As of October 2026, TextExpander has a Free plan, and the TextExpander free version is a permanent tier rather than a countdown trial. You can store as many snippets as you want, type something like “;addr” to drop in your full mailing address, and pay nothing. The limit is five active snippets at a time.
That matters if you retype the same email sign-off, support reply or meeting link every day on a Mac or iPhone. It also matters if you skipped TextExpander for years because of the subscription. The real question is whether five slots are enough for the way you work.
What the TextExpander free version gives you
The headline numbers come straight from the TextExpander pricing page. TextExpander calls it “free forever” and does not ask for a credit card.
- Snippet library: unlimited total snippets, with 5 of them active.
- Swaps: you can trade one active snippet for another once every 2 weeks.
- Sharing: up to 5 team members spread across 3 teams.
- Groups: unlimited Snippet Groups for keeping things tidy.
- Smart fields: simple fill-in prompts, automatic date and time stamps, plus the Date Picker.
- Devices: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and the Chrome extension, with sync on every plan.
Sync is the part that stands out. The same five snippets follow you from your MacBook to your iPhone keyboard, something a tool tied to one computer cannot match.
Where the five-snippet cap starts to hurt
Five sounds tight, and for heavy users it is. Longtime text expansion fans tend to build libraries that run into the dozens. On the TextExpander free version, everything beyond your top five sits in the library doing nothing until you pay or swap.
The swap rule is the sneaky part of the TextExpander free version. Because you get one change every two weeks, you cannot rotate snippets around a busy week. If you pick the wrong five, you live with that choice for a fortnight.
Some of the cleverer tools are missing from the TextExpander free version as well. Date math, conditional sections, the Delay macro and JavaScript snippets are all paid-only. So a snippet that fills in “next Friday’s date” automatically, or changes its wording based on a choice you make, needs Pro.
TextExpander pricing next to the free tier
Here is how the paid plans line up against the TextExpander free version, using TextExpander’s own US dollar figures before tax.
| Plan | Price | Active snippets | Key extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 | 1 swap every 2 weeks, basic fill-ins |
| Pro | $6 a month, or $60 a year | Unlimited | Date math, JavaScript, up to 5 users |
| Business | $12 per user a month, or $120 a year per user | Unlimited | Unlimited users, Google SSO, guest sharing |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | All SSO providers with SCIM, invoiced billing |
Annual billing works out to two months free, so Pro lands at roughly $5 a month if you pay yearly. Anyone signing up gets the paid features for the first 30 days as a preview. When it ends, your account drops to Free on its own, all your snippets stay in the library, and five remain active.
The free alternative already on your Mac
Before you sign up for anything, remember that macOS has its own text expansion built in. Apple calls it Text Replacements, and it costs nothing with no slot limit. To add one on a Mac:
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Scroll the sidebar if needed and select Keyboard.
- Select Text Replacements.
- Press the Add (+) button, enter your shortcut and the full phrase, then click Add.
- Click Done.
According to Apple’s support guide, these shortcuts sync to your iPhone and iPad through iCloud, as long as iCloud Drive is on and every device uses the same Apple Account. For short, fixed phrases like an email address, that is often all you need. If you like automating the rest of your routine, our guide to Shortcuts on iOS and macOS pairs well with it.
Where Apple’s tool falls short is anything dynamic. It cannot prompt you for a name, insert today’s date, or work inside Windows or Chrome on a work PC. That gap is exactly where the TextExpander free version earns its spot.
Who should try it, and who can skip it
You split time between a Mac and a Windows PC. This is the strongest case. Apple’s Text Replacements stay inside Apple devices, while TextExpander covers Mac, Windows and Chrome with one library. Five shared snippets across every computer you touch is a genuine upgrade.
You want fill-in templates. A reply that asks for a customer’s name before it pastes is something macOS cannot do. The TextExpander free version handles basic fill-ins and the Date Picker, so a handful of smart templates fit nicely.
You only need fixed phrases on Apple gear. Skip it. Text Replacements does the job with no cap, and it is already on your Mac, iPhone and iPad.
You already run a big snippet library. Five slots and one swap per fortnight will feel like a straitjacket. Treat the TextExpander free version as a way to keep your library alive while you decide whether Pro at about $60 a year is worth it.
You work on a small team. Sharing with up to five people across three teams is surprisingly generous for $0. A tiny shop can standardize a few canned replies without a budget meeting.
If you also lean on your voice for long emails, our guide to dictating messages and documents on Mac covers the other half of typing less.
Frequently asked questions
Is TextExpander free?
Yes, there is a Free plan that costs $0 and needs no credit card. It keeps unlimited snippets in your library but only 5 can be active at once.
What happens when the TextExpander free trial ends?
Every new account starts with 30 days of the paid features. After that the account moves to the Free plan automatically, every snippet is kept, and 5 stay active.
Does TextExpander work on iPhone and iPad for free?
Yes. The Free plan covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and the Chrome extension, and snippets sync across them on every plan.
Should you start on the TextExpander free version?
If you work across a Mac and a Windows or Chrome machine, or you want a few templates that ask questions before they paste, sign up and pick your five carefully. If every shortcut you use is a fixed phrase on Apple devices, Text Replacements already has you covered for free. Either way, five well-chosen snippets beat fifty clever ones you never remember to type.
