I've been using REA to decompile Paste and study how it works. Using that analysis as a reference, I reimplemented the features I use most in a Mac app called Pasto. The project is now open source and free to use, with no subscription.
The bottom card panel and interaction patterns take inspiration from Paste. Press ⇧⌘V to browse and search things you've copied, and save frequently used text and links into groups. The repository also contains reverse-engineering notes and implementation comparisons for anyone interested in REA or how clipboard apps work.
If you already use Paste, you can import its local groups and their contents into Pasto, keeping their colors and order.
Pasto also supports file-based sync through iCloud Drive for clipboard history and groups. It is off by default and can be enabled in Settings → General. Full real-device validation across multiple Macs is still pending.
Pasto is written in Swift and supports macOS 14 and later. A single Universal DMG runs on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. I'm still refining the interaction details and testing cross-app pasting. If you run into an issue, please include your macOS version and reproduction steps in a GitHub issue.
The current download uses ad-hoc signing and has not been notarized by Apple. You may need to re-enable Accessibility permission after updating.
Paste and Pasto feature comparison
✅ Implemented · ❌ Unavailable
| Feature | Paste | Pasto |
|---|---|---|
| Clipboard history and content previews | ✅ | ✅ |
| Search and filters | ✅ | ✅ |
| Saved groups | ✅ | ✅ |
| Single-item and batch copy/paste | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sequential pasting with Stack | ✅ | ✅ |
| Text recognition in images (OCR) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom keyboard shortcuts | ✅ | ✅ |
| AI tool integration through MCP | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Shortcuts integration | ✅ | ❌ |
| iCloud sync | ✅ | ✅ |
| iPhone and iPad apps | ✅ | ❌ |
| Shared groups and collaboration | ✅ | ❌ |
| Online link previews | ✅ | ❌ |
Pasto also imports local groups from Paste. Its iCloud sync uses files in iCloud Drive. A checkmark indicates an existing implementation. Full interaction testing and cross-app paste compatibility checks are ongoing.
Pasto is an independent implementation. See NOTICE.md in the repository for the licensing scope of third-party materials.
Website · Download · Source and reverse-engineering notes · Licensing scope
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