Quick comparison
| Refrain | TextExpander | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once | Pro $60/year per user, Business $120/year per user; Free plan limited to 5 active snippets |
| How text gets in | Shortcut + search, or a click in the menu bar, then paste | Type an abbreviation and it expands |
| Fill-in fields, dates, scripts | No, text pastes as written | Yes (more on paid plans) |
| Platforms | Mac | Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone, iPad |
| Where snippets live | One markdown file on your Mac | Your TextExpander account, synced on every plan |
| Account | None | Sign-up |
| Sharing | Share the file (synced folder, git) | Built-in teams |
TextExpander prices and plan details are from its pricing page, checked October 2026. Its plan table and FAQ give different monthly figures, so this page quotes the yearly totals both agree on.
They do the job differently
TextExpander is a text expander: you give each snippet an abbreviation and it replaces the abbreviation as you type, with fill-in fields, dates and, on paid plans, conditional sections and scripts. It runs on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and iPad, and syncs through your account.
Refrain is a snippet list: you don't remember anything per snippet. Press Control-Option-Space in any app, type a few letters of the name or of any phrase in the text, press Return, and paste. Or click the menu bar icon and pick from the list. It's Mac-only, has no account, and keeps everything in a plain markdown file.
Where TextExpander wins
- Typing speed for short, frequent text. An abbreviation you know by heart is faster than any search.
- Fill-ins. If a template should ask for a name or a date before it's inserted, TextExpander does that. Refrain pastes the text as written, so you edit
[Name]by hand. - Other platforms. If you need the same snippets on Windows or iPhone, TextExpander covers them. Refrain is Mac-only.
- Teams with admin needs. TextExpander has built-in team sharing and a Business plan.
Where Refrain wins
- One payment. $9.99 once, against $60 a year per user for TextExpander Pro. No account to create.
- No codes to remember. Search by any word in the snippet. That suits replies you use weekly rather than hourly, which are exactly the ones whose abbreviations you forget.
- As many snippets as you like. There's no active-snippet limit. The list is as long as your file.
- A file you own. Your snippets are one markdown file at a path you choose: open it in any editor, keep it in iCloud Drive or Dropbox, or put it in git. Edits made elsewhere reload right away.
- Works in any app that accepts a paste, and doesn't need Accessibility permission, because it never watches your typing.
Which to pick
TextExpander if you want abbreviations that expand as you type, fill-in fields, snippets on Windows or iPhone, or managed team sharing, and a yearly subscription suits you.
Refrain if you're on a Mac, want to find snippets by searching instead of remembering codes, want them in a plain file you control, and would rather pay once.