ActiveWords vs AutoKey
ActiveWords
activewords.comAutoKey
github.comSide by side
| Figure | ActiveWords | AutoKey |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 28 | 1 |
| Spec score · Text Expanders Software | 8.6 (#3) | 8.6 (#4) |
| Spec score · Text expanders | 7.9 (#15) | 8.0 (#13) |
| App-specific snippets | No | Yes |
| Dynamic fields | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Purpose | ActiveWords transforms the keyboard into a Windows automation engine for text snippets, autocorrect, app launching, and scripted workflows triggered by typed words. | AutoKey is a desktop automation utility for Linux and X11. |
| Support | The support site provides free email support, FAQs, and support-ticket submission, while paid licenses include personalized email support. | The project directs support requests to its community channels and asks users not to request support on the issue tracker. |
| Supported platforms | Windows 10 and 11 | Linux (X11/Xorg desktop) |
| Team snippet sharing | Yes | No |
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
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.
AutoKey
AutoKey is a Linux desktop automation utility for X11/Xorg. Hotkeys and typed abbreviations can start scripts, insert phrases, or show a pop-up menu. Phrases expand into text at the cursor and can include key combinations, special keys, and characters. Scripts are small Python programs that can start applications, send commands to a running window, resize windows, or reposition the cursor. AutoKey provides GTK and Qt interfaces and supports use of phrases, scripts, and abbreviations across applications. Its Python API can send keys simultaneously or in sequence; the documentation recommends using the clipboard to enter generated text when possible. It can be installed through Debian packages, Arch or Gentoo packages, pip, or a cloned repository. AutoKey is free under GNU GPL version 3. It requires X11 rather than Wayland, and abbreviations are limited to the most recent 150 typed keys. Applications built with pure X11 toolkits generally ignore its synthetic events, and the documentation notes known keyboard-layout problems with Russian, Mandarin, and Japanese.