CrossPaste is a cross-platform clipboard synchronization and management tool designed to let users seamlessly copy and paste content between different devices.
Purpose
- Share clipboard across devices: synchronize clipboard content in real time between Mac, Windows, and Linux devices.
- Local privacy protection: uses end-to-end encryption (asymmetric encryption) and a LAN-only serverless architecture, with data stored locally and never passing through the cloud.
- Clipboard history management: automatic cleanup options help manage clipboard storage without manual operation.
Key capabilities
- Real-time sharing: instantly share clipboard content between devices.
- Unified cross-platform experience: consistent interface on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with no need to change usage habits.
- Rich type support: handles multiple clipboard types such as text, colors, URLs, HTML, RTF, images, and files.
- End-to-end encryption: uses asymmetric encryption to protect data security.
- LAN-only serverless: local storage, serverless architecture, controllable privacy.
- Smart space management: automatically cleans up clipboard storage without manual operation.
- Built-in OCR: extracts text from images locally, with no network calls, so screenshots never leave the device.
- MCP server: exposes clipboard history to AI assistants (such as Claude, etc.) via the Model Context Protocol.
- Chrome extension: synchronizes the clipboard with the browser—copy on a web page, paste on any device.
- Command line: copy, paste, and search history from the terminal and scripts.
How to use
- Download and install the version for the corresponding platform from the official website or GitHub repository.
- Run CrossPaste on devices within the same LAN, and it will automatically discover and synchronize the clipboard.
- Via the Chrome extension: open chrome://extensions/ in Chrome, enable Developer mode, click "Load unpacked", and select the web/dist/ directory. The extension will automatically discover the CrossPaste desktop app running on the same machine and synchronize the clipboard.
- Via the command line: use the CLI to copy, paste, and search clipboard history.
- Development build: after cloning the repository, run ./gradlew app:run to compile and run; the Chrome extension is located in the web/ directory, requires Node.js (>= 18), and is built via ./gradlew :web:build, generating output to web/dist/.
ApplicableScenarios
- Multi-device office work: quickly share text, links, or images between desktops and laptops.
- Privacy-sensitive environments: when clipboard data must not leave the local network.
- Developer workflows: integrate clipboard history into scripts or AI assistants via the command line or MCP server.
- Browser and desktop collaboration: use the Chrome extension to copy content on a web page and then paste it on any device.
Limitations
- Only LAN synchronization is supported; cross-network or remote devices must be within the same LAN.
- The official version does not provide cloud synchronization.
- As of the time the information was provided, the plugin system is still planned.
- Specific pricing models, prices, platform compatibility details, etc. are not yet available.