Being able to copy and paste across all my devices is really important to me, but unfortunately, it is not that straightforward. I often find myself scrambling to get the text I copied on my computer over to my phone. I use an Android phone and a MacBook, so the interconnectivity between the two is minimal. Things were not much better when I was using a Windows PC. Back then, I often emailed text to myself or pasted it into Google Keep just to copy it from there.

Apple users enjoy a Universal Clipboard that syncs between Macs, iPhones, and iPads, but that only works within Apple’s ecosystem. For everyone else, including those using Windows, Android, or Linux, there is ClipCascade. It is a free and open-source self-hosted app that syncs your clipboard across all your devices.

ClipCascade has all the features you need

Except for iOS support

ClipCascade is a free, open-source tool that automatically syncs your clipboard content across multiple devices. The moment you copy something on one device, it’s instantly available to paste on your other device, without any extra steps. It achieves this with end-to-end encryption, meaning your copied text, images, or files are secured so that only you (and your devices) can access them.

ClipCascade is cross-platform, working on Windows, macOS, Linux (both graphical and terminal setups), and Android. It is essentially available everywhere except iOS (which isn’t supported as of now, likely due to Apple’s restrictions and the complexity of developing an iOS app).

ClipCascade isn’t limited to text. You can copy text snippets, URLs, images, and even files on one device and paste them on another. All these clipboard contents sync effortlessly across devices, making it truly “universal.” For instance, copy a photo on your PC and paste it into an app on your phone, or copy a file on your phone and paste (transfer) it to your computer.

ClipCascade supports dual-sync modes. By default, it uses a server-based mode (Peer-to-Server, or P2S), which means devices send clipboard data to a central server, which relays it to your other devices (you can host that server yourself for privacy). Alternatively, you can enable peer-to-peer (P2P) mode, which lets devices connect directly to each other for ultra-low latency and minimal server use. In P2P mode, if your devices are on the same network (or able to discover each other), clipboard data can sync offline without even hitting a server on the internet.

It’s fairly easy to use

Simple CTRL+ C and CTRL V

ClipCascade might sound complex, but it’s pretty easy to use. You install the ClipCascade app on each of your devices, such as your PC, laptop, or phone, and log in with the same account. One device or a server runs the ClipCascade server program if you choose to self-host, or you can use the developer’s community server for convenience.

The app runs quietly in the background and monitors your clipboard. When you copy something, whether by pressing Ctrl + C or tapping “Copy” on your phone, ClipCascade immediately detects it. The copied data, whether it is text, an image, or a file, is instantly encrypted for security and sent over the network to your ClipCascade server or directly to your other device, depending on the mode.

Finally, you simply paste using Ctrl + V or the usual paste action on the target device, and the content appears as if you had copied it there originally.

ClipCascade is better than most other options

Including Pushbullet and KDE Connect

Clipboard syncing is not a new idea, and there are already a few tools that try to solve it, but ClipCascade does a better job than most options. For example, Apple’s Universal Clipboard works well for those completely within the Apple ecosystem.

You can copy on a Mac and paste on an iPhone or the other way around, as long as you are signed in with the same Apple ID and the devices are close to each other. The limitation is that it only works on Apple hardware, so anyone with a Windows PC or an Android phone is left out. ClipCascade, by contrast, works across all major platforms, allowing you to combine any devices you like.

Pushbullet is another well-known option that can send notes, files, and clipboard text between devices. It works on Android, Windows, and more, but it relies entirely on Pushbullet’s cloud servers. Anything you send, including clipboard content, is routed through and stored on those servers.

Universal copy-paste exists in Pushbullet, but automatic clipboard syncing is only available to paying Pro subscribers. Free users have to send clipboard content manually. ClipCascade offers free and automatic syncing from the start, plus all data flows through your own server.

Some Linux users rely on KDE Connect, which can sync clipboards between a Linux desktop and an Android phone. It also supports features like notifications and file transfers, and some versions have been extended to Windows and macOS. KDE Connect sends data directly over the local network, which is good for privacy, but usually requires devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network and can be unreliable across different operating systems. ClipCascade is designed to work consistently across platforms, even when devices are on different networks, by using your own server over the internet.

Explore self-hosted tools

There are plenty of open-source and self-hosted tools that can save time and money. If you do not want to pay for Google Drive, Nextcloud is a strong self-hosted alternative. If Notion isn't for you, there are numerous open-source and self-hosted note-taking apps available. If you do not trust LLMs like ChatGPT, you can even host your own.