TextExpander

Overview

TextExpander turns short typed shortcuts into reusable text across supported devices and apps. It suits people and teams that repeat the same wording, especially those who need shared snippets or dynamic content; the free tier is a useful starting point, but five active snippets make it a narrow long-term option.

New accounts get a 30-day preview of advanced features, then move automatically to Free with five snippets still active. The free account remains available indefinitely without a credit card, though replacing an active snippet is limited to once every two weeks.

Key features

• Cross-device expansion: Snippets expand after a few keystrokes across supported devices and apps, making the core time-saving function useful beyond a single desktop environment.
• Dynamic content: Paid plans add features such as date math and JavaScript. That makes them more suitable than Free for repeat text that must change with context.
• Sharing and history: Free sharing covers up to five team members across three teams. Paid plans remove the team-count cap; Pro retains 24-hour snippet activity history, while Business extends it to seven days. The longer history is the clearer fit for teams that need a wider activity window.
• Enterprise administration: Enterprise can include SSO, SCIM, customized reporting, and advanced security and admin controls, and is built for teams with SOC 2, SOC 3, and HIPAA compliance. It is the relevant tier for organizations with those requirements, rather than a simple upgrade for an individual.
• Integrations and support: Named integrations include Zendesk, Salesforce, Epic, Cerner, and HelpScout. Community and email support are available, with priority support on paid plans.

Pricing

Free costs nothing, lasts indefinitely, and requires no credit card. It allows five active snippets and sharing with up to five members across three teams. That is enough to try the workflow or keep a small personal library, but the two-week swap limit makes it impractical for frequent rotation.

Pro costs $5 a month, billed annually at $60 USD per user; monthly billing is also available. It provides unlimited active snippets and teams plus 24-hour snippet activity history. It is the lower-cost paid choice for individuals or smaller groups that need room to grow, but its history window is shorter than Business.

Business costs $10 a month, billed annually at $120 USD per user; monthly billing is also available. It includes unlimited active snippets and teams, with seven-day activity history. Teams that benefit from the longer review window have a concrete reason to pay twice Pro's annualized monthly rate.

Enterprise has custom pricing based on needs and usage, with advanced security and admin controls. It fits organizations seeking those controls and compliance support, while its custom pricing makes it less straightforward to budget than the per-user tiers.

Prices are in USD and exclude tax; VAT or GST may be added at checkout. Users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel from account settings at any time.

Platforms

TextExpander supports macOS, Windows, Chrome, Linux through the Chrome extension, iPhone and iPad, and a web app. This breadth suits people who move between desktop and mobile, though Linux support depends on using Chrome rather than a separate Linux app.

Who it's for

Choose TextExpander if recurring text is a regular part of your work and you want snippets available across devices, with paid options for dynamic content and team sharing. Free is best for a small, stable set of shortcuts or an initial preview. Individuals and teams needing unlimited snippets can start with Pro; Business makes more sense when seven-day activity history matters. Look elsewhere if five free snippets are too restrictive and a paid subscription is not worthwhile.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Snippets work across supported devices and apps, so a library is not confined to one platform.
• Pro: The permanent free tier needs no credit card and supports limited team sharing, making it possible to keep a small shared library at no charge.
• Pro: Paid plans scale from unlimited snippets on Pro to longer activity history and enterprise controls at higher tiers.
• Con: Free permits only five active snippets and one swap every two weeks, a significant constraint for changing or expanding libraries.
• Con: Pro's history is only 24 hours; teams wanting seven days must move to Business.
• Con: Enterprise pricing is custom, so it is less predictable than the fixed per-user plans.

Alternatives

For more options, browse Text Expanders Software or Text Expansion Software.

• Briskine is worth considering if its free allowance of 30 templates for one person is a better fit than TextExpander's five snippets, or if Android support matters.
• PhraseExpress offers a free plan and trial, with a Standard lifetime license that includes 12 months of updates and upgrades; consider it if that licensing structure suits you better.
• typedesk has a free personal tier with 50 uses per week for one user, which may suit someone who prefers a weekly usage allowance to a five-snippet cap.
• Espanso is a free, open-source option under the GPL-3 license for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Text Blaze offers a free plan with limited snippets and sharing, among other limited features.
• AutoKey is a free GPL v3 Linux and X11 desktop utility.
• Magical offers an individual Core plan and team-oriented Advanced plan.
• Rocket Typist has a free macOS and iOS option limited to 10 snippets.

Verdict

TextExpander is a strong fit for people and teams that want reusable text across platforms and are willing to pay for an unlimited library, dynamic content, or collaboration at scale. Its permanent free tier is a low-friction start, but five active snippets and the slow swap cadence are its main constraint; choose another tool if you need more room without moving to a paid plan.