aText vs TextExpander

aText

• People who want a low-cost text expander on a Mac or a Windows PC
• Syncing snippets between Windows and macOS through a cloud folder already in use
• Work inside virtual machines and remote desktop sessions

TextExpander

• Support and sales teams that send the same replies many times a day
• Individuals who retype the same emails, addresses or code fragments
• Teams that need the same approved wording on Mac and Windows

aText

• Mac and Windows licenses are separate purchases; a license for one platform does not work on the other.
• A license for version 3 for macOS does not cover version 2 or a future version 4, and there is no upgrade discount from version 2.
• The website's downloads are dated 2024: version 3.21 for macOS, listed for macOS 10.12 to 15, and version 1.41 for Windows.
• Personal One year and Floating licenses expire after a year, and the site does not say what the free Windows version leaves out.

TextExpander

• The free plan keeps only 5 snippets active at a time, with 1 swap every 2 weeks.
• Pro is limited to 5 users; larger teams need Business at $10 per user a month billed annually.
• The download page lists Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and a Chrome extension; no Android or Linux app is listed.
• Single sign-on starts on Business with Google only; other SSO providers and SCIM need Enterprise.

aText

Abbreviation expansion

Typing an abbreviation in any application replaces it with a phrase you defined. Snippets can also be searched and inserted without typing the abbreviation.

Rich text snippets

Snippets can hold formatted text, images and attachments for insertion into apps such as Word, Mail, Outlook, Pages and Gmail.

Fields, dates and scripts

Advanced functions include editable fields, date and time calculations, generated keystrokes, mouse scripts and scripting; the Windows app supports Batch, PowerShell, JavaScript and VBScript.

Auto-correction and built-in snippets

Capitalizes new sentences and corrects double capitals, and ships with snippet sets for common misspellings, HTML and JavaScript coding, and emoji.

Sync and sharing

Data syncs through OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive or a shared network folder, between Macs and Windows PCs, and can be shared in a multi-user setup.

Virtual machines and remote desktops

The vendor says aText works in virtual machines and remote desktop clients, and offers a configurator for adapting it to individual applications.

TextExpander

Snippets and abbreviations

Save text you type often as a snippet, then insert it by typing its abbreviation or by searching snippet titles and content inline.

Fill-ins and dynamic content

Snippets can prompt for fill-in-the-blank fields and nest other snippets. Date and time math and JavaScript snippets are part of the paid plans.

Rich text snippets

Snippets can carry images, fonts, colors and links, or take on the formatting of the place where they expand.

Shared snippet groups

Share groups of snippets with a team and set who can view, edit or manage them. Free and Pro allow 5 team members; Business removes the limit.

AI Recommendations

In the Chrome extension, TextExpander suggests relevant snippets from your library based on what you are working on.

Statistics

Reports snippets expanded and an estimate of hours and dollars saved. Organization-wide statistics come with Business and Enterprise.

aText

• Personal One year$4.99

  for one year, 1 user; does not renew automatically

  One user on up to 3 computers. The license cannot be moved between computers and expires after a year without an automatic charge.

• Personal Lifetime$29.99

  one-time purchase, 1 user

  One user on up to 5 computers, with transfers between computers allowed up to 5 activations a year.

• Business$29.99

  one-time, per computer; $14.99 or $9.99 at volume

  A lifetime license for one computer with unlimited users. The single-license price is set higher to deter personal use.

• Floating$9.99

  per concurrent user, for one year

  One concurrent user at a time on unlimited computers, with a 30-minute seat time-out. Needs an internet connection; suggested for the portable version.

TextExpander

• Free$0

  5 active snippets, unlimited stored snippets, 1 snippet swap every 2 weeks, and up to 5 team members across 3 teams.

• Pro$5

  per user / month, billed annually ($60), or $6 billed monthly

  Unlimited active snippets for up to 5 users, unlimited teams, and dynamic content such as date math and JavaScript snippets.

• Business$10

  per user / month, billed annually ($120), or $12 billed monthly

  Unlimited team members, organization statistics, 7 days of snippet activity history, Google SSO and guest sharing.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Business features plus advanced security and admin controls, unlimited activity history, all SSO providers with SCIM, and custom reporting.

aText

• Lifetime license

  Personal Lifetime license for $29.99

  A one-time Personal Lifetime license costs $29.99 for one user on up to 5 computers, against $4.99 for a license that lasts one year.

• Other savings

  Volume pricing on Business licenses

  The buy page shows Business licenses at $29.99, $14.99 or $9.99 depending on quantity, and says volume discounts also apply to Personal One year licenses.

TextExpander

• Annual discount

  Two months free with annual billing

  Pro is $60 per user a year when billed annually, against $6 per user a month on monthly billing. Business is $120 a year against $12 a month.