Vibecode Paste
track this build5 steps, step by step0%YES · one-shottable
price $2.5/moyou'd save $30/yrbuild time one sittingcategory ⚙️ productivity utilitiesreplaced by 0 people
The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Paste, store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration. The hard boundary is apple-platform polish, icloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture, plus os integration polish and maintenance.
the project pack4 files · fastest path to a working personal build
You are building a lean indie version of Paste. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Paste indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Paste workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture - years of OS-version edge cases - large extension ecosystem - cross-device sync - commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes If those capabilities are essential, use Espanso instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Paste in an empty repository. Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, AppKit where necessary, SQLite, and the macOS Keychain; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create a menu-bar app with a searchable command window and global hotkey. Implement only the primary feature and one settings screen instead of a plugin platform. Request permissions just in time and explain why each is needed before opening System Settings. Store configuration locally, support export or import, and never capture unrelated user content. Add launch-at-login, update-check opt-in, diagnostics export, and a complete uninstall note. Write unit tests for transformation logic and one UI test for the core keyboard workflow. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out a third-party extension marketplace. Deliberately leave out cloud accounts and cross-device sync. Deliberately leave out broad automation that executes untrusted scripts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS 14 or later - Xcode - only the permissions required by the selected feature ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Paste. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Paste indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Paste workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture - years of OS-version edge cases - large extension ecosystem - cross-device sync - commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes If those capabilities are essential, use Espanso instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Paste in an empty repository. Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, AppKit where necessary, SQLite, and the macOS Keychain; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create a menu-bar app with a searchable command window and global hotkey. Implement only the primary feature and one settings screen instead of a plugin platform. Request permissions just in time and explain why each is needed before opening System Settings. Store configuration locally, support export or import, and never capture unrelated user content. Add launch-at-login, update-check opt-in, diagnostics export, and a complete uninstall note. Write unit tests for transformation logic and one UI test for the core keyboard workflow. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out a third-party extension marketplace. Deliberately leave out cloud accounts and cross-device sync. Deliberately leave out broad automation that executes untrusted scripts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS 14 or later - Xcode - only the permissions required by the selected feature ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Paste. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Paste product brief ## Problem The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Paste, store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration. The hard boundary is apple-platform polish, icloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture, plus os integration polish and maintenance. ## Product outcome Store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - macOS 14 or later - Xcode - only the permissions required by the selected feature ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture - years of OS-version edge cases - large extension ecosystem - cross-device sync - commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build a personal replacement for Paste in an empty repository. Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, AppKit where necessary, SQLite, and the macOS Keychain; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create a menu-bar app with a searchable command window and global hotkey. Implement only the primary feature and one settings screen instead of a plugin platform. Request permissions just in time and explain why each is needed before opening System Settings. Store configuration locally, support export or import, and never capture unrelated user content. Add launch-at-login, update-check opt-in, diagnostics export, and a complete uninstall note. Write unit tests for transformation logic and one UI test for the core keyboard workflow. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out a third-party extension marketplace. Deliberately leave out cloud accounts and cross-device sync. Deliberately leave out broad automation that executes untrusted scripts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Paste capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
README.md
# Paste indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Paste workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture - years of OS-version edge cases - large extension ecosystem - cross-device sync - commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes If those capabilities are essential, use Espanso instead of pretending the gap is solved.
AGENTS.md
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
BUILD_PLAN.md
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build a personal replacement for Paste in an empty repository. Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, AppKit where necessary, SQLite, and the macOS Keychain; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create a menu-bar app with a searchable command window and global hotkey. Implement only the primary feature and one settings screen instead of a plugin platform. Request permissions just in time and explain why each is needed before opening System Settings. Store configuration locally, support export or import, and never capture unrelated user content. Add launch-at-login, update-check opt-in, diagnostics export, and a complete uninstall note. Write unit tests for transformation logic and one UI test for the core keyboard workflow. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out a third-party extension marketplace. Deliberately leave out cloud accounts and cross-device sync. Deliberately leave out broad automation that executes untrusted scripts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Required capabilities - macOS 14 or later - Xcode - only the permissions required by the selected feature ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
.env.example
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
PRODUCT.md
# Paste product brief ## Problem The core loop is small enough for a capable coding agent to produce a useful local version in one sitting. For Paste, store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration. The hard boundary is apple-platform polish, icloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture, plus os integration polish and maintenance. ## Product outcome Store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - macOS 14 or later - Xcode - only the permissions required by the selected feature ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture - years of OS-version edge cases - large extension ecosystem - cross-device sync - commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
ARCHITECTURE.md
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build a personal replacement for Paste in an empty repository. Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, AppKit where necessary, SQLite, and the macOS Keychain; do not offer alternative stacks. The core loop is: store a local encrypted clipboard history with search, pinboards, and expiration in one focused macOS utility with keyboard-first controls and locally stored settings. Make the first run work locally with one documented command. Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward. Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials. Create a menu-bar app with a searchable command window and global hotkey. Implement only the primary feature and one settings screen instead of a plugin platform. Request permissions just in time and explain why each is needed before opening System Settings. Store configuration locally, support export or import, and never capture unrelated user content. Add launch-at-login, update-check opt-in, diagnostics export, and a complete uninstall note. Write unit tests for transformation logic and one UI test for the core keyboard workflow. Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states. Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs. Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path. Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps. Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane. Deliberately leave out a third-party extension marketplace. Deliberately leave out cloud accounts and cross-device sync. Deliberately leave out broad automation that executes untrusted scripts. Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
AGENTS.md
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
MILESTONES.md
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
OPERATIONS.md
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Paste capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
People still pay for Paste because small utilities are technically reproducible, but customers pay for polish and immediate fixes when an OS update breaks a daily habit. The recurring cost buys permissions, accessibility APIs, sandboxing, signing, notarization, OS regressions, updates, backups, and support, not just the visible interface.
xApple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture
xyears of OS-version edge cases
xlarge extension ecosystem
xcross-device sync
xcommercial support and rapid compatibility fixes
share on X ↗"I just replaced Paste ($2.5/mo) with one prompt"
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
CCopyQA clipboard filing cabinet with tabs, filters, rules, and built-in encryption.open source↗no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Paste pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| personal | — | $2.50/user | Use on all personal devices; no published device cap; includes updates. |
| personal lifetime | custom | — | Lifetime Personal access on all personal devices with updates. |
| family | custom | — | Family-sharing plan sold through Apple's App Store; public numeric member cap and price were not exposed on Paste's page. |
| team | custom | — | Team clipboard and administration plan; public numeric price and limits were not exposed in the crawlable page. |
free tierno free tier
billingmonthly + annual + lifetime; 7-day trial on paid plans
hidden costsPrices exclude tax and can vary by region. Family billing is App Store-only, and the current monthly, lifetime, and Team checkout amounts were not exposed in the public rendered page.
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Vibecode Paste
Yes. A competent AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) can build a usable personal Paste replacement in one session with the prompt on this page. It runs on your own machine or server with no subscription.
How much does Paste cost?
Paste costs about $2.5/month (Personal, checked 2026-08-14), which is $30 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with one prompt.
What do I lose by replacing Paste?
Honestly: Apple-platform polish, iCloud sync, rich previews, and universal capture; years of OS-version edge cases; large extension ecosystem; cross-device sync; commercial support and rapid compatibility fixes. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Paste?
Yes: CopyQ (A clipboard filing cabinet with tabs, filters, rules, and built-in encryption.) The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.