A free Alfred alternative for Mac
On Hand vs Alfred: what each is good at, what they cost, and which one fits how you copy and paste.
The short version: Alfred’s clipboard history is part of the paid Powerpack, alongside snippets and workflows. If you already own it, use it. If you don’t, On Hand gives you clipboard history for free, with pins and no fixed cap on how long pinned clips stay.
On Hand vs Alfred at a glance
| On Hand | Alfred | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Powerpack £34 one-time |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Closed source |
| Images | Yes | Yes |
| Search | Yes, by text or source app | Yes |
| Pinned clips | Yes, with named boards | Not documented |
| Search text in images | Yes, on your Mac | Not documented |
| Sync | No. History stays on your Mac | Not documented |
| Skip password managers and apps | Yes. Password managers skipped; card numbers, SSNs, and 25+ kinds of keys never saved, concealed, and cleared after 90 seconds | Yes. Keychain Access and 1Password by default |
| Shortcuts | ⌘⇧Space to open (changeable), ⌘1–9 to copy | A hotkey or keyword you choose |
| Requires | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | macOS 10.14 or later |
Checked October 6, 2026 against Alfred’s own site, release notes, or App Store listing. Prices and features change, so check before you buy. Something out of date? Open an issue.
Choose Alfred if
- You already own the Powerpack and use Alfred every day.
- You want to merge clips or turn a clip into an expanding snippet.
- You need to run on an older version of macOS.
Choose On Hand if
- You don’t want to buy the Powerpack, which starts at £34, for clipboard history.
- You want to pin clips so they never expire. Alfred keeps history for three months at most.
- You want a menu bar app with previews instead of a launcher.
Is Alfred still maintained?
Actively maintained. Alfred 5.8.1 shipped in September 2026.
Switching from Alfred
On Hand starts fresh. It doesn’t import history from Alfred, so pin anything you want to keep after you copy it again. Both apps can run at the same time while you try On Hand; give them different shortcuts. On Hand opens with ⌘ ⇧ Space, and you can change that in Settings.