- Pick it if you are:
- Mac power users who want speed; People who hate subscriptions
- Top complaint:
- Alfred can't find files or apps that exist on the Mac
- Price:
- Free plan
- Pick it if you are:
- Customer support teams; Sales and recruiting teams
- Top complaint:
- TextExpander stopped expanding snippets on Mac (Secure Input)
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $6/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Alfred
- Alfred can't find files or apps that exist on the Mac(7/10)
- Alfred clipboard history not saving clips(5/10)
- Alfred snippets not expanding(5/10)
- Alfred preferences not saving or syncing via Dropbox(6/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander stopped expanding snippets on Mac (Secure Input)(8/10)
- TextExpander bugs and app issues(6/10)
- TextExpander pastes the wrong text or old clipboard contents(5/10)
- TextExpander types only 'v' in Remote Desktop or VMs(5/10)
- TextExpander snippets out of sync or disappeared(6/10)
Alfred
- Alfred hotkey not working or conflicting with Spotlight(7/10)
- Why does Alfred look so dated next to Raycast?(4/10)
- Alfred has no built-in AI features(3/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander is overkill for simple text replacement(4/10)
Alfred
- Alfred workflows are hard to learn and set up(5/10)
- Mac App Store version of Alfred is outdated(4/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander requires an account and stops working when logged out(5/10)
Alfred
- No free trial of the Alfred Powerpack, and no refunds for 'not for me'(5/10)
- Single License covers only one major version(4/10)
TextExpander
- Why is TextExpander a subscription now?(7/10)
- TextExpander free plan only allows 5 active snippets(6/10)
- TextExpander gets expensive for teams(6/10)
Alfred
- Alfred workflows stopped working after macOS update (Python 2)(6/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander not working in Google Docs, Outlook or Word(6/10)
Alfred
- Alfred is Mac only, no Windows or Linux version(4/10)
TextExpander
No signals
Alfred
No signals
TextExpander
- TextExpander iPhone keyboard is clunky(5/10)
Alfred
No signals
TextExpander
- Why is TextExpander so slow to expand?(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Alfred
Users: 1 user
Limits: No workflows, no clipboard history, no snippets or text expansion, no Universal Actions, no themes, no preference sync, no 1Password integration, no music controls
Users: 1 user, up to 2 of your own Macs
Limits: Individual use only, non-transferable, not for shared workstations
Users: 1 user, your own Macs
Limits: Individual use only; teams need Corporate Licensing
TextExpander
Users: Up to 5 team members across 3 teams
Storage: Unlimited saved snippets, 5 active
Limits: 5 active snippets, 1 swap every 2 weeks, no date math, no time math, no nested snippets, no JavaScript snippets, no priority support
Users: Up to 5 users
Limits: Max 5 users; no snippet requests, guest sharing or SSO
Users: Up to 5 users
Limits: Max 5 users
Users: Unlimited users
Limits: SSO only via Google; SCIM and other SSO providers need Enterprise
Users: Unlimited users
Users: Unlimited
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Alfred | TextExpander |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| App launcher and file search Uses the macOS Spotlight metadata index | ||
| Abbreviation-based text expansion | ||
| Fill-in fields Basic fill-ins on Free | ||
| Automation | ||
| Workflows Powerpack only | ||
| Productivity | ||
| Clipboard history Powerpack only, off by default | ||
| Snippets / text expansion Powerpack only; dynamic placeholders | ||
| Universal Actions Powerpack only | ||
| Advanced | ||
| Date and time math Pro and up | ||
| JavaScript snippets Pro and up | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Mac, Windows, iOS, Chrome apps iOS via custom keyboard | ||
| Android app | ||
| Sync | ||
| Preference sync across Macs Via a synced folder such as Dropbox or iCloud | ||
| AI | ||
| Built-in AI chat Available through community workflows with your own API key | ||
| Teams | ||
| Team sharing and snippet requests Snippet Requests on Business | ||
| Snippet activity history and restore History length depends on plan | ||
| Platform | ||
| Windows version macOS only | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Free Powerpack trial | ||
| One-time purchase license Subscription only since 2016 | ||
| Security | ||
| SSO / SCIM Google SSO on Business, SCIM on Enterprise | ||
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