Finding ways to make your work as efficient and productive as possible is important. Text expanders are tools that can help you do just that by eliminating repetitive typing tasks.

However, there are many options out there, and each one has different benefits and drawbacks.

One option is Auto Text Expander, which is a Chrome extension that lets you use keyboard shortcuts to spend less time typing.

In this article, we’ll discuss 4 alternatives to Auto Text Expander and even talk about the pros and cons of each to help you get an idea of which tool works best for you.

Note: Auto Text Expander is now known as Magical.

Text Blaze

Yes, we put Text Blaze as #1. We might be biased, but our users will tell you that we truly help them to save time and get things done. Check out our community forum to see for yourself. Text Blaze is a tool that lets you use keyboard shortcuts to reduce repetitive typing tasks, as well as create templates that can be used anywhere online.

Pros

• You can create a free Text Blaze account and get instant value without needing a paid subscription.
• Text Blaze Chrome Extension works on any website on Windows, macOS and Linux. (You can also use Text Blaze outside Chrome with the Text Blaze Desktop Apps - a Windows and macOS app is currently in beta)
• It offers powerful functionality and customizations such as forms and dynamic logic.
• It's great for teams with collaboration capabilities.
• Turn your text snippets into templates that can be customized when inserted using form fields and formulas.
• You can easily import your Auto Text Expander snippets in Text Blaze! (see video below)

Cons

• Only available on the Chrome Web Store and on the Microsoft Store.

Here's a video that shows how you can import your snippets from Auto Text Expander in Text Blaze.

macOS built-in text replacements

In Mac OS X, you can create your own text replacements and insert them anywhere.

Pros

• You can automatically convert URLs to clickable links.
• You can replace a double-space with a period and a space.
• Phrases can turn into condensed 3-4 letter shortcuts.
• Straight quotes can be replaced with smart quotes.

Cons

• Only for macOS.

aText

aText is an Mac or Windows app that allows you to create text snippets and insert them using keyboard shortcuts. It allows you to use images and performs auto-corrections. It also syncs with Cloud storage. aText is $4.99/mo.

Pros

• Offers cloud-syncing
• Works in both Windows and Mac.
• Offers auto-correction to help improve grammar.

Cons

• Doesn’t offer automation or dynamic content.

Gmail Email Templates

Gmail allows you to create, save and edit email templates and then use them when composing a new email. Read more about it here.

Pros

• Templates make writing emails faster through copy and paste.
• Easy to use with your Gmail account.
• Simple to activate through settings.

Cons

• Templates are limited to Gmail, but can be a reliable option if most of your work is done in Gmail.
• Only available through Gmail accounts.
  
  

Conclusion

Ultimately, using tools to help you be more productive can have a significant impact on your work. Finding a text expander tool to help you do that doesn’t have to be difficult.

If you aren’t sure after reading this article, sign up for Text Blaze. You can get instant value with a free account. Unleash your productivity and add Text Blaze to your Chrome browser today!

Want to turbo charge your work with templates and snippets? Text Blaze is the fastest way to do that.

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