Ortu for Windows
A free, open-source clipboard manager for Windows
Ortu gives Windows a clipboard history worth using: every copy — text, images and files — kept locally, searchable instantly, and one hotkey away over any app. It is MIT licensed and local-first, with no account, no cloud and no telemetry. Built with Rust and Tauri, so it installs small and stays light on memory.
Installing on Windows
Download the installer
Take the .exe (NSIS) installer from the latest release — or the .msi if you deploy that way — and run it.
If SmartScreen warns you
Windows shows "Windows protected your PC" for installers that are not yet code-signed. Click More info, then Run anyway. Ortu is open source, so you can review exactly what you are installing before you do.
Start using it
Ortu lives in the system tray and starts with Windows. Press Alt+V anywhere to bring up the quick popup.
Windows keyboard shortcuts
| Open the quick popup | Alt + V |
|---|---|
| Copy selection into the paste stack | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Paste next item from the stack | Alt + Shift + V |
| Quick copy by position | Ctrl + 1 – 9 |
| Pin / unpin a clip | Ctrl + P |
| Dismiss | Esc |
The three global hotkeys are rebindable in Settings → Global Shortcuts.
Good to know on Windows
- Ortu goes further than the built-in Win+V history: it keeps images and file references, groups clips automatically, searches full-text, and encrypts anything that looks like a secret.
- All three global hotkeys are rebindable in Settings → Global Shortcuts, including combinations that use the Windows key.
- Copy-to-stack sends the OS copy command to whatever app is focused, then queues the result. Paste-next pastes the queue back one item at a time, in order.
- History is stored in a local SQLite database on your PC. The only network request Ortu makes is an update check against GitHub.
Questions about Ortu on Windows
Windows SmartScreen is blocking the Ortu installer. Is it safe?
The warning appears because the installer is not yet code-signed, not because anything is wrong with it. Click More info, then Run anyway. Ortu is open source and built in public CI, so you can review the source and the build workflow before installing.
How is Ortu different from the built-in Windows clipboard history (Win+V)?
Win+V keeps a short, text-oriented list. Ortu keeps a durable local history of text, images and file references, adds full-text search, automatic grouping, pinning, a paste stack for pasting several items in sequence, encryption at rest for detected secrets, and rebindable hotkeys.
Does Ortu send my clipboard to the cloud?
No. Ortu is local-first. Clipboard history stays in a local database on your machine, there is no account or sync, and there is no telemetry.
Is Ortu really free?
Yes — MIT licensed and free of charge, with no paid tier and no subscription.