CopyQ vs Ditto

CopyQ and Ditto are both free clipboard history tools, but they are aimed at different machines and different habits. CopyQ runs on Linux, Windows and OS X 10.15 or later, keeps items in tabs and exposes a command line and scripting interface that other programs can call. Ditto is a Windows-only program whose selling point is keeping the clipboards of several computers in sync over an encrypted network link. Both are GPL licensed, so the choice comes down to your operating systems, whether you want to automate or to share, and how much the SourceForge page's last update of 16 April 2023 worries you.

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Both are reviewed in full in our clipboard manager apps ranking: CopyQ and Ditto.

1. 01

   Which operating systems each one installs on

   CopyQ's site describes a clipboard manager for Linux, Windows and OS X 10.15 or later, and its install notes mention Scoop and Chocolatey on Windows, a Homebrew cask on macOS and a Debian and Ubuntu PPA among distro packages. Ditto's SourceForge listing shows Windows only, labelled Win32, with no Mac or Linux build. A household or office that mixes systems can put CopyQ on every machine, whereas Ditto covers only the Windows ones.

   Edge: CopyQ

2. 02

   Moving a copied snippet to a second computer

   Ditto's listing says it can keep multiple computers' clipboards in sync, that the data is encrypted when it travels over the network, and that sharing needs network access. No hosted or cloud product is mentioned for Ditto on its listing. CopyQ's site, in the pages we read, lists no machine-to-machine sync at all, only local tabs and storage. For someone with two Windows desktops, that single stated feature settles the round for Ditto.

   Edge: Ditto

3. 03

   Scripting, tabs and what you can do to an item

   CopyQ lets you edit, sort, move and drag items between tabs, add notes and tags, and use a Vim-like editor. System-wide shortcuts can run customisable commands, and an advanced command-line interface and scripting API let other programs read and write the clipboard. Ditto's listing describes searching and pasting earlier entries, a tray icon or global hotkey, and image thumbnails, but names no scripting interface. CopyQ is clearly the deeper tool for automation.

   Edge: CopyQ

4. 04

   Search, thumbnails and the SQLite store

   Ditto stores its history in a SQLite database, supports full Unicode, shows thumbnails of copied images and lets you choose whether to save text, images or HTML. You open it from the tray icon or a global hotkey and search earlier entries. CopyQ stores text, HTML, images and custom formats, and its history can be browsed and filtered, with ignore rules for particular windows or text. Both cover everyday recall well.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Cost, licence and who stands behind the code

   Neither tool shows a price. CopyQ's page offers downloads and a donation link, with GPL-3.0 stated on its GitHub repository rather than on the page, and names a maintainer called hluk but no company. Ditto's listing says it is free to download, names GPLv3 directly and credits a developer called sabrogden, with no country given. For a procurement check Ditto states its licence on the page we read, which is the easier of the two.

   Edge: Ditto

6. 06

   Signs of recent maintenance and setup effort

   The Ditto listing shows version 3.24.246.0, last updated on 16 April 2023, and links to a developer website that we could not read, so its current status needs a separate check. CopyQ's pages give no release date in the material we read, and its own weakness is the extra configuration that scripting and tabs bring when you only want recent copies. Neither side offers a clear freshness signal, so we call it level.

   Depends on the buyer

Can either of these clipboard tools talk to a cloud account?

Ditto's listing mentions no hosted or cloud product, and its sharing happens over the network between your own computers. CopyQ's site lists no sync service either. If you need something that follows you through an account, neither source we read promises it.

Is it a problem that CopyQ's page does not name a licence?

The page itself leaves the licence unstated, but its GitHub repository shows GPL-3.0, so a company review can close the gap there. Ditto's SourceForge listing names GPLv3 directly. Both are therefore GPL licensed, and only the place where you find that fact differs.

Which one should a mixed Mac and Windows office pick?

CopyQ, because Ditto's listing shows Windows only and offers no Mac version. CopyQ's site covers Linux, Windows and OS X 10.15 or later, and can be installed through a Homebrew cask on macOS.

You give up Ditto's stated network sync, which the CopyQ pages we read do not mention.

• CopyQ home page: platforms, install routes, tabs, shortcuts, command line and scripting, donation link.
• CopyQ GitHub repository: the GPL-3.0 licence that the project page leaves unnamed.
• Ditto on SourceForge: Windows-only build, GPLv3, free download, network sync with encryption, SQLite history, version 3.24.246.0 dated 2023-04-16.