Text expander
SnipVault vs Rocket Typist for Mac
Weighing up the Rocket Typist app for Mac? Here is how it compares with SnipVault, feature by feature. Rocket Typist is a one-time-purchase Mac text expander with rich-text snippets, macros, and an iOS keyboard. It is cheap, but reviewers repeatedly report it stops expanding or loses data.
Prices and features verified 2026-09-04. Corrections: diljit@dprsoftwarelabs.com.
Rocket Typist pricing
$19.99 once
Free for 10 snippets. Pro for macOS $19.99 one-time; iOS Pro $9.99. Also included in Setapp.
sourceSnipVault pricing
$29.99/yr or $79 once
Also $2.49/month. 7-day free trial, no card.
Platforms
Rocket Typist: Mac (macOS 14+), iPhone, iPad
SnipVault: macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel
Feature by feature
What you get with each
| Feature | SnipVault | Rocket Typist |
|---|---|---|
Snippets with :keyword expansion | ✓ | ✓ |
Placeholders ({date}, {clipboard}, {cursor}) | ✓ | ✓ |
Rich-text and image snippets SnipVault is plain-text first by design. | — | ✓ |
Import snippets from other apps SnipVault imports Raycast, Espanso, and TextExpander snippet files. | ✓ | ✓ |
Clipboard history | ✓ | — |
Screenshot OCR (region → text) | ✓ | — |
OCR captures kept searchable (text + image) | ✓ | — |
Pinboards / collections + tags | ✓ | — |
OTP / card-number auto-expiry | ✓ | — |
Works fully offline, on-device | ✓ | ✓ |
Sync between Macs Rocket Typist syncs via iCloud to iOS. SnipVault: iCloud between Macs. | Partial | ✓ |
iPhone / iPad app | — | ✓ |
One-time purchase available | ✓ | ✓ |
Free tier / open source Rocket Typist is free for 10 snippets. | — | Partial |
| Price | $29.99/yr or $79 once | $19.99 once |
Strengths
Where Rocket Typist is strong, and where SnipVault is
Rocket Typist does well
- •Cheap one-time price with no update fees
- •Rich-text and image snippets
- •iCloud sync to an iOS keyboard
- •Imports TextExpander and TypeIt4Me libraries
SnipVault does well
- •Capture counter and trust UI so you know expansion is alive
- •Clipboard vault and screenshot OCR in the same app
- •Local SQLite vault with soft-deletes and undo, so data is not wiped
- •Paste-based expansion that survives macOS updates
What users say
Common complaints about Rocket Typist
Quoted from public reviews and forums. Follow the links for full context.
“App just stops working within a week or two and needs to be reinstalled completely.”
“Twice it's just wiped my data. Export options don't actually export.”
“It's well done but it's full of BUGS. Currently as a pro user I can't login.”
Verdict
Which one should you pick?
Pick Rocket Typist if…
- •You need rich-text or image snippets
- •You want the same snippets on an iPhone keyboard
- •You want the cheapest possible one-time expander
Pick SnipVault if…
- •Expansion silently dying is a deal-breaker
- •You also want clipboard history and screen OCR
- •You want undo and a durable local vault rather than risking wiped data
FAQ
SnipVault vs Rocket Typist: questions
Is SnipVault more reliable than Rocket Typist?+
SnipVault avoids keystroke injection entirely. It watches the pasteboard and pastes with a synthesized ⌘V, shows a live capture counter, and names the app holding Secure Input when expansion cannot run.
Does SnipVault support rich-text snippets?+
Not currently. SnipVault is plain-text first, which is what most people want in Slack, terminals, and code editors.
How much does Rocket Typist cost?+
Rocket Typist is $19.99 once. Free for 10 snippets. Pro for macOS $19.99 one-time; iOS Pro $9.99. Also included in Setapp. SnipVault is $2.49 a month, $29.99 a year, or $79 once, and every plan has every feature.
What platforms does Rocket Typist run on?+
Rocket Typist: Mac (macOS 14+), iPhone, iPad. SnipVault runs on macOS 13 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, and one licence covers up to three Macs.
Can I try SnipVault before switching?+
Yes. SnipVault has a 7-day trial of the complete app with no card, and you can keep Rocket Typist running alongside it until you are sure.
Try SnipVault next to Rocket Typist
Keep both installed for a week. If SnipVault does not replace it, nothing was charged.