--- {"title": "Espanso vs TextExpander in 2026", "description": "A side-by-side look at Espanso and TextExpander: what each does, what each costs, and what to check before choosing, plus Copilot AI Productivity Suite.", "url": "https://supakeeper.com/espanso-vs-textexpander/", "date": "2026-11-04"} --- A side-by-side look at Espanso and TextExpander: what each does, what each costs, and what to check before choosing, plus Copilot AI Productivity Suite. Espanso's forms can be reused as templates, and their values can be passed to custom scripts [^1]. TextExpander's AI Recommendations in its Chrome product suggest snippets based on what you are working on [^2]. Copilot AI Productivity Suite is a VS Code extension [^3], and typing #copilotsuite followed by a snippet ID inserts that exact saved snippet into the conversation [^3]. Match the tool to the job you have in mind, and check each tool's own pages for anything this page does not cover. | Option | What its sources say it does | Cost | Account or install | |---|---|---|---| | Espanso | Forms can be reused as templates, and their values can be passed to custom scripts [^1]. Its configuration uses simple files, following a Unix-like philosophy [^1]. It works with most applications system-wide [^1]. | Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published. It accepts donations through PayPal [^1]. | Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS [^1]. | | TextExpander | Lets you customize snippets to insert content or add fill-in-the-blank fields [^2]. AI Recommendations in TextExpander for Chrome suggest snippets based on what you are working on [^2]. It works with Zendesk, Salesforce, Epic, Cerner and HelpScout [^2]. | Own fee: the Pro plan is $6 per user per month, billed annually at $60 USD [^2]. The Business plan is $12 per user per month, billed annually at $120 USD [^2]. Custom pricing for enterprises is built on needs and usage [^2]. Card fee: not published. | Its page lists Windows, Mac, Chrome and Mobile as where it works [^2]. Account: not published. | | Copilot AI Productivity Suite | Inserts a saved snippet into the conversation when you type #copilotsuite followed by its ID [^3]. Snippets can sit in nested folders [^3]. | Own fee: the Free plan is $0 and allows 20 Copilot insertions a week [^3]. The Premium plan is $6.99 a month with unlimited Copilot insertions [^3]. Card fee: not published. | Installed from the VS Code Marketplace as LunarWerx.copilot-suite [^3]. Needs VS Code 1.116.0 or newer [^3]. | ## The short answer Espanso's forms can be reused as templates, and their values can be passed to custom scripts [^1]. Its source code is hosted on GitHub [^1]. TextExpander's AI Recommendations in its Chrome product suggest snippets based on what you are working on [^2]. TextExpander's Enterprise plan is described on its page as "Everything in Business, plus advanced security and admin controls" [^2]. Copilot AI Productivity Suite is a VS Code extension that needs VS Code 1.116.0 or newer [^3]. Typing #copilotsuite followed by a snippet ID inserts that exact saved snippet into the conversation [^3]. Pick by the need: reusable forms that feed custom scripts point to Espanso [^1], snippets suggested while you work in Chrome point to TextExpander [^2], and snippets used inside VS Code and Copilot Chat point to Copilot AI Productivity Suite [^3]. ## What Espanso and TextExpander are built for Espanso's creator is Federico Terzi [^1]. The project's source code is hosted on GitHub [^1]. Its forms let you handle more complex workflows by creating templates that can be reused, and by passing their values to custom scripts [^1]. TextExpander's AI Recommendations for Chrome suggest the snippets you need based on what you are working on [^2]. This comparison does not cover installation steps for either tool, so check each tool's own pages for those. ## What Copilot AI Productivity Suite is built for Copilot AI Productivity Suite is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a VS Code extension that needs VS Code 1.116.0 or newer, and it is also on Open VSX for Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium [^3]. Typing #copilotsuite followed by a snippet ID inserts that exact saved snippet into the conversation [^3]. Snippets can sit in nested folders, and several can be bundled into a group that is referenced all at once [^3]. Placeholders in a snippet ask you for a value when it is inserted [^3]. You can pin up to five favorite snippets to the VS Code status bar [^3]. A bundled local helper makes your snippets and groups available to Claude Code, Codex CLI and other tools that connect over stdio [^3]. ## Pricing and fees No price for Espanso is published here, so check its own pages before you install it. For TextExpander's plan prices, see the comparison table. Its base prices for customers in countries that require VAT or GST may include an estimated 20 percent increase to reflect local tax requirements [^2]. Its Enterprise plan includes everything in Business plus advanced security and admin controls [^2]. TextExpander does not publish a fixed price for enterprise teams. Its page says it can build pricing based on needs and usage, with single sign-on, SCIM and customized reporting among the features it names [^2]. Copilot AI Productivity Suite has a Free plan at $0 that allows 20 Copilot insertions a week [^3]. Its Premium plan costs $6.99 a month and has unlimited Copilot insertions [^3]. No payment fee is published for this product, so check its own pages for any charge beyond the plan price. ## Setting it up and daily use This comparison gives no installation steps for Espanso, so check its own pages for them. In daily use, TextExpander's Chrome product suggests snippets as you work [^2]. Install Copilot AI Productivity Suite from the VS Code Marketplace as LunarWerx.copilot-suite [^3]. If you sign in with an account, which uses an emailed one-time code, your snippets, groups and settings sync across your machines [^3]. You can select several snippets and move them, delete them or insert all their references at once [^3]. You can export snippets as JSON or make a share link, and teammates can import it [^3]. If you turn on the slash command option, each snippet is written out as a slash command file for Claude Code and Codex CLI, and the files stay in sync as you edit [^3]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask whether you need snippets used inside VS Code and Copilot Chat, or snippets suggested inside Chrome, since these are different jobs [^3] [^2]. Ask whether your team needs admin controls, since TextExpander's Enterprise plan is described as adding advanced security and admin controls [^2]. Copilot AI Productivity Suite instead offers exports and share links for teammates [^3]. Ask about licence terms before you rely on either tool: Copilot AI Productivity Suite uses a proprietary licence, and its software is proprietary and confidential to LunarWerx [^3]. Ask what data leaves your machine: while VS Code telemetry is on, Copilot AI Productivity Suite sends anonymous usage statistics but never snippet content [^3]. For Espanso, its source code is hosted on GitHub [^1]. ## How to choose If you need reusable forms whose values feed custom scripts, Espanso's own page describes that [^1]. If you need snippets suggested while you work in Chrome, TextExpander's Chrome product describes that [^2]. If you need snippets inside VS Code and Copilot Chat, with a Free plan to start, Copilot AI Productivity Suite's claims describe that [^3] [^3]. If you need advanced security and admin controls, TextExpander's Enterprise plan is described as including them [^2]. Where a need is not covered here, check the tool's own pages before you decide. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Espanso free to use? The price of Espanso is not published on this page, so the cost cannot be stated here. Its source code is hosted on GitHub [^1]. Check Espanso's own pages for any price or donation details before you install it. ### Can Espanso pass form values to custom scripts? Yes. Espanso's forms can be reused as templates, and their values can be passed to custom scripts [^1]. Forms are described as a way to handle more complex workflows [^1]. This page does not describe how a script is connected, so check Espanso's own pages for those steps before you rely on it. ### Does TextExpander have a plan with admin controls? Yes. TextExpander's Enterprise plan includes everything in Business plus advanced security and admin controls [^2]. Plan prices are set out in the comparison table above. Base prices for customers in countries that require VAT or GST may include an estimated 20 percent increase to reflect local tax requirements [^2]. Check the exact amount for your country on TextExpander's own pages. ### Can Copilot AI Productivity Suite be used for free? Yes, on a Free plan at $0 that allows 20 Copilot insertions a week [^3]. The Premium plan costs $6.99 a month and has unlimited Copilot insertions [^3]. It is a VS Code extension, so you install it from the VS Code Marketplace as LunarWerx.copilot-suite [^3]. ### Does Copilot AI Productivity Suite send usage data? While VS Code telemetry is on, it sends anonymous usage statistics, but never snippet content [^3]. Whether those statistics are sent depends on that VS Code setting [^3]. The licence is proprietary, and the software is confidential to LunarWerx [^3]. There is a Free plan at $0 that allows 20 Copilot insertions a week. [^3] - [Visit Copilot AI Productivity Suite](/go/start-copilotsuite) ## Sources [^1]: Espanso, espanso.org, read 2026-10-26 (https://espanso.org) [^2]: TextExpander, textexpander.com, read 2026-10-18 (https://textexpander.com) [^3]: Copilot AI Productivity Suite's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-copilotsuite)