Raycast Clipboard History on Windows vs a Clipboard App

Yes, Raycast for Windows has clipboard history. It's one command inside the Raycast launcher: you open it from Raycast's search, find something you copied earlier, and paste it into the active app. If you already use Raycast as your launcher, that's usually all the clipboard history you need. If you don't, installing a whole launcher just for clipboard history is a big change, and a dedicated app such as Ditto (free, keyboard-first) or Edge Drop (free, drag-and-drop) is the simpler choice.

Edge Drop is made by the team behind this site, so it's described below with its limits as well as its strengths.

What Raycast for Windows includes

Raycast's Windows page describes clipboard history as access to "everything you've previously copied", pasted into the active app. It sits next to the launcher's other built-in features: app launching, file search, snippets, quicklinks, a calculator, emoji and symbols, window management, notes, AI chat and an extension store.

Key facts from the Windows page, as of October 2026:

• Price: free to download and use. Raycast also sells paid plans; see its pricing page for what they add.
• Requirements: Windows 10 version 21H2 or later, or Windows 11.
• Install: Microsoft Store, winget install raycast, or a direct download from raycast.com.
• Offline: most core features work offline; AI and the upcoming Cloud Sync need a connection.
• Feature parity: Raycast says it's still bringing macOS features to Windows, and Cloud Sync is listed as coming.

What Raycast's clipboard history does on macOS

Raycast's detailed manual is written mainly for the Mac version, so treat it as a guide to where the Windows feature is heading rather than a description of it. On macOS, the manual says Clipboard History:

• stores text, images, files, links, emails and colours,
• lets you filter by type and search entries,
• keeps history for a period you choose, from 1 day to 3 months on the free plan (longer periods need Pro),
• skips apps on a Disabled Applications list, so you can exclude password managers, and
• can paste items in sequence or as plain text.

Open Clipboard History in your Windows build and check which of these settings are there before you rely on them.

Raycast vs a dedicated clipboard app

When Raycast's clipboard history is enough

• You already open Raycast many times a day.
• You mostly copy text and links, and you retrieve them by typing.
• You'd use its snippets too, so you don't need a separate text expander.
• You don't want another app running in the tray.

In that case, assign a hotkey to Clipboard History in Raycast's settings and don't add a second clipboard manager. Running two recorders means every copy, including passwords, is stored twice; can you run two clipboard tools at once? covers what to switch off.

When a dedicated app is the better choice

• You don't want a launcher. Raycast replaces your Start-menu habits and adds AI and an extension store. That's worth it if you want those things, not just to see old copies.
• You want a long, searchable archive without an account. Ditto keeps history in a local database, has no login, cloud or telemetry, and opens with Ctrl+`. When to choose Ditto over other managers goes further.
• You move images and files by dragging. Edge Drop keeps screenshots and Explorer-copied files as cards on a shelf at the screen edge, and you can drag them into Explorer, chat or design apps. Text and link cards are click-to-paste only.
• You want a tool that does one thing. A launcher's clipboard view competes with everything else in that window.

Edge Drop has its own limits: it runs on Windows 10 and 11 (x64) only, and has no sync, snippets or scripting. If you search old text far more than you reuse images, Ditto is the closer fit. Edge Drop vs Ditto compares the two directly.

What to check before replacing your clipboard manager with Raycast

Raycast's Windows version is still gaining features, so test it with your own copies before uninstalling anything:

1. Open Clipboard History from Raycast and check whether it's on by default.
2. Look for a retention setting and set it as short as your work allows.
3. Look for a way to exclude apps, and add your password manager.
4. Copy a large screenshot, several files in Explorer, and a password from your password manager's copy button.
5. Open Clipboard History and check what was stored, how files appear, and whether the password was skipped.
6. Assign a hotkey that opens Clipboard History directly.

If the results match what you need, uninstall the old manager or switch off its capture. If they don't, keep Raycast as a launcher and leave clipboard history to a dedicated app.

If you're coming from a Mac

Raycast, Paste and Maccy users often look for the same experience on Windows. Raycast is the only one of the three with a Windows version: Paste is for Mac, iPhone and iPad, and Maccy is macOS-only. Paste, Maccy and Raycast alternatives for Windows maps each to its closest Windows equivalent, and how the Mac and Windows clipboards differ covers the built-in side.

FAQ

Does Raycast work on Windows?

Yes. Raycast offers a free Windows version through the Microsoft Store, winget and its website. It needs Windows 10 version 21H2 or later, or Windows 11.

Is Raycast clipboard history free?

Clipboard history is part of the free download. On macOS, keeping history longer than 3 months needs Pro; check your Windows build for its retention options.

Is Raycast better than Win+V?

It adds search and longer history than Win+V's 25 items, which are cleared on restart unless pinned. If you only reuse a few items a day, Windows clipboard history is already installed and may be enough.

Related reading

• Paste, Maccy & Raycast Alternatives for Windows (2026)
• Best Clipboard Managers for Windows in 2026: 8 Compared
• Edge Drop vs Ditto: Visual Shelf or Searchable History?
• Can You Run Two Clipboard Managers at Once?

Sources

• Raycast for Windows — Windows features, requirements, install options, offline use and Cloud Sync status.
• Raycast Clipboard History manual — content types, retention, Disabled Applications (macOS-focused).
• Ditto website — default hotkey; no login, cloud or telemetry.
• Paste and Maccy — supported platforms.
• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — Win+V limits and restart behaviour.

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