Comparison
Unclutter alternative: Shelfy vs Unclutter
Unclutter hides files, notes and clipboard history at the top of your screen. Shelfy shows the files you’re using beside the Dock, with your newest screenshots too.
Shelfy vs Unclutter at a glance
| Feature |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99, once | $19.99, once |
| Try before you buy | Live demo on this site | 10-day trial, 30-day money-back |
| Where to buy | shelfydock.com | Its website, Mac App Store, Setapp |
| Needs | macOS 14 Sonoma | macOS 10.13 High Sierra |
| Where it lives | Always beside the Dock | Hidden at the top of the screen |
| A place for files | Yes | Yes |
| Newest screenshots and downloads, already on a strip | Yes | No |
| Clipboard history | Last 20, if you turn it on | Yes |
| Notes | Simple notes on the shelf | Yes |
| Sync between Macs | No | iCloud Drive or Dropbox |
| Search with one shortcut | Yes | Full-text search in notes |
| Compress, convert, remove location, copy text, zip | Yes | No |
| Languages | English | 11 or more |
Unclutter facts are from unclutterapp.com, its license store, its changelog and its Mac App Store listing, checked November 4, 2026. The price before tax is $19.99 on its own store and on the Mac App Store.
What Unclutter is, and why people like it
Unclutter has been around a long time and has a loyal following. It lives out of sight at the top of the screen: move the pointer to the top edge and scroll down, or drag a file up there, and a panel pulls down with three parts. One holds files, one is a clipboard history, and one is a set of quick notes you can search.
It works on every screen and Space, including over full-screen apps, can sync through iCloud Drive or Dropbox, and its panels can be resized, turned off or kept on top. It costs $19.99 once, comes with a 10-day trial, and the website offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Where Unclutter is better
- Notes and clipboard as main tools. Unclutter’s notepad and clipboard history get their own panels and sync between Macs. Shelfy’s are simpler, and its focus is files.
- Sync. Through iCloud Drive or Dropbox, so your notes and files follow you between Macs.
- Out of sight until you want it. If you like a completely clear screen, its hidden panel is nice.
- Older Macs. It runs on macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later.
- A trial and a refund window. 10 days to try, and 30 days to change your mind. Shelfy’s sales are final.
- Languages. Translated into eleven or more; Shelfy is English only.
Where Shelfy is better
- You can see your files. They sit beside the Dock all day, so there’s no panel to pull down to remember what you put there.
- Your newest screenshots and downloads, waiting. Ten of each on the other side of the Dock, plus screenshots you only copied.
- Fix files before sending them. Compress, convert HEIC to JPEG, remove location and camera info, cut out a background, copy text or zip, each in one right-click, each as a new file.
- Keyboard first. ⇧⌘Space searches everything; ⌃⌥V pastes your newest screenshot.
- Half the price. $9.99 once for up to 3 Macs.
According to Shelfy, unless you turn on Clipboard History it reads only screenshots you copy with ⌃⇧⌘3 or ⌃⇧⌘4; with it on, it keeps the last twenty things you copy in memory and skips passwords that password managers mark as private.
Hi Sam, here’s everything for Friday.
Drag something here from the shelf.
Go ahead, drag a file onto the shelf.
This is Shelfy, working in your browser. Drag the desktop files onto the shelf (or tap them), right-click something on the shelf, and drag it into the message.
Which should you pick?
Pick Unclutter if you want a drawer. Notes, clipboard history and files tucked away at the top of the screen, synced between your Macs, is a great setup if you use all three.
Pick Shelfy if you want a shelf. The difference is visibility: what you put on Shelfy stays in view beside the Dock, next to the screenshot you just took and the file you just downloaded, so you don’t have to remember to look.
Unclutter’s 10-day trial and Shelfy’s in-browser demo make it easy to try both before you spend anything.
Questions about Shelfy and Unclutter
Is Shelfy a good Unclutter alternative?
For files, yes: Shelfy keeps the files you’re using beside the Dock where you can see them, and adds your newest screenshots and downloads. Shelfy has simple notes and a clipboard history too, but if you rely on Unclutter’s notepad or on syncing between Macs, stay with Unclutter.
Does Unclutter have a free trial or refunds?
Yes to both. Unclutter has a 10-day free trial and its website offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Shelfy has no trial and all sales are final, so try the live demo on its home page first.
Can Shelfy keep notes and clipboard history like Unclutter?
Yes, more simply, since version 0.3. New Note… puts a text note on the shelf, and the strip on the other side of the Dock can show the last twenty things you copied (it’s off unless you choose it, kept in memory, and skips passwords). Unclutter’s notes are a full notepad, and both its notes and its clipboard sync between Macs.
Which one can I see without opening it?
Shelfy. Its shelf sits beside the Dock all the time and hides only when the Dock does. Unclutter stays hidden at the top of the screen until you pull it down or drag a file up to it.
Do Unclutter and Shelfy sync between Macs?
Unclutter can sync through iCloud Drive or Dropbox. Shelfy doesn’t sync: each Mac keeps its own shelf, and one license works on up to 3 of your Macs.
Just want a shelf beside your Dock?
Shelfy is $9.99, once. No subscription, no account, free updates, and it works on up to 3 of your Macs.
- Shelf beside the Dock
- Newest screenshots & downloads
- Search with ⇧⌘Space
- One-click file fixes
$9.99
Get Shelfy for $9.99macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon and Intel · 3.8 MB · Signed and notarized by Apple
All sales are final, so try the demo first. Refund policy
Keep reading
Sources
- Unclutter, checked November 4, 2026
- Unclutter license store, checked November 4, 2026
- Unclutter on the Mac App Store, checked November 4, 2026
- Unclutter changelog, checked November 4, 2026
- Shelfy’s own facts, version 0.3.0