Espanso review: shortcuts that stay on your computer

Espanso is a free open-source text expander for people who type the same addresses, replies and sign-offs again and again.¹ You type a short keyword, and Espanso replaces it with the longer text while you are still typing.¹ The project calls this privacy-first: it describes Espanso as 100% local, with no tracking, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A text expander that replaces a short keyword with text, a date or an image you set up.¹

Works on: Windows 10 or later on x64 PCs, macOS 10.13 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon, and Linux. Wayland support is experimental.⁴⁵⁶

Price: Free. A donation is optional, and the project lists PayPal.¹

Licence: GPL-3.0.¹

Best for: People who repeat the same phrases on a computer and want those shortcuts kept in files on that computer.

Official site: espanso.org¹

What Espanso does (and how it protects your privacy)

Espanso calls the short keyword a trigger, and the rule that joins it to the replacement a match.² A fresh install includes a small example: typing :espanso produces “Hi there!”² The project says it works with almost any program, so the same shortcut can apply in the program you are using.¹

The shortcuts are text files in a folder on your computer. On Linux that folder is usually under .config/espanso. On Windows it is AppData\Roaming\espanso. On a Mac it is Library/Application Support/espanso.² A match folder lists what gets inserted. A config folder lists how Espanso behaves, and that can differ for one program. The getting-started guide’s example is emoji shortcuts on for every app, and off inside one program such as Slack.² The files use YAML, a plain-text way of writing settings. Geany is a small editor if you want something lighter than a full programming suite.

The README describes Espanso as 100% local, with no tracking.¹ It has to see keystrokes to spot a keyword. The project’s security note says it does not log them.³ That note still describes version 1, and the project calls the description a good approximation of version 2.³

Key features of Espanso

Keyword replacement: A trigger you choose is swapped for the text you saved, in almost any program.¹²
Search bar: Alt+Space (Option+Space on a Mac) opens a search list when you forget the keyword. On Windows and macOS the status icon can open it too.²
Dates, emoji and images: A match can insert a date, an emoji or an image.¹²
Forms: Included in the project’s feature list.¹
Packages: A built-in package manager installs packs from the Espanso Hub. The guide’s example is espanso install basic-emojis.¹²
Patterns and commands: Regex triggers match a pattern, a rule for the shape of the text. Shell commands and custom scripts are listed, and a match can run a script.¹²
Undo: Backspace straight after an expansion puts the trigger back. The guide says this undo is not always available.²

Espanso pros and cons

Pros

It is free and open source, under the GPL-3.0 licence, with an optional PayPal donation.¹
The project describes it as privacy-first, 100% local, and with no tracking.¹
Windows, macOS and Linux share the same idea: shortcuts live in files you can copy.¹²
Version 2.4.1 was published on 2 September 2026. Federico Terzi created Espanso, and a small team maintains it, with Auca named as lead maintainer.¹⁸
SignPath signs the Windows binaries. If SmartScreen warns you, the Windows guide says to choose More info, then Run anyway.¹⁴

Cons

Wayland support is experimental. Non-US keyboard layouts must be set in the settings, a new keyboard needs espanso restart, and Gnome causes a small flicker with the clipboard method. Espanso needs access to the input interfaces, and the Linux guide shows the command that grants it.⁶
The Windows build is x64 on Windows 10 or later. ARM support is planned.⁴
New shortcuts are added by editing a text file. The guide also names EspansoEdit, a separate freeware editor.²
The status-icon search menu is unavailable on Linux, and the security note still describes version 1.²³

Is Espanso safe and private?

The security note says it is not acting as a key logger: it does not log the keys. An ordinary match keeps the last five characters in memory by default, and a regex match can keep up to 30.³ The note opens by saying it is about version 1, that version 2 introduced architectural differences, and that the points are still a good approximation.³

Saved phrases are ordinary text in the Espanso folder on the computer.² A password belongs in a password manager. From version 2.4.0, an optional count of your most used triggers stays off until you turn it on. espanso stats clear clears that database.⁷ A match can also run a custom script.¹²

Federico Terzi created Espanso. A small team maintains it, with Auca as lead maintainer.¹ Release 2.4.1 was published on 2 September 2026.⁸ SignPath signs the Windows files.¹

How to get started with Espanso

Install version 2.4.1, published on 2 September 2026, from the official guide for your system: Windows, macOS or Linux.⁸
On Windows, use the installer or run winget install --id=Espanso.Espanso -e. The guide covers Windows 10 or later, on x64 PCs only. If SmartScreen warns you, choose More info, then Run anyway.⁴
On a Mac, open the disk image and drag Espanso into Applications, or run brew install espanso. This covers macOS 10.13 or later, on Intel and Apple Silicon.⁵
On Linux, run echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE to see whether the desktop is X11 or Wayland, then use the matching package in the Linux guide. Run espanso service register once, then espanso start. The Wayland path is experimental and needs the input permission in that guide.⁶
Open any typing app and type :espanso. You should see “Hi there!”²
Run espanso edit. It opens the match file in Nano on Unix, or Notepad on Windows. The guide’s example is a trigger such as :br for a short sign-off. Keep the indentation, save, and Espanso should reload the file.²
Press Alt+Space to search (Option+Space on a Mac). To try a pack, run espanso install basic-emojis, then use the emoji keyword from the guide.²

Who should use Espanso (and who might prefer something else)

Espanso fits someone at a computer who sends the same replies, addresses and closings every week and wants those phrases in a file they can read.¹²

A long essay is a different job. Zettlr is built for longer documents. If you want notes that stay encrypted and move between devices, Notesnook is the closer fit. Espanso’s supported systems are Windows, macOS and Linux.¹ For typing on an Android phone, HeliBoard is an offline keyboard you can customise.

Frequently asked questions

Is Espanso free?

Yes. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, and a PayPal donation is optional.¹ Version 2.4.1 was published on 2 September 2026.⁸

Is Espanso safe?

The project describes it as 100% local, with no tracking.¹ The security note says it does not log keystrokes and keeps only a short stretch of recent characters in memory. The note is about version 1 and calls itself an approximation of version 2.³ Trigger counts, added in 2.4.0, stay off until you enable them.⁷

Does Espanso work on iPhone?

The systems on the project list are Windows, macOS and Linux.¹ Windows needs an x64 PC on Windows 10 or later, and a Mac needs macOS 10.13 or later.⁴⁵ On Android, HeliBoard is the related tool for private typing.

Does Espanso work on Wayland?

Yes, as an experimental option. The Linux guide says some features may be missing, non-US keyboard layouts must be set in the settings, and Gnome causes a small flicker with the clipboard method.⁶