A free ClipAudit alternative for Mac
On Hand vs ClipAudit: what each is good at, what they cost, and which one fits how you copy and paste.
The short version: ClipAudit and On Hand both spot secrets you copy, mark them so other clipboard managers skip them, and clear them after 90 seconds. ClipAudit goes further on secrets: 700+ kinds, masked history items behind Touch ID, hiding during screen sharing, and shell history scrubbing. On Hand is free and MIT-licensed, and goes further as a clipboard manager, with screenshot text search, pinboards, and a command for AI agents.
On Hand vs ClipAudit at a glance
| On Hand | ClipAudit | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $29 per Mac at launch (normally $59), with one year of updates; 14-day trial |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Source shared with buyers; can’t be redistributed |
| Images | Yes | Not stated on its site |
| Search | Yes, by text or source app | Yes |
| Pinned clips | Yes, with named boards | Yes |
| Search text in images | Yes, on your Mac | Not stated on its site |
| Sync | No. History stays on your Mac | No. It blocks network access |
| 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. 700+ kinds of secrets concealed, cleared after 90 seconds, masked behind Touch ID |
| Shortcuts | ⌘⇧Space to open (changeable), ⌘1–9 to copy | ⌃⌘V to search and paste |
| Requires | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel |
Checked October 26, 2026 against ClipAudit’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 Something out of date?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 ClipAudit if
- You handle lots of API keys and want the widest detection: 700+ kinds, compared with On Hand’s 25+.
- You want secrets kept in history but masked, with Touch ID to reveal them, and hidden while you screen share.
- You want secrets scrubbed from your shell history too, or a log of which apps changed your clipboard.
Choose On Hand if
- You want it free and open source. ClipAudit is $29 per Mac with a year of updates, and its source can’t be redistributed.
- You want to search the text inside screenshots or group pinned clips into boards.
- You want Claude Code, Codex, or a script to search your history with the onhand command.
Is ClipAudit still maintained?
New. Version 1.0.0, its first public release, shipped on October 26, 2026.
Switching from ClipAudit
On Hand starts fresh. It doesn’t import history from ClipAudit, 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.