Retext

Best Keyboard Maestro Alternatives in 2025

Looking for Keyboard Maestro alternatives? Compare all the best text expansion tools including pricing, features, and use cases.

TL;DR

The best Keyboard Maestro alternatives are Retext (for AI-powered snippet generation), TextExpander, and aText. Your best choice depends on whether you need AI features, cross-platform support, or team collaboration.

Why People Look for Keyboard Maestro Alternatives

  • Way too complicated for snippets alone
  • Takes forever to learn properly
  • Interface feels dated
  • Overkill for what I need
  • Hard to find snippet features among everything else

All Keyboard Maestro Alternatives

Recommended

Retext

AI-powered text snippet expansion for macOS with intelligent snippet generation

Why choose Retext:

  • Only text expander with built-in AI generation
  • BYOK model - your API key, your costs, your control
  • No subscription lock-in for basic features
  • Built for individual power users, not enterprise teams

Pricing:

$19/month or $99/year for Pro

3 snippets, 5 AI generations per day

Compare Retext vs Keyboard Maestro

TextExpander

Communicate Smarter

Enterprise-focused text expansion tool with team sharing and snippet libraries

$4.16/user/month billed annually (~$50/year), $6.67/month monthly

aText

Type less, do more

Affordable one-time purchase text expander for Mac with basic snippet features

$5.99 one-time purchase

Rocket Typist

Expand your text

Native Mac text expander with Markdown support and iCloud sync

$9.99/year subscription or available via SetappFree tier

Alfred

Productivity app for macOS

Powerful Mac launcher and productivity app with snippet expansion via Powerpack

Free for basic, £34 (~$42) for Powerpack (lifetime), £59 (~$74) Mega SupporterFree tier

Raycast

Your shortcut to everything

Modern Mac launcher with built-in snippet expansion and AI capabilities

Free for personal use, Pro $8/month for AI and advanced featuresFree tier

Espanso

A cross-platform text expander written in Rust

Open-source, cross-platform text expander configured via YAML files

Free and open sourceFree tier

macOS Text Replacement

Built into your Mac

Built-in macOS feature for simple text replacement across all apps

Free, built into macOSFree tier

Feature Comparison

FeatureRetextKeyboard MaestroTextExpanderaTextRocket Typist
Snippet Expansion
AI Generation
Not available
Not availableNot available
Variables & Placeholders
Folder Organization
Team SharingNot availableNot available
Not availableNot available
Cross-Platform
Native Performance
Privacy & Local Storage
Customization
Ease of Use

Pricing Comparison

ProductPricing ModelPriceFree Tier
RetextFreemium$19/month or $99/year for Pro
3 snippets, 5 AI generations per day
Keyboard MaestroOne-Time$36 one-time purchase
Trial available, no ongoing free tier
TextExpanderPer Seat$4.16/user/month billed annually (~$50/year), $6.67/month monthly
aTextOne-Time$5.99 one-time purchase
Rocket TypistFlat Rate$9.99/year subscription or available via Setapp
Limited free version available
AlfredOne-TimeFree for basic, £34 (~$42) for Powerpack (lifetime), £59 (~$74) Mega Supporter
Launcher features free, snippets require Powerpack
RaycastFreemiumFree for personal use, Pro $8/month for AI and advanced features
Snippet expansion free, AI requires Pro subscription
EspansoOpen SourceFree and open source
Completely free, open source
macOS Text ReplacementFreeFree, built into macOS
Completely free, included in macOS

Ready to switch from Keyboard Maestro?

Get started with AI-powered text expansion. Free to try with 3 snippets and 5 AI generations per day.

Related Comparisons