Makro vs PhraseExpress
Makro vs PhraseExpress.
Windows/macOS desktop expander with enterprise features. No free tier.
Matrix
Side by side, no hedge-words.
Pricing reflects PhraseExpress's published site as of April 2026 (US region).
Feature
Makro
PhraseExpress
Free tier
Yes
No
End-to-end encrypted sync
Yes
No
Local AI (Ollama / LM Studio)
Yes
No
On-device OCR (Smart Copy)
Yes
No
Import from other tools
10 formats
No
Platform
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave
macOS, Windows
Lowest paid tier
$2.99/mo or $149 lifetime
~$139 one-time (personal licence; team pricing by quote)
Verification: 2,495 automated tests in the Makro repo and continuous external code review. Full threat model on /security/architecture.
PhraseExpress strengths vs tradeoffs
Where PhraseExpress wins, and where Makro does.
PhraseExpress strengths
- Enterprise licensing and Active Directory integration
- Form inputs and database queries (enterprise SKU)
- macOS and Windows coverage
PhraseExpress tradeoffs
- No free tier
- No end-to-end encryption
- No browser-first workflow
Verdict: PhraseExpress suits enterprise desktop deployments with managed licensing. Choose it for deep Windows/Office automation. Choose Makro if you want browser-native expansion, lower cost, and end-to-end encryption.
Migration
Moving from PhraseExpress to Makro.
Step by step: File > Export > CSV in PhraseExpress, then Settings > Import > PhraseExpress (.csv) in Makro. See the full migration guide for what carries over.