Pasteboard vs Ditto: Modern UI vs Proven Workhorse

Choose Pasteboard if you want a clean, modern clipboard panel you open with Ctrl+Shift+V, where you can save and rename clips. Choose Ditto if you want a proven, open-source history with fast search, exclusion rules, scripting and optional sync between PCs. Both are free and keep your history on your PC.

Pasteboard vs Ditto at a glance

Pasteboard details are from pasteboard.app; Ditto details from its GitHub project and wiki, checked in October 2026.

What Pasteboard is

Pasteboard describes itself as a simple desktop utility that runs in the background on Windows 10 and 11, starts with Windows, and stores everything you copy so you can search it and recall specific clips. You open it with Ctrl+Shift+V from any app.

Its site pitches it for:

• brand colours stored as HEX values, named and copied quickly,
• terminal commands and code snippets,
• links and bookmarks,
• media files you'd otherwise leave on the desktop.

Right-click a clip to add it to Saved Clips, and double-click a clip's title to give it a name you can search for later.

On cost, the FAQ says Pasteboard "is currently free and will always offer a free plan," and that cloud sync and mobile apps "may have a monthly cost when they launch." It also says the app saves history locally and uploads nothing to the cloud. Custom tags and sections are listed as coming soon.

The Microsoft Store also has a free listing called "Pasteboard | Clipboard Manager". If you install from the Store, check the publisher and screenshots match the app on pasteboard.app.

What Ditto is

Ditto is an open-source extension to the Windows clipboard. It saves each item you copy (text, images, HTML and custom formats) to a local SQLite database. Press Ctrl+`, type to search, and press Enter or double-click to paste into the previous window.

Beyond the basics it offers groups, Shift+Enter for plain-text paste, rules to skip copies matching a regular expression, short ChaiScript scripts that run on copy or paste, and syncing between computers with encryption over the network. The project lists no login, no cloud and no telemetry. You can install it with an installer, a portable zip, the Microsoft Store, Chocolatey or winget install -e --id Ditto.Ditto.

The trade-off is the interface: a plain list with a long options dialog, rather than a polished panel.

Where Pasteboard is the better fit

• You want something that looks and feels current. A person who has just discovered clipboard history will likely find Pasteboard's panel easier to learn than Ditto's list.
• You name and save clips. Renaming a clip and saving it to Saved Clips is built into the main workflow.
• Ctrl+Shift+V suits you. Note that some apps already use Ctrl+Shift+V for "paste as plain text", so check for clashes in the apps you use most.

Where Ditto is the better fit

• You search a large history. Search is Ditto's core loop.
• You need control. Exclusion rules, plain-text paste, copy buffers and scripts are all documented.
• You want to read the code. Ditto is GPL-3.0 on GitHub, with a public issue tracker and wiki.
• You want no planned paid tier. Ditto has no paid features. Pasteboard's own FAQ anticipates paid cloud and mobile options later.
• You manage installs with winget or Chocolatey. Ditto publishes both.

What neither one does

Neither is a text expander, a screen-capture tool or a password manager. Keep passwords in a password manager and out of any clipboard history; how to stop clipboard managers from saving secrets covers the settings to check.

Neither is built around dragging files and images back out into other apps. If that's your main job, look at a shelf-style tool instead. Edge Drop, made by the team behind this site, is a free screen-edge shelf you can drag images and files out of; text cards are click-to-paste. Edge Drop vs Ditto compares that approach with Ditto's list, and Edge Drop vs Pasteboard does the same for Pasteboard's named clips.

Test both in an afternoon

1. Install Ditto, then copy ten mixed items: a link, a paragraph from a web page, a screenshot, a hex colour and a code snippet.
2. Install Pasteboard and repeat the same copies.
3. Restart the PC and check what each kept.
4. Search for a word from the third item in both.
5. Keep the one you prefer and uninstall the other. Two histories store every copy twice; can you run two clipboard tools at once? explains the conflicts.
6. Once you trust your choice, consider turning off Windows clipboard history so it isn't a third copy.

If automation is the real need, such as rewriting copies or ignoring certain windows, skip both and compare Ditto vs CopyQ vs Win+V or CopyQ vs ClipboardFusion.

FAQ

Is Pasteboard free?

Yes. Its FAQ says it will always offer a free plan, and that cloud sync and mobile apps may have a monthly cost when they launch.

Does Pasteboard sync between devices?

Not yet. Cloud sync is listed as coming soon. Ditto can sync between computers on a network, and Windows can sync text through your Microsoft account.

Is Ditto still maintained?

Yes. Its latest GitHub release at the time of writing is 3.25.113.0 from September 2025.

Related reading

• Ditto vs CopyQ vs Win+V: Which Should You Use?
• Edge Drop vs Ditto: Visual Shelf or Searchable History?
• Ditto vs Windows Clipboard History (Win+V): Which to Use
• Best Clipboard Managers for Windows in 2026: 8 Compared

Sources

• Pasteboard — description, Windows 10 and 11, Ctrl+Shift+V, Saved Clips, renaming, local storage, pricing FAQ, planned cloud sync.
• Pasteboard | Clipboard Manager (Microsoft Store) — the Store listing.
• Ditto (GitHub) and Ditto releases — formats, default shortcut, local-first policy, install options, licence, latest release.
• Ditto wiki — groups, plain-text paste, copy buffers, scripting, exclusions.
• Ditto project page (SourceForge) — search, SQLite storage, network sync with encryption.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

Download for Windows Get from Microsoft Store

How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support