Retext

Retext vs Keyboard Maestro: A Complete Comparison

Compare Retext and Keyboard Maestro side-by-side. See which text expander is the best fit for your workflow.

TL;DR

Choose Retext if you want AI-powered snippet generation, a native Mac app, and straightforward pricing.

Choose Keyboard Maestro if you need power users who need comprehensive automation.

Quick Comparison

Retext

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

Pricing:

$19/month or $99/year for Pro

Free tier: 3 snippets, 5 AI generations per day

Best for:

  • • AI-powered snippet generation
  • • Native Mac performance
  • • Privacy-focused users
  • • Simple, focused workflow

Keyboard Maestro

Powerful Mac automation tool with text expansion as one of many features

Pricing:

$36 one-time purchase

Free tier: Trial available, no ongoing free tier

Best for:

  • Power users who need comprehensive automation
  • Users who want to automate complex workflows
  • Those who need conditional logic and scripting
  • Users with advanced technical requirements

Feature Comparison

FeatureRetextKeyboard Maestro
Snippet Expansion
AI Generation
Not available
Variables & Placeholders
Folder Organization
Team SharingNot 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

Pros and Cons

Retext

Strengths

  • AI-powered snippet generation with Claude
  • Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for AI - use your own API key
  • Native macOS app with exceptional performance
  • Global hotkey for instant access
  • Simple, focused interface without bloat

Weaknesses

  • Mac only (no Windows/Linux)
  • No team sharing features
  • Newer product with smaller community

Keyboard Maestro

Strengths

  • Incredibly powerful automation capabilities
  • One-time purchase, no subscription
  • Advanced variables and scripting
  • Can automate virtually anything on Mac
  • Long history and stable development

Weaknesses

  • Very steep learning curve
  • Text expansion is just one small feature
  • Interface is complex and overwhelming
  • No AI capabilities
  • Overkill for simple snippet needs

When to Choose Each

Choose Retext if you:

  • Want AI to help generate snippets
  • Prefer native Mac apps over Electron
  • Want simple, predictable pricing
  • Value privacy and local-first storage
  • Prefer focused tools over feature-bloated apps

Choose Keyboard Maestro if you:

  • Need power users who need comprehensive automation
  • Need users who want to automate complex workflows
  • Need those who need conditional logic and scripting
  • Need users with advanced technical requirements

Switching from Keyboard Maestro to Retext

Migration difficulty:hard

Keyboard Maestro uses its own macro format, manual recreation may be needed

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.

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