Text expansion tools help automate repetitive typing, and there are even free options that offer basic snippet expansion.
For example, many operating systems include simple text replacement features. Various free or open-source apps can also expand abbreviations into longer text.
We identified 13 of the top tools and have presented them below in this guide.
It’s important to note, however, that these free text expander options provide only partial functionality. They are limited to plain text expansions or restricted to specific platforms. None match the full range of features that TextExpander offers.
Is there a free TextExpander?
Even though TextExpander is a paid product, it provides some free access options for users to try its capabilities.
New users can sign up for a fully functional 30-day free trial (no credit card required) at https://textexpander.com/get-started.
Meanwhile, on iPhones and iPads, TextExpander offers a custom keyboard that allows snippet expansion without a subscription, giving mobile users a taste of its functionality.
Both free options allow individuals and teams to evaluate TextExpander’s benefits before deciding on a paid plan.
Moving on, below is our tool-by-tool comparison, highlighting how each alternative stacks up and why none fully replace TextExpander’s comprehensive capabilities.
Apple text replacement (macOS/iOS)
Apple’s built-in Text Replacement offers simple, system-wide text shortcuts on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It syncs via iCloud and is free, making it handy for basic snippets.
However, it’s limited to Apple platforms and not all apps support it (e.g. expansions won’t trigger in some third-party editors like Microsoft Word). It also only handles plain text and cannot preserve rich formatting or handle lengthy, multi-paragraph entries.
Unlike TextExpander, there are no fill-in fields or dynamic macros, and you cannot centrally share snippet libraries with a team.
Raycast snippets (macOS)
Raycast, a Mac productivity app, includes a text snippet expansion feature integrated with its launcher. It supports quick keyword expansions and even basic dynamic placeholders like dates. Raycast has added Teams features such as sharing snippets within an organization.
Despite this, Raycast is currently Mac-only and lacks TextExpander’s advanced options like styled text, images, or fillable form fields. Its team sharing is limited to Raycast users on Mac, and there’s no native Windows or mobile keyboard support, falling short of TextExpander’s cross-platform reach and rich snippet functionality.
Gboard personal dictionary (Android/iOS)
Google’s Gboard keyboard lets you define a personal dictionary of shortcuts that expand into longer text. It’s convenient on mobile: for example, typing “addr” can suggest your full address. The dictionary can sync with your Google account across devices, so your shortcuts follow you to new phones.
However, Gboard expansions appear as suggestions on the keyboard (requiring a tap to insert) rather than true automatic replacements. They only work when using Gboard as your keyboard and support plain text only–there are no formatting options, dynamic fields, or team sharing capabilities. This makes Gboard useful for simple personal text snippets on the go, but far less powerful than TextExpander for complex or collaborative needs.
SwiftKey clipboard shortcuts (Android/iOS)
Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard includes a clipboard manager that can save frequently used text snippets and assign shortcuts to them. When you type the shortcut, the saved phrase appears on the prediction bar for one-tap insertion. This allows quick pasting of email addresses, stock replies, and so on. SwiftKey’s clipboard snippets are capped in length (each clip is limited to around 1,000 characters) and the app can store up to 30 clips.
While handy for mobile productivity, these shortcuts function only within the SwiftKey keyboard environment. They don’t support rich text or placeholders, and there’s no way to sync or share the snippets with others (aside from manually duplicating them on each device). It’s a lightweight solution compared to TextExpander’s robust, multi-device snippet system.
Beeftext (Windows)
Beeftext is a free, open-source text expander for Windows PCs. It allows you to define “combos”–short trigger words that automatically expand into longer text–and works in any application that accepts standard input. This makes it useful for basic automation of repetitive typing on Windows.
However, Beeftext only supports plain text expansions with no dynamic content support. You can’t create fill-in forms, date calculations, or styled text snippets as in TextExpander.
Beeftext also lacks any built-in sync or cloud component: it’s limited to a single PC (though you might manually share combo files). There’s no collaboration feature for teams. In short, Beeftext covers the fundamentals on Windows, but it doesn’t offer the cross-platform reach or advanced snippet features that TextExpander provides.
Keysmith (macOS)
Keysmith is a Mac-only automation and macro app. It lets users record keyboard and mouse actions or define shortcuts to automate tasks, including inserting preset text. In essence, you can create simple text expansions or even more complex macros to streamline workflows. Keysmith does support basic text substitution and has a free tier (limited to 5 macros).
That said, it falls short on text automation depth. It lacks advanced snippet features–you won’t have formatted text, dynamic prompts, or JavaScript-driven content as you do in TextExpander. There’s also no snippet sharing or cloud sync, since Keysmith is focused on personal macros on one Mac. For automating a few tasks on Mac, Keysmith is effective, but it isn’t a dedicated text expander and cannot replicate TextExpander’s powerful text templating and team capabilities.
MacroDroid (Android)
MacroDroid is an automation app for Android that allows you to create custom macros on your phone. It’s often touted as the “number one automation app on Android,” letting you automate 100+ different actions via triggers and logic (for example, automatically sending texts, toggling settings, etc.). In theory, one could configure MacroDroid to paste or input certain text when a specific event occurs (some advanced users attempt to mimic text expansion by detecting input patterns).
However, MacroDroid doesn’t natively integrate with the keyboard the way a true text expander does. Setting up a “text expansion” macro might require hacky workarounds (e.g. using accessibility features to detect and replace text) and would be far less seamless than TextExpander’s real-time typing expansions.
Additionally, MacroDroid is confined to Android and has no direct counterpart on iOS or desktop. It’s a powerful tool for phone automation, but for on-demand snippet insertion and cross-device consistency, MacroDroid isn’t an equivalent replacement for TextExpander.
Microsoft Power Automate Desktop (Windows)
Power Automate Desktop (PAD) is Microsoft’s official RPA (Robotic Process Automation) solution for Windows 10/11, provided free of charge. It enables users to build automated workflows by recording actions (like opening apps, clicking buttons, typing text) and playing them back as needed. In essence, you can create a script or macro to perform multi-step tasks, such as generating a report or populating forms.
While you could set up a PAD flow to insert text (e.g. trigger a snippet paste via a hotkey), this tool is overkill for basic text expansion and not designed for that instant, inline use case. There’s no quick abbreviation -> expansion mechanism; you’d have to run a macro each time.
Moreover, PAD works only on Windows and is closely tied into the Microsoft ecosystem. It doesn’t offer an iOS/Mac equivalent for on-the-go use, nor does it provide TextExpander’s rich text formatting or fill-in fields. For everyday fast typing across platforms, PAD is not an ideal substitute for TextExpander’s specialized snippet features.
Apple Shortcuts (iOS/iPadOS/macOS)
Apple’s Shortcuts app allows users to create custom multi-step automations on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. With Shortcuts, you can program sequences of actions. For example, a shortcut could ask for input and then output a block of text, or copy a template message to clipboard. This flexibility means you can craft a rudimentary text expansion workflow (especially on Mac, using AppleScript or the clipboard).
However, using Shortcuts for text snippets is not nearly as fluid or integrated as TextExpander. Shortcuts are typically invoked manually (via a tap, Siri command, or keyboard shortcut) rather than triggered automatically by a typed abbreviation. There’s no native feature to expand text inline across all apps purely by typing.
Additionally, Shortcuts only runs on Apple devices. While Shortcuts shines for custom Apple-centric automation, it doesn’t deliver the seamless, cross-platform typing augmentation or team sharing that TextExpander offers out-of-the-box.
Browser autofill
Modern web browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Safari include autofill features to save you time on web forms. They can store common personal information – such as names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and payment details – and then automatically fill those into corresponding form fields. This is great for speeding through repetitive form entries (e.g. shipping addresses or signup forms).
However, browser autofill is limited in scope: it works only inside web browsers and only for recognized field types. You can’t use it to expand a generic snippet in a random desktop app or compose a long email template; it’s triggered by form field contexts and often requires you to select a suggested entry. There’s also no formatting or dynamic logic – it’s just stored static data.
While browsers do sync this info across your devices when signed in (handy for consistency), there’s no team collaboration element (you wouldn’t share your personal autofill info with others). In short, browser autofill handles repetitive data in forms but cannot replace a full-featured text expander for all-purpose content insertion.
Bitwarden (auto-fill identities)
Bitwarden is a password manager that, beyond storing logins, also stores “Identities” and other secure info for users. These identity entries contain personal details like your name, address, company, phone number, etc. Bitwarden’s browser extension can detect when a webpage is asking for that kind of information and offer to autofill identities, similar to a browser’s autofill. This makes it easier to fill out contact forms, registration pages, or checkout screens with your saved personal data. Bitwarden recently introduced inline autofill for identities and payment cards, so it’s fairly convenient for web use.
Still, Bitwarden is not a general text expansion tool – it doesn’t let you define arbitrary snippet shortcuts for use in emails or documents. You typically have to invoke the Bitwarden extension and choose which identity to fill, rather than typing a short abbreviation.
Moreover, its focus is on security and credential management; any sharing features are meant for vault items among team members (e.g. sharing a company address login), not for collaborative text snippet libraries. As a result, Bitwarden can cover specific form-filling scenarios but lacks the flexible snippet composition, rich formatting, and app-wide expansion triggers that TextExpander provides.
LastPass (form fill profiles)
LastPass, another popular password manager, offers functionality similar to Bitwarden for filling common form fields. Users can create form fill profiles or use secure notes to store things like addresses, credit card info, bank details, and more, then easily fill those into web forms. LastPass essentially can serve as an autofill tool for personal data on websites, saving you from retyping the same info. It also allows sharing of items or notes with others securely if needed (for example, a team might share a company credit card profile).
However, like other password managers, LastPass is not intended for arbitrary snippet expansions in everyday writing. You won’t be able to set a custom trigger to expand text in your email client or IDE using LastPass. You would need to open the vault or use its extension to copy or fill the data.
Additionally, LastPass operates within the browser or its own app; it’s not a keyboard utility for all applications. It does not support rich text or dynamic placeholders for on-the-fly customization. In summary, LastPass can auto-fill saved data for web forms and logins, but it doesn’t replace the versatility of TextExpander for general text automation and team sharing of text templates.
Form filler extensions (Browser)
Dedicated form filler extensions (such as Form Filler or AutoFill Forms for Chrome) are tools specifically made to populate web forms with pre-defined data. You can save one or more profiles containing details like name, address, email, company, etc., and with one click the extension will fill every matching field on the page. These are very useful for software testers or anyone who frequently fills out similar forms. Some form filler extensions even generate dummy data for testing.
Despite their utility, they operate solely within web browsers. They don’t hook into your OS’s keyboard input, meaning they won’t help if you’re, say, in a desktop app or composing an email. The content is usually limited to the fields on the form and often plain text. There’s also no concept of dynamic content or conditional text; it’s strictly a fill-from-profile action. Collaboration is not a focus either (though you could export/import settings manually if needed).
Essentially, form filler extensions solve a narrow problem (fast form completion) and do it well, but they don’t offer the broad text expansion, formatting, or cross-application support that TextExpander delivers.
Why consider a paid version of TextExpander
Each of the above tools provides a piece of the text expansion puzzle. Be it basic autocomplete, form filling, or single-platform macros, none offer the full package that TextExpander does.
TextExpander remains unique in combining all these capabilities into one solution:
- It works across Mac, Windows, ChromeOS, and iOS, so your snippets are available everywhere you work.
- It handles rich formatting and media (styled text, images) and allows truly dynamic content through macros, calculated dates, optional sections, and fill-in fields.
- Crucially, snippet libraries can be shared and updated centrally, ensuring everyone on the team uses consistent messaging and up-to-date information.
While alternatives can save you a few dollars per month–just $3.33 for individuals–TextExpander’s comprehensive feature set and multi-platform support make it the most powerful, flexible, and team-friendly text expansion tool available.
It not only replicates what the others do individually, but integrates those functions into a single, streamlined workflow–which is why it continues to be the go-to solution for professionals looking to maximize typing.
