TextDeck LogoTextDeck
← Alternatives

Checked October 20, 2026

Free TextExpander alternative for AI prompts

Switch to TextDeck if you use TextExpander mainly for AI prompts and 5 active snippets on the Free plan are too few, or you want prompts that remember your last inputs without an account. Stay with TextExpander if your team shares snippets, you expand text by abbreviation, or you need the Chrome extension.

Side by side

Price

TextDeckFree, every feature included

TextExpanderFree: 5 active snippets; Pro $60/user/year; Business $120/user/year[1]

Platforms

TextDeckmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows

TextExpanderMac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone, iPad[1]

Android

TextDeckNative app

TextExpanderIn beta[4]

Variable model

TextDeckAny number of {{fields}}, with option lists

TextExpanderFill-ins: single line, multi-line, popup menu, optional section, date picker[3]

Value history

TextDeckLast value per field, one tap to reuse

TextExpanderDefault values; remembering past input is not documented[3]

Trigger

TextDeckGlobal hotkey opens a panel: search, fill, paste

TextExpanderAbbreviation as you type, or quick search[1]

Account

TextDeckNone

TextExpanderRequired on desktop and iPhone[2]

Storage

TextDeckOn your device; optional iCloud or your own cloud folder

TextExpanderTextExpander.com servers, encrypted at rest[6]

Prompt library

TextDeck135 templates in 14 packs

TextExpanderExample prompts on its AI Prompts page[7]

AI features

TextDeckOptional: on-device Apple Intelligence; own API key on Android and Windows, off by default

TextExpanderAI Recommended Snippets in Chrome; MCP access for AI agents[1]

Team sharing

TextDeckNot available

TextExpanderYes; Free allows 5 members in 3 teams[1]

Browser extension

TextDeckNone

TextExpanderChrome[2]

Why people switch

Five active snippets on Free

TextExpander's Free plan keeps all your snippets but only 5 active, with "1 Snippet swap every 2 weeks". A working prompt library tends to grow past five quickly. TextDeck has no cap: the 135 included templates and every one you add stay usable.

Per-seat pricing for a personal library

Pro costs $60 per user per year and Business $120, billed annually. Those plans pay for team sharing, statistics and admin controls. If the library is only yours, TextDeck is free with every feature.

Fill-ins start blank or at the default

TextExpander's fill-ins are strong: single-line and multi-line fields, popup menus, optional sections, a date picker. The docs describe default values. They do not mention remembering what you typed last time. TextDeck offers the last value of each field as a one-tap suggestion.

Abbreviations you have to remember

Typing ;sig for a signature works well. With 40 prompts that differ in details, you need 40 abbreviations in your head. TextDeck opens a panel with one hotkey: type a few letters of the name, pick the prompt, and its fields appear right there.

An account on every device

TextExpander's download page says "Sign in to your account to use your Snippets". TextDeck works without an account; prompts stay on the device unless you turn on sync.

When to stay

TextExpander has been around for years and does several things TextDeck does not. Stay if one of these fits you.

  • Your team shares a snippet library. Business adds Snippet Requests, guest sharing and Google SSO; TextDeck has no team features.
  • Most of what you type is static: signatures, addresses, support replies. Abbreviation expansion is the faster tool for that, and TextDeck does not do it.
  • You work in web apps and want snippets right inside Chrome. TextDeck has no browser extension.
  • Your snippets use date math, JavaScript or conditional sections. TextDeck has none of that: its fields are plain text or a list of options.

Moving your prompts from TextExpander to TextDeck

  1. 1

    Sign in at textexpander.com, open Import/Export in the sidebar, switch to the Export tab and click the download icon next to a group. You get a CSV file. You need Can Edit or Can Manage permission on the group.

  2. 2

    Open the CSV in Numbers, Excel or a text editor and pick the snippets you use as AI prompts. Signatures and canned replies can stay in TextExpander.

  3. 3

    Replace the fill-ins. In TextExpander's syntax, %filltext:name=tone% becomes {{tone}} and %fillarea:name=context% becomes {{context}}. A popup such as %fillpopup:name=format:table:bullet list% becomes {{format}}; add "table" and "bullet list" as options on that field in TextDeck.

  4. 4

    Optional sections (%fillpart% … %fillpartend%) have no counterpart. Keep the text in the prompt, or save two templates, one with and one without it.

  5. 5

    In TextDeck, choose New Prompt › From Text with Placeholders, paste one prompt and tap Detect Placeholders. For many short, one-paragraph prompts at once, use Import Prompts: it splits the text at blank lines and turns [tone], {tone} or <TONE> into {{tone}}.

  6. 6

    Give each template a name you would search for, like "Reply: polite decline". The name takes over the job of the abbreviation.

  7. 7

    Press ⌃⇧P on the Mac or Ctrl+Alt+P on Windows (both changeable in settings), pick the prompt, fill the fields and paste. Next time, TextDeck offers the values you typed.

Where your prompts are stored

TextExpander is a cloud service with documented security. Its Learning Center says: "For TextExpander.com, Snippet data is stored encrypted at rest on the database server's filesystem." Connections use "TLSv1.2 encryption or later", and "By default, our customer support team do not have access to customer data." For a team library that is a sound setup. For prompts that contain client names, drafts or internal numbers, you may prefer that no copy sits on a vendor's server. TextDeck has no account and no server of its own. Prompts stay on your device. If you turn on sync, they go to your private iCloud database on Apple devices, or to a file in a cloud folder you choose on Android and Windows. The optional AI helpers run on-device with Apple Intelligence on Apple devices; on Android and Windows they are off by default and, once enabled, talk directly to the provider you pick, with your own API key.

What TextDeck does not do

  • No abbreviation expansion. TextDeck opens with a hotkey and a panel; typing ;sig to expand text is not supported.
  • No import of TextExpander's CSV yet. It is on the roadmap. Until then you paste the text as described above.
  • No team sharing and no browser extension.
  • No scripting, date math or conditional sections.
  • No live sync between Apple devices and Android or Windows. You move prompts with export and import or by sharing .textdeck files.
  • On iPhone, iPad and Android there is no global hotkey. You pick the prompt in the app and copy it.

Questions

Is there a free TextExpander alternative?

For AI prompts, yes: TextDeck is free with every feature and no limit on templates, on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android and Windows. For general text expansion by abbreviation it is no replacement, because it works with a hotkey and a panel.

Can I import my TextExpander snippets into TextDeck?

Not directly yet; an import is on the roadmap. Today you export a group as CSV on textexpander.com, replace the fill-in codes with {{fields}}, and paste the prompts into From Text with Placeholders or Import Prompts in TextDeck.

What happens to my snippets on TextExpander's Free plan?

According to TextExpander's pricing page, all snippets are kept and 5 stay active. You can swap one of them for another every 2 weeks. Paid plans remove the limit.

Do TextExpander fill-ins work in TextDeck?

Partly. Single-line and multi-line fields become {{fields}}, popup menus become a field with options. Optional sections, date pickers and scripts have no equivalent.

Can I use TextDeck and TextExpander side by side?

Yes. TextExpander reacts to abbreviations you type, TextDeck to a hotkey, so they do not get in each other's way. Keep boilerplate in TextExpander and AI prompts in TextDeck.

Does TextDeck need an account or an internet connection?

Neither. TextDeck stores everything on your device and works offline. Sync is optional and runs through your own iCloud or your own cloud folder.

Sources · Checked October 20, 2026

  1. [1] TextExpander Pricing
  2. [2] TextExpander Download
  3. [3] TextExpander Learning Center: Fill-in fields
  4. [4] TextExpander for Mobile
  5. [5] TextExpander Learning Center: Introduction to TextExpander for iPhone & iPad
  6. [6] TextExpander Learning Center: Keystrokes, keylogging and Snippet security
  7. [7] TextExpander: AI Prompts
  8. [8] TextExpander Learning Center: Importing and exporting Snippet groups

Three keys. Every prompt.

Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle PlayGet it fromMicrosoft Store
Learn more