Short answer: if you mostly use Pushbullet for universal copy & paste, Syncer is a focused replacement — end-to-end encryption that's always on, native Linux and iPhone apps, and your synced clips inside your phone's keyboard.
First, what Pushbullet does well
Pushbullet does a lot more than clipboard sync: notification mirroring, texting from your computer, pushing files and links, sharing with friends. If you use those features, keep Pushbullet — Syncer doesn't try to replace them. Syncer does one thing, the clipboard, and tries to do it really well.
Encryption with no off switch
Pushbullet offers end-to-end encryption as an option you turn on by setting a password on each of your devices. In Syncer there's no switch to remember: every clip is encrypted on your device, and our relay only ever handles ciphertext it has no key to open. Each clip is deleted from the relay the moment your device fetches it — there's no plaintext on our servers, ever.
Linux and iPhone, as first-class apps
Pushbullet doesn't offer an official native Linux app. Syncer ships native apps for Linux, iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, all sharing the same clipboard — so the terminal on your Linux box and the keyboard on your iPhone see the same clips.
Your clipboard, on your phone's keyboard
Syncer comes with its own keyboard for Android and iPhone. Copy a link on your laptop, open any app on your phone, and tap the clip on the Syncer keyboard — it's pasted at your cursor. No notification to tap, no app to open.
Syncer vs. Pushbullet for clipboard sync
| Syncer | Pushbullet | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Clipboard sync | Notifications, SMS, file pushes and clipboard |
| End-to-end encryption | Always on | Optional — set a password on each device |
| Native Linux app | Yes | No official app |
| Clipboard history in a phone keyboard | Yes | No |
Pushbullet features as publicly documented at time of writing. Pushbullet is a capable tool with a much wider feature set than Syncer.
Text today. Syncer syncs text — links, codes, commands, addresses, notes. Image and screenshot sync is planned, not shipped.
Phone → computer takes a tap. Android 10+ and iOS both stop apps from reading the clipboard in the background, so a copy made on your phone goes out when you tap Sync in Syncer or on the Syncer keyboard. Computer → phone needs nothing: the clip is waiting on the Syncer keyboard.
An account is required. A quick email sign-in links your devices so only they can read your clips — it never gives Syncer the ability to read your clipboard.
End-to-end encrypted, so we can't read your clipboard
- Sealed on your device. Every clip is encrypted with XChaCha20-Poly1305 under a clipboard key that only your paired devices hold — before it ever leaves the device you copied on.
- Signal-verified pairing. Syncer uses the Signal Protocol to verify each new device and hand your clipboard key over safely. New devices need explicit approval from one you already trust, and you can revoke any device instantly.
- A relay that only sees ciphertext. Our servers pass along sealed blobs they have no key to open, and delete each one the moment your device fetches it. Anything unfetched expires within 7 days.
- Passwords stay put. Passwords and anything your OS or password manager marks sensitive are never synced — they stay on the device you copied them on.
- Backups only you can open. Optional backups are sealed with a key derived from your PIN using Argon2id and encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Your PIN never leaves your device.
The full model — including the honest trade-offs — is on our security page.
Try Syncer alongside Pushbullet
Install it on two devices and copy something. It's free.
Free. Also on Mac, iPhone — all downloads.
Questions
Is Syncer a full Pushbullet replacement?
Only for the clipboard. Pushbullet also mirrors notifications, sends SMS from your computer and pushes files. Syncer focuses on clipboard sync — if you use Pushbullet mainly for universal copy & paste, Syncer covers that across more platforms.
Can Syncer's servers read my clipboard?
No. End-to-end encryption is always on in Syncer — there's no setting to forget. Clips are encrypted on your device, and the relay only ever sees ciphertext, deleting each clip once your device fetches it.
Does Syncer work on Linux and iPhone?
Yes. Syncer has native apps for Linux and iPhone, alongside Android, Windows and Mac, all sharing one clipboard.