ℂKey vs Phraseboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ℂKey
Create and customize your own keyboard layouts with unique keys and multiple panes. Ideal for specialized typing needs like math, science, or unique character sets. Includes a Unicode character picker and editing tools.
- Create custom keyboard keys
- Organize keys into multiple panes
- Built-in Unicode character picker
- Editable text view for testing
- Pre-made layouts (QWERTY, Dvorak, Maths)
- Alternate key forms
- Advanced key editing and batch operations
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Build your own keyboard - you choose the keys! Great for maths & science work, fans of more obscure keyboard layouts, or just better expressing yourself. Scroll down for an overview of the premade layouts and a detailed feature breakdown. NOTES • Add the keyboard by navigating to Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Keyboards -> Add New Keyboard… • Unicode characters may not display correctly in some fonts. • Check out the subreddit at reddit.com/r/ckey/ OVERVIEW • Add keys to your keyboard, which can type any text of any length. • Organise related keys into multiple pages (‘panes’). • Includes handy editing features and plenty of options. • Built-in unicode character picker for finding new characters to add to your keyboard. • Editable text view for trying out your keyboard designs. DEFAULT LAYOUTS • QWERTY, Dvorak, Dvorak Left Handed - Layouts inspired by the originals, with an original collection of symbols. - Use a reduced number of keys to accommodate smaller screens. • Symbols: contains some more rarely used symbols not present on the standard layouts. • Maths: a layout designed for general maths, with digits, pi & infinity, and a wide set of operations. • Formal Languages: an example of a more complex, specialist layout. • Superscript & Subscript • x/y: all unicode fractions. FEATURES Keyboard: • Your keys - the main content of the keyboard. • Multiple panes, to organise related keys. • A space key. • Control keys: backspace, keyboard picker, dismiss, return. • Alternate key forms. - Hold a key to type it's alt form. - Use the alt key to temporarily switch the forms around. - Alternate forms could be capital letters, inverse operations, or something completely different. • Swipe left on the pane list to give your keys more room in longer typing sessions. - Swipe in from the left edge to bring the list back. App: • Edit panes and keys in a view resembling the keyboard itself. - Tap a key to change what it types: + Keys can type any number of any unicode characters, multiline text supported. + Optionally use a custom keycap, instead of showing the key's output. + Edit the alt mode version of the key by tapping with alt mode enabled. - Hold a key to bring up the edit menu: + Edit [with 1 selected] - bring up a larger version of the key editor. + Swap [with 2 selected] - switch the positions of two keys. + Gather [with >1 selected] - collect the selected keys at one spot. + Remove alt - remove the custom alt state, making the key match its normal state in alt mode. + Duplicate - quickly clone a key. + Cut, copy, and paste - use their established meanings (the pasteboard is shared between panes). + Delete - deletes a key. + Insert - inserts a key at the spot of the current selection. - Enter edit mode for serious changes: + Drag (before selecting anything) to reorder. + Tap keys to select/deselect them, then hold one to bring up the edit menu and perform a batch change. - Hold the + button to add a batch of keys, by splitting text into its individual characters (or unicode scalars). - Set the number of rows and columns in each pane by tapping the pane editor's title. • The unicode character map allows you to add a character to a key directly, or copy one to the clipboard. - Enter a search, or jump to a common region or known unicode codepoint. - Hold a character to view details. • Editable text view, for checking out how characters look at different font sizes and weight, or just testing your latest keyboard design. - Switch through iOS keyboard types. - Set the keyboard's return key type. - View the keyboard in light & dark variations. - Set text font, alignment, and size. • Export individual panes, or your whole keyboard, for sharing or backup. - Creates a .ckey file (uses .plist format). - Use iOS's ‘Open In…’ feature to load the file back into the app. • Additional options to customise the look and feel of the keyboard.
Phraseboard
This keyboard app allows you to quickly paste pre-written text and photos directly from your keyboard. Save time by creating custom phrase templates for frequently used responses, emails, or addresses. Personalize your keyboard with unique fonts and colors.
- Customizable phrase templates
- Quick paste functionality
- Creative font options
- Keyboard style customization
- Categorization of phrases
- Use in any app
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Phraseboard Keyboard Lite is a free custom keyboard app that helps users easily fill template text directly from their keyboard without having to switch to any other app to automatically paste text or photos. If you find yourself struggling with typing similar text multiple times like email, address, phone number and customer responses, then this free auto paste keyboard app is perfect for you to save your time. Simply go to the categories menu to prepare several phrase templates that you use frequently. When you need to fill those sentences just tap on the keyboard icon to switch to Phraseboard Keyboard Lite to fill them easy and fast. Tired of typing the same response over and over all the time? Phraseboard customizes and categorizes your keyboard with easy to access phrases. Add a category and a few common phrases and immediately use the in any app like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or simply send by email, LINE or as SMS. Customize your phrases and keyboard with unique fonts and colors! 100+ Creative fonts to choose from! If you have used apps like gboard keyboard or swift key keyboard you will love our app! Download the ultimate quick response personal keyboard app now for free! Features: • Full keyboard with creative fonts. • Swap quickly between phrase keyboard and full keyboard. • Create your most common phrases and sort them by categories. • Use your phrases in any App right in your keyboard. • Change the font of phrases to match the look and feel of your choice.* • Design your keyboard styles including button and background colors.* • Set custom photos as keyboard background. • Save your styles and pick from curated themes in the styles manager. • Choose which fonts are enabled and manage their order. • Change keyboard and button size • Use all types of Emojis to express your creativity. • Simply tap a button to send off a quick reply. • Great tool for business professionals and social media creators! Also: • Send GIFs and images in any app. • Share your location with a single tap. • Switch between various fonts without changing phrases.* • Choose from a large collection of fonts.* • Customize font size.* • Customize font color.* • Protect your phrases using the Secure category. • Add phrases directly from Notification Center using the Phraseboard Widget. • Sync you’re phrases in all your devices using iCloud. • Use directly inside your favorite social media app like Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. • Use directly in iMessage, SMS or Apps. • Create auto reply text that helps with quick and easy typing. • Communicate with confidence using phrase shortcuts. • Easily auto paste and copy paste text and images directly in your keyboard. (*) Requires an active subscription REMEMBER: In order to show your phrases on the keyboard and use the media features you must allow OPEN ACCESS. To allow it please go to Settings > Keyboard, click on Phraseboard and turn the switch ON. ( Phraseboard ONLY needs open access to be able to show your custom phrases on the keyboard. We never save or log any of your keystrokes). Phraseboard Premium Subscription Information Joining Phraseboard Premium enables a 3-day free trail followed by a monthly membership fee. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription, where applicable. Get up to 5 phrases for free or upgrade to Pro to get unlimited phrases, unlock over 100 fonts and share your phrases. Privacy Policy : https://phraseboard.wixsite.com/phraseboard/untitled-c82w Terms of Service : https://phraseboard.wixsite.com/phraseboard/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Phraseboard at 4.5 against ℂKey's 3.8. Phraseboard also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). ℂKey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Phraseboard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ℂKey asks for nothing beyond the download.
Phraseboard holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of ℂKey's written reviews are positive against 88% of Phraseboard's.
ℂKey ships an update every 3 weeks, Phraseboard every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ℂKey | Phraseboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (13 ratings) | 4.5 (20 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 20 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jamie Froggatt | Daniel Soffer |
Customer experience
ℂKey
Phraseboard
In-app purchases
ℂKey
No in-app purchases
Phraseboard
- Pro3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Pro Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year









