Today, we’re looking at one versatile tool for Windows that has truckloads of features and another that is simple and effective. Let’s examine Clipboard Master and see how it compares with Ditto.
Clipboard Master
From the moment you start the installation of this tool, you realize that it’s feature-rich to the point of being exhaustive. If you’ll likely be stumped at the very first configuration prompt screen, we’d suggest selecting Default and then proceeding with the installation process. Luckily, it’s not terribly difficult to use the tool as it tends to sit quietly in the system tray once it is installed. It not only gives you quick access to your clipboard history, but also shows you relevant icons from where the text and/or image was copied. There are dozens of other features here, so let’s explore some of the best ones.
Store Text, Files, and Pictures in the Clipboard
This one’s easy to understand and use. Everything that goes in the clipboard stays in the memory of this clipboard manager. And you can use items from the history of whatever it is that you copied to your advantage.
Compatible with All Windows Applications
Using Clipboard Master with any other application is a breeze and works system-wide without any glitches. Be it simple applications like WordPad or anything more complex that you may have in your arsenal, the tool works easily with everything and anything.
Extensive List of Keyboard Shortcuts and Hotkeys
Found in the settings menu, you have a whole list of keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys that you can make use of. You can select the ones that you want and un-check the ones that you think aren’t of use to you. You can also customize these keys to what you want, even though the combos are pre-decided.
Clipboard History Saved Between Sessions
So what if I reboot my computer? Or exit the program? Do not worry, the sessions are saved and even when you reboot or re-open the program, you will get the complete history from the previous session. Just the way you left it. Cool, right?!
Take Snapshots Too
It’s not just whatever you CTRL+C that’s available with this tool. Another nice touch is the ability to take screenshots, found in the Tools menu of the Settings screen. Once enabled, it will let you take screenshots of objects you have highlighted, or parts of them. Really useful while creating those lengthy presentations or blog posts.
Ditto
Unlike Clipboard Master, the installation process of Ditto is rather easy and straightforward. But just like Clipboard Master, this tool also sits quietly in the Windows system tray. And when you click on it, you might feel a bit underwhelmed at what you see here. But if you think there’s not much that this versatile tool can do, you’ve been fooled. The moment you open up the Options menu is when you see the true potential of Ditto. Just like Clipboard Master, it gives you the full history of everything you copied and even lets you search it. As a rule, duplicate entries get removed and you can activate Ditto by setting up a hotkey for it. What’s more, you can also activate a hotkey for each of the last 10 items in the clipboard. Please Note: Ditto can let you store up to 999 entries in its clipboard history. Ditto also happens to be open-source and can be used as a portable application too.
Parting Thoughts
It’s easy to see that Clipboard Master is the better option if you’re looking for an exhaustive list of features from a clipboard tool that works universally. But do not dismiss Ditto that easily. Frankly, I found the plethora of options in Clipboard Master to be rather overbearing; Ditto seemed more streamlined and easier to play with. If only Ditto had a screenshot-taking tool, I’d recommend it easily, but it doesn’t have that, nor does it have advanced options that may be useful for programmers and developers using UTF8. For every other practical user, Ditto makes a lot of sense for daily use. But again, if you’re seeking more – by all means, go for Clipboard Master.
