Clipboard Managers on the Microsoft Store vs GitHub

Several well-known clipboard tools are on the Microsoft Store, including Ditto, Edge Drop and Microsoft's own PowerToys (for Advanced Paste). Others, such as CopyQ and EcoPaste, are distributed through GitHub and package managers instead. When an app is offered both ways, it's usually the same program: the Store version updates through the Store, and the GitHub version updates itself or by hand. Neither channel is a security audit, so check the publisher and the project before you install anything that can read everything you copy.

Edge Drop is made by the team behind this site; it's listed here alongside the other open-source options.

Which clipboard tools are on the Microsoft Store?

"Not listed by the project" means the project's own site and README don't link to a Store version. A Store listing with a similar name from a different publisher isn't the same app.

Raycast's launcher, which includes clipboard history, is also on the Store; Raycast clipboard history on Windows covers it. Smaller Store clipboard apps include Pasteboard, Clip Stack, ClipKeep and Paperclip. Check each listing's publisher and whether it links to source code before you trust it with your clipboard. Do Microsoft Store ratings predict clipboard quality? explains why star ratings say little about this.

Store vs GitHub: what actually differs

The Store doesn't mean a weaker app

An older belief is that Store apps are sandboxed so tightly that a clipboard manager can't work properly. Today the Store accepts full desktop apps, packaged as MSIX or as ordinary MSI and EXE installers. Edge Drop's Store package, for example, declares the runFullTrust capability and has the same features as the GitHub build; the difference is that updates come through the Store instead of its built-in updater.

Some apps do store their data in a different place when installed from the Store. Ditto's privacy policy lists separate data locations for its standard, Store and portable versions, and Ditto Store vs GitHub walks through the practical differences.

Certification isn't an audit

Microsoft certifies Store submissions against its policies before they're published. That confirms who submitted the package and that it passed those checks. It doesn't mean anyone has reviewed how the app handles your clipboard data. A GitHub project's code is open to anyone, but that's only useful if someone reads it.

How to check a clipboard app before installing it

1. Start from the project, not a search result. Go to the app's official site or GitHub repository and follow its own link to the Store or its releases page. Avoid download portals and search ads.
2. Check the publisher. On a Store listing, read the publisher name, not just the app title, and make sure it matches the project.
3. Check the licence and source. If an app calls itself open source, its repository should have a LICENSE file on the release you're installing.
4. Verify the download when you can. If the project publishes checksums, compare them before running the installer (see below).
5. Read the privacy statement. Look for where history is stored and whether anything is sent over the network.
6. Test with a dummy password. Copy a fake password from your password manager's copy button, then search the app's history for it. How to stop clipboard managers from saving secrets covers what to do if it was saved.

Verifying a GitHub download

Some projects publish checksums with each release. CopyQ, for example, attaches a checksums-sha512.txt file to its GitHub releases. Download it to the same folder as the installer, then run this in PowerShell from that folder:

$expected = (Select-String -Path .\checksums-sha512.txt -Pattern 'copyq-17.0.0-setup.exe' -SimpleMatch).Line.Split(' ')[0]
(Get-FileHash .\copyq-17.0.0-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA512).Hash -eq $expected

True means the installer matches the hash the project published. PowerShell's -eq ignores case, so the capital letters Get-FileHash prints don't matter. A match proves the file is the one the project released; it doesn't prove the project itself is trustworthy.

Which channel should you choose?

Choose the Microsoft Store if

• you want updates handled for you without thinking about them,
• your PC only allows Store installs, or
• you prefer one place to install and remove apps.

Choose GitHub if

• the app isn't on the Store (CopyQ, EcoPaste),
• you need a portable version you can run without installing,
• you want new releases as soon as they're published, or
• you want to compare checksums before running an installer.

Install each app from one channel only. Running a Store copy and a GitHub copy of the same clipboard manager gives you two tray icons, two histories and two update paths. If you switch channels, uninstall the old copy first and clear its history if you don't want to keep it.

For Edge Drop specifically, GitHub installer or Microsoft Store compares the two builds, including how updates and data folders differ.

Is the built-in option enough?

Windows' own clipboard history needs no download at all. Press Win+V and select Turn on. It keeps your last 25 items, clears them on restart unless pinned, and doesn't store copied files. If that covers your day, you don't need either channel. If it doesn't, the best open-source clipboard managers compares the main options.

FAQ

Is Ditto on the Microsoft Store?

Yes. Ditto's official site links to its Microsoft Store listing alongside the installer, portable version, winget and Chocolatey.

Is CopyQ on the Microsoft Store?

CopyQ's website and README don't list a Store version. Its official Windows downloads are the installer and portable zip on GitHub, plus Scoop and Chocolatey packages.

Are Microsoft Store apps safer than GitHub downloads?

The Store confirms the publisher and certifies submissions, and it handles updates. That's a good baseline, but it isn't a review of how the app treats your data. A GitHub download from the official project, with a matching checksum, can be just as trustworthy.

Related reading

• Ditto Store vs GitHub: Which Should You Install?
• Edge Drop: GitHub Installer or Microsoft Store Version?
• Best Open-Source Clipboard Managers in 2026
• Do Microsoft Store Ratings Predict Clipboard App Quality?

Sources

• Publish apps to Microsoft Store (Microsoft Learn) — MSIX, MSI and EXE submissions and certification.
• Ditto website — official download channels, including the Microsoft Store.
• Ditto privacy policy — data locations for standard, Store and portable versions.
• Edge Drop on the Microsoft Store and Edge Drop releases — both distribution channels.
• Install PowerToys (Microsoft Learn) — Store, GitHub, winget and community packages.
• CopyQ and CopyQ releases — Windows install options and published checksums.
• EcoPaste (GitHub) — licence and releases.
• ShareX (GitHub) — Store, Steam and GitHub channels.
• Get-FileHash (Microsoft Learn) — hash algorithms and syntax.

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