ActiveWords vs aText
ActiveWords
activewords.comaText
trankynam.comSide by side
| Figure | ActiveWords | aText |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $0.42/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 28 | 14 |
| Spec score · Text Expanders Software | 8.6 (#3) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Spec score · Text expanders | 7.9 (#15) | 8.1 (#11) |
| Purpose | ActiveWords transforms the keyboard into a Windows automation engine for text snippets, autocorrect, app launching, and scripted workflows triggered by typed words. | aText replaces user-defined abbreviations with frequently used phrases in applications to accelerate typing. |
| Rich-text expansion | Yes | Snippets can insert images, formatted text, and attachments into applications including Word, Mail, Outlook, Pages, and Gmail. |
| Support | The support site provides free email support, FAQs, and support-ticket submission, while paid licenses include personalized email support. | The maker provides FAQs and contact support and asks users to update to the latest version before contacting support. |
| Supported platforms | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows, macOS |
| Team snippet sharing | Yes | Yes |
Plans
ActiveWords
- Personal Annual LicensePrice not published
- Personal Annual LicensePriced on request
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 5 users)$170 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 10 users)$340 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 15 users)$510 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 20 users)$640 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 25 users)$800 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 30 users)$900 a year
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 50 users)Priced on request
- Enterprise Annual License (up to 50 users)Price not published
aText
- Personal One year$4.99 a year
- Personal Lifetime$29.99 a month
- Personal Lifetime$29.99, paid once
- Business$29.99, paid once
- Business$29.99 a month
- Floating$14.99 a year
- Personal One year (macOS)$4.99 a year
- Personal One year (Windows)$4.99 a year
- Floating (macOS)$9.99 a year
- Floating (Windows)$9.99 a year
In their own words
ActiveWords
ActiveWords turns typed words into triggers for Windows text expansion and automation. It can insert plain or formatted content, including RTF, HTML, and images, correct spelling in any context, launch programs, files, folders, and web pages, or run scripted sequences. One typed word can trigger multiple actions. Version 5’s ActionPad searches Words, applications, files, folders, and Start Menu items, and handles advanced and date calculations. Selected Text actions can search highlighted text, create email, open a URL, pass text to a custom script, or display it in Large Type. Sync stores Words, Actions, and Tags in a cloud-synced folder, commonly used with Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and Google Drive. Enterprise deployments add read-only shared items, multiple shared files, centralized control, and support for Terminal Services, LAN, WAN, and NAS. ActiveWords supports Windows 10 and 11 and Windows Server 2019; Windows 7 is unsupported. There is no free plan, but a free 60-day trial requires no credit card.
aText
aText replaces abbreviations you define with frequently used phrases in applications, helping speed up repeated typing on Windows and macOS. Snippets can insert formatted text, images, and attachments into applications such as Word, Mail, Outlook, Pages, and Gmail. It can capitalize new sentences and correct double capitals. Advanced snippets can use date and time scripts, editable fields, keystrokes, scripting, and mouse scripts; built-in options cover misspelling correction, HTML and JavaScript coding, and emojis. Data can sync between computers through OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, or a shared network folder, including across Windows and macOS. The maker describes collaboration in a multi-user environment and support for virtual machines and remote desktop clients. Its privacy policy says the app monitors keystrokes globally to expand abbreviations, but does not collect, save, or transmit keystrokes typed in other applications or transmit user-created data. A 21-day trial is available, and a free plan is listed. Personal One year costs $4.99 a year for one user on three computers and expires without automatic charge. Other listed options include lifetime and business licenses, with terms and limits varying by plan.