- Pick it if you are:
- Developers and sysadmins; Linux X11 users
- Top complaint:
- Espanso on Wayland is experimental and hard to set up
- 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
Espanso
- Espanso expansions stop working until you restart it(7/10)
- Espanso not expanding in terminals and some apps(6/10)
- Espanso fails to start on Fedora and other Wayland setups(7/10)
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)
Espanso
- Espanso on Wayland is experimental and hard to set up(8/10)
- macOS accessibility permission confusion after install or update(6/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander requires an account and stops working when logged out(5/10)
Espanso
- Espanso stops on macOS when Secure Input is stuck(6/10)
TextExpander
No signals
Espanso
- Long replacements silently fail (clipboard_threshold)(6/10)
- YAML config is a barrier for non-technical users(6/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander is overkill for simple text replacement(4/10)
Espanso
- App-specific configs are not supported on Wayland(5/10)
TextExpander
No signals
Espanso
- No mobile apps and no built-in sync(5/10)
- Keyboard layout and new keyboards confuse Espanso(4/10)
TextExpander
- TextExpander not working in Google Docs, Outlook or Word(6/10)
Espanso
- Support is community only with a large open issue backlog(5/10)
TextExpander
No signals
Espanso
- Free and open source, but expect time cost(3/10)
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)
Espanso
No signals
TextExpander
- TextExpander iPhone keyboard is clunky(5/10)
Espanso
No signals
TextExpander
- Why is TextExpander so slow to expand?(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Espanso
Limits: No GUI editor (YAML files), no mobile apps, no cloud sync, no official paid support
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 | Espanso | TextExpander |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Text expansion | ||
| Abbreviation-based text expansion | ||
| Regex triggers | ||
| Fill-in fields Basic fill-ins on Free | ||
| Forms | ||
| Shell and script variables | ||
| Search bar | ||
| Advanced | ||
| Date and time math Pro and up | ||
| JavaScript snippets Pro and up | ||
| Config | ||
| App-specific configs Not supported on Wayland | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Mac, Windows, iOS, Chrome apps iOS via custom keyboard | ||
| Android app | ||
| Mobile apps | ||
| Wayland support Experimental | ||
| Ecosystem | ||
| Package hub | ||
| Teams | ||
| Team sharing and snippet requests Snippet Requests on Business | ||
| Snippet activity history and restore History length depends on plan | ||
| Usability | ||
| Graphical snippet editor | ||
| Security | ||
| SSO / SCIM Google SSO on Business, SCIM on Enterprise | ||
| Sync | ||
| Cloud sync Use git or a synced folder | ||
| Pricing | ||
| One-time purchase license Subscription only since 2016 | ||
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