The Alfred alternative with text expansion that’s free forever, on every device.
No add-on to buy and no Mac-only limits. Snippets on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone, and iPad, synced in real time, with fill-ins and sharing for up to 5 teammates on the free plan.
Free forever · No credit card required · 30-day preview of advanced features
Four reasons to move your snippets off Alfred.
Alfred is a Mac launcher, and its snippets are a paid add-on. TextExpander is built entirely around text expansion, on every device and for every team.
Text expansion on the free plan, not behind a paywall.
TextExpander’s free plan includes text expansion from day one: on every device, with a small team, for work. No trial clock, no license to buy, and no credit card.
- Unlimited saved Snippets, 5 active at a time
- Works on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone, and iPad
- Share Snippets with up to 5 team members
- AI Recommended Snippets and MCP access for AI agents
- Fill-ins, dates, date picker, and Snippet Groups
- Use it for work, no credit card required
- Free app is a Mac launcher with no snippets or text expansion
- Snippets and text expansion require the paid Powerpack
- Powerpack licenses are for personal use on your own Macs
- macOS only, with no Windows app or browser extension
- Alfred Remote for iPhone and iPad controls your Mac but does not expand text on iOS
Alfred details from alfredapp.com help, Powerpack, and Alfred Remote pages, September 2026.
TextExpander vs Alfred, feature by feature.
Focused on text expansion. Checked against Alfred’s own site and TextExpander’s latest releases, September 2026.
| Feature | TextExpander | Alfred |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ||
| Free forever plan | Launcher only | |
| Text expansion on the free plan | Powerpack required | |
| Unlimited saved Snippets on the free plan | ||
| Share with a team on the free plan | ||
| Mobile access on the free plan | ||
| Works where you work | ||
| macOS app | ||
| Windows app | ||
| Chrome extension | ||
| iPhone and iPad app | Remote control for the Mac only | |
| Text expansion on iPhone and iPad | ||
| Built-in sync across all your devices | Account sync, every plan | Own Macs via a sync folder |
| Built for teams | ||
| Shared Snippet libraries with permissions | Every plan | Export and import files only |
| Snippet Requests with admin review and approval | Business | Not advertised |
| Limited role to control who adds to the shared library | Enterprise | Not advertised |
| Snippet version history, revert, and restore | Unlimited on Enterprise | Not advertised |
| Guest sharing outside your organization | Business | Not advertised |
| Organization usage statistics | Export on Business | |
| Single sign-on | Google SSO on Business | Not advertised |
| SCIM user provisioning | Enterprise | Not advertised |
| Smart Snippets and AI | ||
| Fill-in fields and forms | Automatic placeholders only | |
| Conditional Sections with nested branches | Not advertised | |
| Delay macro for slow-loading forms and CRMs | Not advertised | |
| Publish a Snippet as a shareable link | Not advertised | |
| JavaScript, AppleScript, and shell script Snippets | Pro | Scripts via Powerpack workflows |
| AI Snippet suggestions | AI Recommended Snippets | Not advertised |
| MCP access for AI agents | Not advertised | |
| Security and compliance | ||
| SOC 2 | SOC 2 and SOC 3 | Not advertised |
| HIPAA compliance with a BAA | BAA available on request | Not advertised |
A dedicated text expander, not a launcher add-on.
Your Snippets on every device, not just your Mac.
Create a Snippet on your Mac and it’s ready on your Windows PC, in Chrome, and on your iPhone a moment later. TextExpander for iPhone and iPad is on the App Store. Alfred runs only on macOS, and Alfred Remote controls your Mac rather than expanding text on your phone.
- Native apps for Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad
- Chrome extension for web apps
- Snippets sync across devices in real time, no sync folder to set up
- The same Snippets work in every app you type in
One shared library, not a copy on every Mac.
Alfred Powerpack licenses are personal, and sharing snippets means exporting a file that each colleague imports into their own copy, which then drifts out of date. With TextExpander, up to 5 people share Snippets on the free plan, and every edit reaches the whole team instantly.
- Shared Snippet Groups with view and edit permissions
- Updates reach every teammate instantly
- Snippet Requests and guest sharing on Business
- Organization statistics to see what’s actually used
Fill-in forms and a security review you can pass.
TextExpander Snippets can prompt for a name, a date, or optional sections as they expand, so one template covers every variation. Alfred snippets fill in placeholders automatically but have no interactive fill-ins. TextExpander is also SOC 2 and SOC 3 certified and HIPAA compliant, with a BAA available on request.
- Fill-in fields and a date picker on the free plan
- Conditional fill-ins, nested Snippets, and the delay macro on Pro
- Google SSO on Business; all providers and SCIM on Enterprise
- AI Recommended Snippets and MCP access for AI agents
What teams tell us they need.
“You guys are kind of the only one that works both in Chrome and Outlook and then has an admin capability where we can… control the main messages.”
“We need a central platform. If more of the doctors get on board, we have to be able to manage all of them from one system.”
“This tool has been a game changer… [It] has saved us a lot of time and also has a lot of newer features… that just allows us to be more efficient.”
Admin controls that keep a growing library accurate.
Alfred has no shared snippet library or admin console. TextExpander ships the governance tools large teams ask for, so thousands of Snippets stay on-brand, approved, and secure.
Approval workflows with Snippet Requests
Team members submit complete, formatted Snippets or edits. Assigned admins and editors review, approve, and publish from a dedicated Requests queue with filters and notification badges.
Limited role for a trusted library
On Enterprise, decide who can add to your shared library. Assign the Limited role to people or whole Teams, so new members can use approved content and submit ideas without publishing directly.
Official and shared content, clearly separated
Organization and Shared tabs show which Snippet Groups are admin-curated and which were shared between teammates. Admins can promote, move, or return any Group.
Version history, revert, and restore
Snippet Activity tracks every change to your Snippets. Revert to a previous version or restore a deleted Snippet in seconds, with unlimited history on Enterprise.
SSO, SCIM, and domain controls
Google SSO on Business. All SSO providers, SCIM provisioning, and enforced email domains on Enterprise, plus sign-up by email domain and configurable session timeouts.
Visibility and reporting
See every Snippet members share with each other, audit team membership, and track time saved and top Snippets with organization statistics, export, and customized reporting.
Move from Alfred in an afternoon.
Alfred’s collection export is designed for other Alfred users, so the simplest route is a spreadsheet. Copy each Alfred keyword and its text into “abbreviation” and “snippet” columns, one file per Snippet Group, then upload it on the Import/Export page at textexpander.com. Swap Alfred placeholders for TextExpander equivalents, and turn off matching Alfred keywords so the two apps don’t both expand.
Moving a whole team? Send us your export and our team will help convert it into a TextExpander import. Talk to us
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before switching to TextExpander.