Smile have adjusted the pricing of the new TextExpander subscription service.

We will apply a lifetime discount of 50% off the Life Hacker pricing to customers of any past version of TextExpander. That amounts to just US $20 per year. In our initial rollout, we offered the discount for the first year only, and that was a mistake. We value our long-term customers, and it’s important for us to demonstrate that in our actions. Thanks for bearing with us as we sorted this out.

— TextExpander Adjustments

I like the new pricing for current owners of any previous version of TextExpander. $20 per year is a more affordable amount. As well as this Smile have said they will continue to maintain versions of TextExpander 5 as well as 6. I'm skeptical about how long this will last though. With that in mind, I don't think I can rely on an app that may or may not be around in the future.

I switched to aText a few days ago and I don't see myself switching back to TextExpander anytime soon. aText is working well enough for me and the reduced cost for what is a minor utility app has prompted me to start cutting back on other subscription services that I use.

If in the future though, I see a genuine need to use TextExpander over what I have at the time, then I'll know where to find it.