The aText alternative that’s free forever and works on every device you own.
TextExpander is a text expander with one account for Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone, and iPad, and Snippets synced in real time. No trial clock, no per-platform licenses, and a shared library for up to 5 teammates on the free plan.
Free forever · No credit card required · 30-day preview of advanced features
Four reasons people switch from aText.
aText is a capable desktop text expander for Mac and Windows. TextExpander follows you to your phone, your browser, and your team, starting free.
A free plan, not a free trial.
TextExpander’s free plan never expires. Use it for work, on every device, with a small team, from day one. No trial clock 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
- 21-day free trial on Mac, plus a limited free version
- A paid license is required after the trial
- Mac and Windows licenses are bought separately
- No iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome, or web app
- No hosted accounts or team admin; sharing runs through a synced folder
aText plan details from trankynam.com/atext, its license page, and its Mac and Windows changelogs, November 2026.
TextExpander vs aText, feature by feature.
Checked against aText’s own site and changelogs, and TextExpander’s current plans, November 2026.
| Feature | TextExpander | aText |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ||
| Free forever plan | Yes, free forever with no credit card | No. 21-day trial |
| Free for work use | Yes, work use is allowed on the free plan | Trial only |
| Unlimited saved Snippets on the free plan | Yes, unlimited saved Snippets, 5 active at a time | No |
| Share with a team on the free plan | Yes, with up to 5 teammates | No |
| Mobile access on the free plan | Yes, the iPhone and iPad app | No |
| Works where you work | ||
| macOS app | Yes, a native Mac app | Yes |
| Windows app | Yes, a native Windows app | Yes |
| Chrome extension | Yes | No |
| iPhone and iPad app | Yes, on the App Store | No |
| One account covers every platform | Yes. Every plan, including Free | No. Separate Mac and Windows licenses |
| Built-in hosted sync across devices | Yes | Self-managed cloud folder |
| Regular product updates | Yes | Latest releases September 2024 |
| Built for teams | ||
| Shared Snippet libraries with permissions | Yes. Every plan | Shared folder, no permissions |
| Snippet Requests with admin review and approval | Yes. Business | Not advertised |
| Limited role to control who adds to the shared library | Yes. Enterprise | Not advertised |
| Snippet version history, revert, and restore | Yes. Unlimited on Enterprise | Local daily backups |
| Guest sharing outside your organization | Yes. Business | Not advertised |
| Organization usage statistics | Yes. Export from Pro | Not advertised |
| Single sign-on | Yes. Google SSO on Business | Not advertised |
| SCIM user provisioning | Enterprise | Not advertised |
| Smart Snippets and AI | ||
| Fill-in fields and forms | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional Sections with nested branches | Yes | Not advertised |
| Delay macro for slow-loading forms and CRMs | Yes | Not advertised |
| Publish a Snippet as a shareable link | Yes | Not advertised |
| JavaScript, AppleScript, and shell script Snippets | Yes. Pro | Keystroke scripts, AppleScript on Mac |
| AI Snippet suggestions | Yes. AI Recommended Snippets | Not advertised |
| MCP access for AI agents | Yes | Not advertised |
| Security and compliance | ||
| SOC 2 | Yes. SOC 2 and SOC 3 | Not advertised |
| HIPAA compliance with a BAA | Yes. BAA available on request | Not advertised |
Why people switch from aText to TextExpander.
One account. Every device.
aText is a lightweight text expander that works well for one person on a Mac or PC. If you also type on an iPhone, iPad, or in Chrome, one TextExpander account covers every platform on every plan, and a Snippet you create on your Mac is ready on your phone a moment later.
- Native apps for Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad
- Chrome extension for web apps
- Snippets sync across devices in real time
- No cloud folders to set up or keep in sync
A real shared library, not a shared folder.
Up to 5 people can share Snippets on the free plan, with permissions on every Group. With aText, collaborating means pointing everyone at the same Dropbox or network folder, with no admin console and no view of what your team uses.
- Shared Snippet Groups with expand, edit, and manage permissions
- Edit a Snippet once and everyone with access gets the update
- Snippet Requests and guest sharing on Business
- Organization statistics to see what’s actually used
Actively built, security-reviewed, and AI-ready.
TextExpander is SOC 2 and SOC 3 certified and HIPAA compliant, with a BAA available on request, and recent releases added an iPhone and iPad app, Snippet Requests, and MCP access for AI assistants. As of November 2026, aText’s changelogs list its latest releases as September 2024.
- AI Recommended Snippets in Chrome
- MCP access so AI agents can use your Snippets
- Google SSO on Business; all providers and SCIM on Enterprise
- JavaScript, AppleScript, and shell scripts for power users
What customers say about TextExpander.
“I like TextExpander because it greatly improves the efficiency of our teams… The initial setup was very easy, making it a simple transition for us.”
“I like that TextExpander is really easy to use… The forms allow for really customized templates, and utilizing the answer fields is really helpful.”
Admin controls for a shared library, not a shared folder.
A synced folder works for sharing snippets between a few people. Once a team relies on them, you need to know who changed what, who can publish, and who has access. Here’s what TextExpander gives admins.
Approval workflows with Snippet Requests
On Business and Enterprise, team members submit new Snippets or edits for review. Assigned admins and editors approve and publish them from one Requests queue, so the shared library changes only after someone checks it.
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 records each change to a Snippet, so you can revert to an earlier version or restore a deleted one. History covers 24 hours on Pro, 7 days on Business, and is unlimited 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 which Snippets members share, review who belongs to each team, and track time saved and most-used Snippets in organization statistics. Export is included from Pro up; customized reporting is on Enterprise.
Move from aText in an afternoon.
Copy your aText abbreviations and content into a spreadsheet with “abbreviation” and “snippet” columns (or use a CSV export if your version offers one), save it as a CSV, and upload it on the Import/Export page at textexpander.com. Plain text transfers cleanly. Rebuild aText fields and scripts with TextExpander fill-ins, date options, and script Snippets.
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.