Copywarden vs Raycast (clipboard history)
Raycast is a superb all-in-one launcher, and its clipboard history is one part of a much larger productivity suite — window management, snippets, an extension store and AI. Copywarden isn't a launcher; it's a clipboard built for privacy, and the difference that matters most here is retention. Here's the honest comparison.
What Raycast does well.
Raycast does well
- A deep all-in-one launcher — window management, snippets, an extension store and AI.
- A large, active extension ecosystem, much of it open source.
- Cloud sync and team features on Raycast Pro.
Best for: people who want an all-in-one launcher and already live in Raycast.
Where Copywarden fits
- You want clipboard history that isn't capped at 3 months on the free plan.
- You want encryption at rest and secret redaction for clipboard data.
- You want a clipboard-first app, not a feature inside a launcher.
Best for: people who want a dedicated, encrypted clipboard without a 3-month history cap.
Copywarden vs Raycast (clipboard history), on what matters.
| Capability | Copywarden | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free core. Pro $29.99/yr (≈$2.50/mo billed annually) or $3.99/mo; $99 lifetime launch offer. | Free forever. Pro $10/mo or $8/mo billed annually ($96/yr); Teams Pro $15/user/mo ($12/user billed annually). 14-day Pro trial. |
| Sync | Local-first core — sync is off by default, and you choose whether to turn it on. End-to-end encrypted iCloud sync across your Macs is in development: every entry is sealed on-device with AES-256-GCM before upload to your own private iCloud database, so neither Apple nor Copywarden can read it. Local-Only mode disables both cloud backends. | Cloud sync on Raycast Pro — raycast.com/privacy states “when you enable the Cloud Sync feature in our Pro plan, Raycast will store the information to allow the synchronising process” (retrieved first-person 2026-08-20). |
| Encryption at rest | AES-256-GCM with per-item HKDF-SHA256 keys; the master key is wrapped by the Secure Enclave on supported Macs, and Keychain-guarded otherwise. | Raycast does publish encryption for clipboard history: “Copied content never leaves your computer and is encrypted on your local hard drive” (raycast.com/core-features/clipboard-history, as of 2026-08-15). The cipher, key management and any hardware key protection aren't specified on their published pages, so we compare only what each vendor states. This comparison leads on the retention cap, not encryption. |
| Retention | Configurable, with GDPR/HIPAA (7-day) and Banking (3-day) retention profiles. | Free plan retains clipboard history for 3 months; unlimited requires Pro. |
| Open source | No — proprietary. Local-first and telemetry-free (verifiable on the wire), signed + notarized, published threat model and disclosure policy; no independent audit yet. | Core proprietary; many Raycast extensions are open source. |
- Raycast's free plan retains clipboard history for 3 months; unlimited history requires Pro at $8/mo billed annually ($10 month-to-month).
- A 50% student discount is available on Pro; an Advanced AI add-on is +$8/mo.
Sources
- Raycast — pricing · retrieved 2026-08-15
- Raycast — privacy (Cloud Sync is a Pro feature) · retrieved 2026-08-20
- Raycast — clipboard history (retention cap, local encryption claim) · retrieved 2026-08-15
Secrets redacted, right in the popup.
Whatever you compare on, this is the difference that matters most: the moment Copywarden detects a secret, it redacts it inline — so it never reaches a screen share, an agent, or your history in the clear.
Copywarden vs Raycast (clipboard history), answered.
What's Raycast's free clipboard-history limit?
Raycast's free plan retains clipboard history for 3 months; unlimited history requires Raycast Pro ($8/mo billed annually, $10 month-to-month, verified 2026-08-15). Copywarden keeps history locally with configurable retention and no cloud by default.
Does Raycast encrypt clipboard history?
Yes — Raycast's published pages say copied content “never leaves your computer and is encrypted on your local hard drive” (as of 2026-08-15). They don't specify the cipher or how the key is protected, and we won't guess. Copywarden states both: AES-256-GCM with per-item HKDF-SHA256 keys, and a master key wrapped by the Secure Enclave on supported Macs. This comparison leads on the retention cap rather than on encryption.
Is Copywarden a Raycast replacement?
No — Raycast is an all-in-one launcher and Copywarden is a dedicated clipboard. Plenty of people run Raycast for launching and Copywarden for a private, encrypted clipboard; they complement each other.
Which is more private for clipboard data?
Copywarden is local-first and encrypted on-device, with your clipboard history never leaving your Mac by default. Raycast Pro offers cloud sync — a different trade-off. If clipboard privacy is the priority, Copywarden is purpose-built for it.
Your clipboard deserves the same care as your passwords.
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