every copy:
- Strip URL Tracking — Removes utm_*, fbclid, gclid, etc.
- Auto-Trim Whitespace — Remove leading/trailing whitespace
- Lowercase URLs — Convert URLs to lowercase
- Normalize Line Endings — Convert to consistent line breaks
- Remove Duplicate Spaces — Collapse multiple spaces
Organization
- 📌 Pin Favorites — Keep frequently-used text always accessible
- 🔍 Instant Search — Filter by content, source app, or date
- 🎨 Source-Aware Colors — Every clip is color-coded by source app (Messages green, Safari blue, Mail red, and more)
- 📱 App Source Attribution — See which app each clip came from
- 🔄 Duplicate Detection — Identical clips automatically consolidate
- 📊 Paste Count Badges — Track how many times you've used each item
- ⏱️ Auto-Expire — Delete old items after 1h, 24h, 7d, or 30d
- 🖼️ Image Capture — Copies images too, not just text
macOS Widgets
Add SaneClip widgets to your desktop or Notification Center:
| Widget | Sizes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Clips | Small, Medium | Shows your 3-5 most recent clipboard items |
| Pinned Clips | Small, Medium | Quick access to your pinned favorites |
Data Management
- 📤 Export History — Export to JSON with timestamps and metadata
- 📥 Import History — Import previously exported history
- ⚙️ Settings Sync — Backup or transfer settings to another Mac
- 📊 Storage Stats — View detailed statistics about your clipboard
🤖 Automation
URL Scheme
Control SaneClip programmatically via saneclip:// URLs:
| URL | Action |
|---|---|
saneclip://paste?index=0 |
Paste item at index |
saneclip://search?q=keyword |
Open search with query |
saneclip://snippet?name=MySnippet |
Paste snippet by name |
saneclip://copy?text=Hello |
Copy text to clipboard |
saneclip://history |
Show history window |
saneclip://clear |
Clear history (with confirmation) |
Siri Shortcuts
SaneClip integrates with Shortcuts.app via App Intents:
- Get Clipboard History — Returns recent text items
- Paste Clipboard Item — Pastes item at specified index
- Search Clipboard — Search history and return matches
- Copy to SaneClip — Copy text to clipboard
- Clear Clipboard History — Clear all non-pinned items
- Paste Snippet — Paste a saved snippet by name
- List Snippets — Returns all snippet names
Webhooks
Send HTTP notifications when clipboard events occur with HMAC-SHA256 signatures and retry logic.
🔒 Security
SaneClip is privacy-first:
- ✅ 100% On-Device by Default — Your clipboard history stays on your Mac
- ✅ Optional iCloud Sync — Syncs only between your own devices if you turn it on
- ✅ No Personal-Content Upload — Clipboard contents are not sent to SaneApps servers
- ✅ 100% Transparent Code — Verify yourself at github.com/sane-apps/SaneClip
- ✅ PolyForm Shield License — Community-auditable, source-available
Sensitive Data Detection:
- Credit cards (Luhn algorithm validation)
- Social Security Numbers
- API keys (OpenAI, AWS, GitHub, Slack, Stripe, Google, etc.)
- Passwords and private keys (SSH, PGP/GPG)
- Email addresses
Auto-Purge Rules: Configure automatic deletion of sensitive items after 1 minute, 5 minutes, or 1 hour.
See PRIVACY.md and SECURITY.md for full details.
📦 Installation
SaneClip Basic is $0. Clipboard history, search, pinning, screenshots, private defaults, and the free iPhone/iPad companion app are included.
Mac Pro is a one-time unlock. The iPhone/iPad companion remains a separate free App Store download that uses your iCloud account for sync.
Want more? Upgrade to Pro ($14.99 once) for OCR capture, unlimited history, Touch ID lock, encryption-at-rest, smarter paste, snippets, and advanced rules.
Install
# Homebrew (optional)
brew install --cask sane-apps/tap/saneclip
# Already use Homebrew and want it to manage an existing install:
brew install --cask --adopt sane-apps/tap/saneclip
Or download directly · or build from source
The direct download is the canonical Mac release channel and updates itself automatically via Sparkle. brew upgrade works too if you choose the Homebrew cask.
Requirements
macOS App:
- macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later
- Apple Silicon Mac (M1+)
iOS Companion App:
- iOS 18.0 or later
- iPhone or iPad
🛠️ Development
Cloning without starring? For real? ⭐ Star it first. Help others discover quality software.
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/sane-apps/SaneClip.git
cd SaneClip
# Build + test (preferred)
./scripts/SaneMaster.rb verify
# Launch
./scripts/SaneMaster.rb launch
SaneMaster runs XcodeGen when needed; only run xcodegen generate manually if you add files and want to refresh immediately.
See DEVELOPMENT.md for detailed setup and CONTRIBUTING.md for coding standards.
🤝 Contributing
Before opening a PR:
- ⭐ Star the repo (if you haven't already)
- Read CONTRIBUTING.md
- Open an issue first to discuss major changes
Building from source? Consider buying the app to support continued development.
📚 Documentation
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| README.md | Product overview and doc map |
| ARCHITECTURE.md | System design and major data flows |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | How to contribute |
| DEVELOPMENT.md | Development setup and guidelines |
| SECURITY.md | Security policy |
| PRIVACY.md | Privacy practices |
docs/ |
Public website and guide pages |
💬 Support
Crypto Donations
| Currency | Address |
|---|---|
| BTC | 3Go9nJu3dj2qaa4EAYXrTsTf5AnhcrPQke |
| SOL | FBvU83GUmwEYk3HMwZh3GBorGvrVVWSPb8VLCKeLiWZZ |
| ZEC | t1PaQ7LSoRDVvXLaQTWmy5tKUAiKxuE9hBN |
🌟 Why Choose SaneClip?
| Other Clipboard Managers | SaneClip |
|---|---|
| ❌ Plaintext storage | ✅ AES-256-GCM encryption |
| ❌ Third-party cloud sync | ✅ Optional private iCloud sync between your devices only |
| ❌ Personal-content upload | ✅ Your clipboard contents stay on your Mac |
| ❌ Closed source | ✅ 100% Transparent Code (PolyForm Shield) |
| ❌ Subscription pricing | ✅ $14.99 one-time, free updates |
| ❌ No Touch ID protection | ✅ Biometric locks with grace period |
| ❌ No sensitive data detection | ✅ Auto-flags credit cards, API keys, SSNs |
💡 Found a Bug? Want a Feature?
⭐ Star the repo first — Then open an issue. Stars help us prioritize which projects get the most attention.
Cloning without starring? For real bro? Gimme that star!
📦 Distribution Versions
SaneClip is available in two versions with different capabilities:
| Feature | Direct Download | Mac App Store |
|---|---|---|
| Clipboard History & Search | ✅ | ✅ |
| AES-256-GCM Encryption | ✅ Pro | ✅ Pro |
| Touch ID Protection | ✅ Pro | ✅ Pro |
| Sensitive Data Detection | ✅ | ✅ |
| Snippets & Text Transforms | ✅ | ✅ |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Siri Shortcuts & Widgets | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto-Paste into apps | ✅ One-click paste | ❌ Copies to clipboard; press Cmd+V to paste |
| Automatic Updates | ✅ Built-in auto-updater | ✅ Via App Store |
| iCloud Sync | ✅ | ✅ |
Why the difference? The Mac App Store version runs in Apple's sandbox, which blocks simulated keyboard events (used for auto-paste). Instead, the App Store version copies items to your clipboard and shows a notification — just press Cmd+V to paste. All other features work identically.
Direct download: Free Basic at saneclip.com/download · Upgrade to Pro for $14.99 once — includes Sparkle auto-updates.
📱 iOS Companion App (Free)
Your clipboard history, on your iPhone and iPad. Free with SaneClip for Mac.
- History Tab — Browse recent clips with source-aware colors, tap-to-copy, and haptic feedback
- Pinned Tab — Quick access to your favorites
- Detail View — Full content preview with selectable text, tappable URLs, and image rendering
- Siri Shortcuts — "Get recent clips", "Search clips", "Copy last clip" via Shortcuts app
- Share Extension — Save text and URLs to SaneClip from any app's share sheet
- iOS Widgets — Recent and Pinned clips for Home Screen and Lock Screen
- iCloud Sync — Keep your clipboard in sync across all your devices via CKSyncEngine
🏆 Compare SaneClip
Looking at alternatives? Here's how SaneClip stacks up:
| Feature | SaneClip | Paste | Maccy | Pastebot | CopyClip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-256 Encryption | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Touch ID Protection | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Sensitive Data Detection | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Password Manager Safety | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Clipboard Rules | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Webhooks & URL Schemes | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Siri Shortcuts & Widgets | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| App Exclusions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Source App Colors | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Text Transforms | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Paste Stack | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Snippets & Placeholders | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| iOS Companion App | ✅ Free | ✅ Paid | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| iCloud Sync | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 100% Transparent Code | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 100% Private | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price | $14.99 | $30/yr | Free | $13 | Free |
Bottom line: SaneClip combines strong privacy controls, automation, OCR capture, and a free companion app in a way the usual clipboard managers still do not.
📝 License
PolyForm Shield 1.0.0 — free for any use except building a competing product. See LICENSE for details.
Made with ❤️ in 🇺🇸 by Mr. Sane
Not fear, but power, love, sound mind — 2 Timothy 1:7
Third-Party Notices
Third-party open-source attributions are documented in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.
Become a Contributor (Even if You Don't Code)
Are you tired of waiting on the dev to get around to fixing your problem?
Do you have a great idea that could help everyone in the community, but think you can't do anything about it because you're not a coder?
Good news: you actually can.
Copy and paste this into Claude or Codex, then describe your bug or idea:
I want to contribute to this repo, but I'm not a coder.
Repository:
https://github.com/sane-apps/SaneClip
Bug or idea:
[Describe your bug or idea here in plain English]
Please do this for me:
1) Understand and reproduce the issue (or understand the feature request).
2) Make the smallest safe fix.
3) Open a pull request to https://github.com/sane-apps/SaneClip
4) Give me the pull request link.
5) Open a GitHub issue in https://github.com/sane-apps/SaneClip/issues/new?template=bug_report.md that includes:
- the pull request link
- a short summary of what changed and why
6) Also give me the exact issue link.
Important:
- Keep it focused on this one issue/idea.
- Do not make unrelated changes.
If needed, you can also just email the pull request link to hi@saneapps.com.
I review and test every pull request before merge.
If your PR is merged, I will publicly give you credit, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you helped ship a fix for everyone.