Comparison

KDE Connect vs Cross Paste

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KDE Connect

Seamlessly integrate your devices with features like a shared clipboard, file sharing, and remote control. Use your phone as a virtual touchpad or keyboard, and even control presentations remotely. All communication is secured with end-to-end encryption.

Highlights
  • Shared clipboard
  • File and URL sharing
  • Virtual touchpad and keyboard
  • Remote presentation control
  • Remote command execution
  • End-to-end encryption
Read full description

KDE Connect provides a set of features to integrate your workflow across devices: - Shared clipboard: copy and paste between your devices. - Share files and URLs to your computer from any app. - Virtual touchpad and keyboard: Use your phone screen as your computer's touchpad or keyboard - Remote presentation remote: control a laser pointer on the screen of your computer by moving your phone around. - Remote commands: run commands on your computer from your phone. - End-to-end TLS encryption: your information is safe. Please note you will need to install KDE Connect on your other computers/phones/tablets and keep the version up-to-date for the latest features to work. This app is part of an open source project and it exists thanks to all the people who contributed to it. Please visit the KDE Connect website to grab the source code.

About

Cross Paste

Seamlessly copy text and links on one device and instantly paste them on another, including your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Windows PC. This cross-device clipboard syncs your content securely and privately without requiring an account.

Highlights
  • Instant clipboard sync
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Searchable history
  • Organize clips into buckets
  • End-to-end encryption
  • QR code pairing
Features
Read full description

Copy on your iPhone, paste on your Windows PC. With Pro, send files and photos up to 25 MB each from your phone to your laptop. Cross Paste connects your phone and computer with one shared, end-to-end encrypted clipboard, across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web. No cables, no emailing yourself, no account. WHY CROSS PASTE • Phone to PC clipboard sync: copy text or a link on one device and access it on your other paired devices. • Send files and photos (Pro): pick a photo, PDF or document on one device and save it on another, up to 25 MB each. • Truly cross-platform: iPhone to Windows and Linux, not only Mac. • No account needed: pair devices by scanning a QR code. No sign-up, no email, no password. • End-to-end encrypted: your clipboard content, files and photos are encrypted on your device before syncing. We cannot read their contents. FEATURES • Clipboard sync across all your paired devices • Clipboard history with search • Send photos and files between devices (Pro) • Buckets to keep clips organized • Read copied text aloud • Open links with one tap • A recovery key to restore access to your group HOW IT WORKS 1. Install Cross Paste on your phone and your computer 2. Scan the QR code to pair them 3. Copy text or a link on one device and pick it up on the other. Send files and photos with Pro. FREE AND PRO Cross Paste is free to use. The free version includes: • Up to 3 paired devices • 1 bucket • 24 hours of clipboard history Cross Paste Pro adds: • Unlimited devices • Up to 5 buckets • Unlimited clipboard history • Photo and file transfer between devices, up to 25 MB each Pro on one device covers every device in your group. Choose monthly, yearly or lifetime (pay once, Pro forever). The yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Start with free clipboard sync. Upgrade to Pro to send files and photos between your phone and PC. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

KDE Connect4 screens
Cross Paste4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: KDE Connect at 61% against Cross Paste's 0%. KDE Connect also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Cross Paste's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cross Paste sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. KDE Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KDE Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KDE Connect has 279 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of KDE Connect's written reviews are positive against 0% of Cross Paste's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KDE Connect ships an update every 3 months, Cross Paste monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
KDE Connect versus Cross Paste: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKDE ConnectCross Paste
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (279 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews60.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings279 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKDE e.V.Mobile Tech Media, LLC

Customer experience

KDE Connect

All ratings276 ratings
Positive79.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative16.3%
Written reviews342 reviews
Positive60.8%
Neutral10.5%
Negative28.7%

Cross Paste

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

KDE Connect

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Clipboard push feature not working
  • App crashes on launch for some users
  • Incompatibility with certain device/OS combinations
  • Inability to discover/connect to devices in some cases

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for background operation
  • Improve multi-file transfer capabilities
  • Integrate with system share sheet
  • Implement two-finger scrolling and other gestures
  • Add SMS/notification sync features

Cross Paste

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

KDE Connect

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Cross Paste

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cross Paste Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is KDE Connect free?
KDE Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cross Paste free?
Cross Paste is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, KDE Connect or Cross Paste?
KDE Connect is rated higher. KDE Connect averages 4.2 out of 5 from 279 ratings, while Cross Paste averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do KDE Connect or Cross Paste have ads?
Neither KDE Connect nor Cross Paste shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KDE Connect or Cross Paste?
KDE Connect ships an update every 3 months, and Cross Paste monthly. Most recently, KDE Connect was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cross Paste on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons