Comparison

Formalize vs ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Formalize

Type mathematical equations and symbols directly on your iPhone or iPad. This keyboard extension offers intuitive one-handed access to over 100 symbols, producing professionally typeset formulas. Easily export your creations as PNG or TeX to use in any app.

Highlights
  • Mathematical keyboard extension
  • Over 100 symbols
  • One-handed operation
  • Professionally typeset formulas
  • PNG export
  • TeX export
Features
Read full description

Do you wish you could properly type math on your iPhone or iPad? With Formalize, you can! Formalize is a keyboard extension for mathematical content. It provides intuitive one-handed access to more than 100 symbols and produces professionally typeset formulas. Easily convert your formulas to PNG or TeX and insert them anywhere, in any app!

About

ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout

This keyboard app offers a redesigned layout based on alphabetical order, making typing intuitive and stress-free. It features word suggestions to speed up messaging and ensures 100% privacy by keeping data on your device.

Highlights
  • Alphabetical key layout
  • Built-in word suggestions
  • 100% private, no full access needed
  • Works in all apps
  • Easy to learn
Features
Read full description

Typing that finally makes sense The keys are in the order you already know. A, B, C, all the way to Z. There is no QWERTY to decode and no hunting for letters. Most people are texting, searching and emailing with confidence minutes after they install it. NEW: THE KEYBOARD FINISHES YOUR SENTENCE On iPhone with Apple Intelligence, ABCDEF now predicts what you are about to write. Not only the next word, but the rest of your sentence, shown right above the keys. Tap it and it is written. • A whole sentence in one tap, not just single words • Four suggestions in the row, so there is always a useful one • The prediction reads the conversation you are in. Answering a friend is not the same as filling in a search box • Type in two languages and it follows you, switching to the language you are actually writing in • Everything runs on your iPhone. Your words are never uploaded and never stored • Prefer it quiet? Turn the sentence row off in the app 100% PRIVATE, AND WE MEAN IT ABCDEF does not require Full Access. That is the iOS switch that lets a keyboard send everything you type to a server. We never ask for it, so we could not read your messages even if we wanted to. The predictions run on Apple's on-device model, so your words never leave your iPhone. BUILT FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR TYPISTS • Instant familiarity for anyone who never trained on QWERTY • Big, clear keys in a layout that does not move around under your finger • Works well with VoiceOver: it reads each letter, then a sample word starting with it, so you always know which key you are on • Emojis, numbers and accented letters on a long press • Works in every app, from Messages and Mail to your banking app Whether you are setting up an iPad for a parent, helping a friend stay in touch, or you simply never got on with QWERTY, this keyboard turns a daunting screen back into a conversation. Sentence predictions need an iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence on iOS 26 or later. On older devices the keyboard keeps its dictionary suggestions and works exactly as before. Download it and find the letters where you expect them.

Screenshots

Formalize4 screens
ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout at 3.6 against Formalize's 2.6. ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 25%) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 9 months). Formalize's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Formalize costs $1.99 and ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 29 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Formalize's written reviews are positive against 60% of ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Formalize ships an update every 9 months, ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Formalize versus ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFormalizeABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout
Price$1.99 — better$3.99
Rating2.6 (10 ratings)3.6 (29 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1029 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBen HambrechtPhilipp Baldauf

Customer experience

Formalize

All ratings10 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout

All ratings29 ratings
Positive65.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative31.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

None

Formalize

No in-app purchases

None

ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Formalize free?
Formalize costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout free?
ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Formalize or ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout?
ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout is rated higher. Formalize averages 2.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout averages 3.6 from 29 ratings.
Do Formalize or ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout have ads?
Neither Formalize nor ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Formalize or ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout?
Formalize ships an update every 9 months, and ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout every 4 months. Most recently, Formalize was updated on September 14, 2026 and ABCDEF Keyboard Custom layout on September 12, 2026.

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