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Shorthand and Alfred
Alfred, by Running with Crayons Ltd, and Shorthand side by side: what each does, what it costs, and where it runs. Facts about Alfred come from its own website, checked on November 5, 2026.
Side by side
Feature
Shorthand
Alfred
Platforms
macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon
macOS
Price
Free download
Alfred free; Snippets need the Powerpack: £34 single license (current version, 2 Macs) or £59 Mega Supporter (lifetime upgrades)
Native on Apple Silicon
yes
yes
Where it works
system-wide in all apps
system-wide via keyword auto-expansion (off by default)
Fill-ins and forms
yes: fields, pop-up menus, optional sections, live preview
no in plain snippets; partial through Workflows
Date math
yes
yes ({date +1D})
Script snippets
AppleScript, shell, and JavaScript
through Workflow Snippet Triggers
AI
12 providers (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, local models, and more) with your own key and a fallback
none documented for snippets
Sync
your own folder (Dropbox, iCloud Drive), optionally encrypted
preferences folder in Dropbox or similar; no Alfred account
Team sharing
no
no shared library; collections can be exported
Account required
no
no
Encryption or app lock
yes: AES-256 encryption and a Touch ID or password lock
none documented
Per-app rules
yes, per group and per snippet, plus an app and website blocklist
yes: apps where snippets don't expand
Open source
no
no
Latest version
1.5.4, November 1, 2026
5.8.1, 2026-09-24 (Alfred 6 announced)
Where Alfred shines
One-time license, no subscription
Good placeholders including date math and clipboard history
Ties into Alfred's Workflows
Where Shorthand is different
Optional AES-256 encryption of your library and backups, and a Touch ID or password lock.
AI built in, with your own key: rewrite selected text, AI inside snippets, and 12 providers with a fallback.
A privacy blocklist: Shorthand stops listening completely in password managers and on sites you block, and asks before working in a new app.
Opens a TextExpander library directly, fill-ins and all, if you’re coming from there too.
Shorthand’s limits, to be fair
Mac only, and only Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer).
No iPhone or iPad app.
No team sharing: a synced folder works for one person’s Macs.
Sync uses a folder you provide (Dropbox or iCloud Drive), not a built-in cloud service.
Moving from Alfred
Directly: an .alfredsnippets collection, with its keyword prefix and suffix. Choose File ▸ Import Snippets… in Shorthand. Step-by-step switching guide
Sources
Checked November 5, 2026. Prices and features change, so check Alfred’s website before you decide. Spotted a mistake? Email support@shorthandexpander.com and we’ll fix it.
Alfred is a trademark of its owner. Shorthand is an independent product, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Alfred or its owner.