KeySim

Text expander for Windows

Type a little.
Get a lot.

KeySim turns short abbreviations into full text — email replies, code, addresses, boilerplate — in any application. Private by design: your shortkeys never leave your PC.

Download free trial See pricing

Free for 30 days · Windows 10 & 11 · No account required

Coming from ShortKeys?

ShortKeys is gone, but your shortkeys don't have to be. KeySim is a modern replacement that reads your existing ShortKeys files directly — import your Shortkeys4.shk (or a .~shk backup) and keep everything you built.

Read the full ShortKeys migration guide →

ShortKeys is a trademark of its respective owner. KeySim is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Switching from another text expander?

KeySim imports your existing abbreviations — pick your current tool for a step-by-step migration guide.

ShortKeys migration guideReads your .shk files directly Breevy migration guideVia Breevy's TextExpander export PhraseExpress & TextExpander guide.pxp, .textexpander and CSV

Everything you expect — and more

A modern engine with the power features ShortKeys never had.

⌨️

Expand anywhere

A global engine works in every app — editors, browsers, terminals, chat. Prefix or suffix triggers, case matching, per-app rules.

✨

Smart replacements

Insert dates, key presses, the clipboard, and cursor positioning: {ENTER} {DATE} {CTRL+V} {CURSOR}.

📝

Fill-in forms

Add {FIELD:Client} to any snippet and KeySim asks for the values when you use it — one dialog fills every occurrence.

🔎

Snippet picker

Press Ctrl+Shift+Space anywhere: search your snippets by name or content and insert without remembering the abbreviation.

🔒

Private by design

Everything stays on your PC. No account, no cloud, nothing typed ever leaves the machine.

🛡️

Encrypted & PIN-locked

Encrypt your shortkey file (AES-256) and lock the window with a 4-digit PIN — ideal for shared and work PCs.

☕

Caffeine mode

Keep your PC awake for a set time — or on a weekly schedule (say, weekdays 8:30–5:30). It turns itself on and off, even across restarts, can arm the moment you sign in, and warns you before it switches off.

🔄

Share across PCs

Keep one library in a OneDrive or network folder; every PC stays in sync automatically, with a merge history showing exactly what changed and a warning if another PC overwrites your edit.

🏢

Company snippet library

Point every PC at one read-only team library on a share — the whole office gets the same snippets, no server needed.

📈

See the time you save

KeySim counts every expansion and shows the typing time saved — plus a built-in ~300-entry AutoCorrect pack and a printable cheat sheet.

🌙

Imports & dark mode

One-click import from ShortKeys, TextExpander, Breevy, PhraseExpress and AutoHotkey. Light and dark themes.

See the full feature list

Expansion engine

  • Works in every app — editors, browsers, terminals, chat
  • Prefix (//) or suffix-key triggers, per snippet
  • Expand immediately or on Space/Enter/punctuation
  • Case matching: sig → normal, Sig → Capitalized, SIG → UPPERCASE
  • Case-sensitive abbreviations and whole-word matching
  • Per-program rules: limit any snippet (or all) to chosen apps
  • Keystroke or clipboard playback, chosen automatically; your clipboard is restored
  • Never expands while you type in a password field (the picker still can)

Snippets & macros

  • Key presses & combos: {ENTER} {TAB} {CTRL+V} {UP 3}
  • Dates & times with offsets and formats: {DATE+7:yyyy-MM-dd}
  • Clipboard insert, cursor placement, pauses, launch a program or URL
  • Fill-in form fields with defaults: {FIELD:Client}
  • Snippet picker popup — fuzzy search & insert (Ctrl+Shift+Space)
  • AutoCorrect pack: ~300 common typo fixes, one click to add
  • Categories, search, per-snippet usage counts
  • Printable cheat sheet of all your shortkeys
  • Try-it sandbox to test snippets safely

Your data

  • Offline by design: no account, no cloud, no telemetry of what you type
  • AES-256 encrypted library; optional PIN lock for the window
  • Automatic rolling backups on every save
  • Share one library between PCs via OneDrive or a network folder — changes merge safely from both sides
  • Import: ShortKeys (.shk/.~shk/.wcfg), TextExpander, Breevy, PhraseExpress, AutoHotkey hotstrings, CSV/TSV
  • Export: KeySim JSON, ShortKeys text, CSV/TSV, cheat sheet
  • Installed and portable versions — run either, or both
  • Time-saved statistics, kept only on your PC

Teams, IT & extras

  • Company snippet library: one read-only file on a share serves the whole team
  • Per-user installer — no admin rights, code-signed
  • Global hotkeys: open KeySim, pause/resume, picker (all configurable)
  • Caffeine stay-awake mode with timers and schedules
  • Light & dark themes
  • Start with Windows; quiet tray app
  • Free plan forever after the trial — nothing is ever deleted
  • Licenses verified offline; your keys keep working without internet

Simple, one-time pricing

Try everything free for 30 days — then keep a free plan forever, or buy once and own it. No subscription, no account. Licenses include a year of updates.

Free

$0

forever, after the trial

  • Your most-used shortkey, 2 expansions a day
  • Your library is kept, nothing is deleted
Download free

Personal

$29

+ $15/yr updates (optional)

  • All expansion features
  • 1 user
  • Email support
Buy Personal
Most popular

Pro

$49

+ $19/yr updates (optional)

  • Everything in Personal
  • Program scoping, Caffeine, import
  • Priority support
Buy Pro

Business

$69/seat

+ $29/seat/yr updates (optional)

  • Everything in Pro
  • Volume licensing (5+)
  • Company snippet library
Contact sales

Every download starts as a full-featured 30-day trial — no card, no account. When it ends, KeySim simply drops to the Free plan; nothing is ever deleted.

Prices in USD. Taxes calculated at checkout.

Download KeySim

Windows 10 & 11 · 64-bit · free for 30 days.

Download for Windows Portable version

No account required. Coming from ShortKeys? Import your .shk in one click.
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