Relic

Overview

Relic is a cross-device clipboard manager for people who want a searchable record of what they copy, rather than a short-lived clipboard queue. Its deeper search and on-device AI suit users who need to retrieve text and images later; mobile users should be comfortable sending items to the app manually.

The range is unusually broad for a clipboard tool: Relic combines history, snippets, rich text, organization, and vault access from a terminal, alongside optional self-hosting. The main trade-off is that the free hosted plan is tightly capped, while larger allowances require a subscription.

Key features

Search and organize a vault

Search can match copied text, meaning, date phrases, and text extracted from screenshots. OCR, semantic search, tagging, and image captioning run on the user's device, with no cloud AI. That gives users several ways to find material when they do not remember its exact wording, though the value is greatest for people who accumulate enough clips to need more than a basic history list.

Items can be titled, tagged, annotated, saved, and given reminders. Relic also supports snippets and rich text, making it more than a passive archive: users can keep selected material organized for later reference.

Capture, access, and privacy

Desktop apps capture copied items automatically. On phones, users must share content to Relic or use a shortcut or tile, so mobile capture takes an extra step. A command-line tool supports reading and searching a vault from a terminal; the help guide also describes connecting AI agents such as Claude Code to search, save, and retrieve items.

Relic encrypts content on-device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and derives the wrapping key using Argon2id. The maker says content, titles, notes, and tags are unreadable to Relic, while account email and item counts are among the service metadata it collects. The apps, sync server, encryption code, and self-host stack are open source. Those choices will appeal to privacy-conscious users, but hosted sync still involves service metadata; users who want to avoid a Relic account can run the sync server on their own hardware for free under AGPL-3.0.

Pricing

Free costs $0 with no card required. It allows three synced devices, 250 MB of storage, the last 500 copies, and 100 pinned keepsakes. Older copies return if the user upgrades. This is a useful way to try hosted sync, but the device and history caps make it a limited fit for people who rely on clipboard history across several devices or keep a large archive.

Self-host costs $0 forever, with the sync server running on the user's own hardware. The user's hardware sets the limits, and no Relic account is required; community support is available on GitHub. It is the clearest choice for technically capable users who want control over hosting, but it shifts the infrastructure responsibility to them.

Pro costs $5/mo billed yearly, with $60 due today, or $7 month to month. It includes 25 GB, files up to 100 MB, 10 synced devices, no item limits, and priority support. Pro suits regular users who have outgrown Free's history and device caps without needing Max's larger storage allowance or unlimited devices.

Max costs $8/mo billed yearly, with $96 due today, or $12 month to month. It includes 250 GB, files up to 500 MB, unlimited devices, and unlimited active share links. It is for users with larger files, many devices, or heavy use of share links; others can save by choosing Pro. Relic has no free trial.

Platforms

Relic supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and the web, as well as an API. Desktop capture is automatic, while phone capture requires sharing, a shortcut, or a tile. Self-hosting is also an option for users who want to run the sync server on their own hardware.

Who it's for

Relic is a strong fit for people who move between desktop and mobile, save a lot of copied material, and want search that extends to screenshot text and meaning. Its local AI and open-source components will also matter to users who prioritize on-device processing and inspectable software. It is less compelling for someone who wants mobile capture to happen automatically, needs only a basic clipboard list, or does not want to manage self-hosted infrastructure and finds the Free caps too restrictive.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Search by text, meaning, date phrases, and screenshot text gives users several routes back to a clip.
• Pro: Tagging, OCR, image captioning, and semantic search run on-device, without cloud AI.
• Pro: Self-hosting is free and removes the need for a Relic account.
• Con: Mobile users need to share content or use a shortcut or tile instead of relying on automatic capture.
• Con: Free is limited to three synced devices, 250 MB, 500 recent copies, and 100 pinned keepsakes.
• Con: Self-hosting means the user's hardware sets capacity and the user takes on running the server.

Alternatives

Browse clipboard manager software if you want to compare the category more broadly. ClipboardFusion is another freemium option, with a free plan and a lifetime Pro Standard license for users who prefer a one-time purchase. Pasteable suits people who want unlimited local history and 25 synced clips on its free plan, and it also offers a free trial.

Clipman is a free, open-source option under the MIT License with an optional self-hosted server. For Linux, macOS, or Windows users looking for free budgeting software rather than a clipboard manager, Buddi is the relevant alternative. Octoclip offers cross-device copy and paste, Nearby Sync, clip history, quick search, and a free plan across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

CopyPaste is free and open source on macOS and Windows, with no premium tiers or subscriptions. Flycut is a free option for macOS and iOS, though its iOS app retains the 40 most recent clippings. OmniClip is currently free across Android, browser extensions, iOS, and the web; storage limits may apply.

Verdict

Choose Relic if you want a clipboard vault that can search beyond exact text, keep content organized, and sync across desktop and mobile, especially if on-device AI or self-hosting matters to you. Its strongest reason to look elsewhere is the combination of manual mobile capture and strict Free limits: users who want effortless phone capture or a larger hosted archive without upgrading may be better served by another tool.