Comparison

Dasher Mobile vs Menu Box

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

Head to head
About

Dasher Mobile

This app offers a unique text input method where the display zooms into letters based on your pointer. It uses a language model to predict probable text, making common words easier to select. The interface is mode-free and can be trained on custom writing styles.

Highlights
  • Zooming interface for text entry
  • Predictive language model
  • Mode-free operation
  • Customizable writing style training
  • Efficient text selection
Features
Read full description

Dasher is a zooming interface. You point where you want to go, and the display zooms in wherever you point. The world into which you are zooming is painted with letters, so that any point you zoom in on corresponds to a piece of text. The more you zoom in, the longer the piece of text you have written. You choose what you write by choosing where to zoom. To make the interface efficient, we use the predictions of a language model to determine how much of the world is devoted to each piece of text. Probable pieces of text are given more space, so they are quick and easy to select. Improbable pieces of text (for example, text with spelling mistakes) are given less space, so they are harder to write. The language model learns all the time: if you use a novel word once, it is easier to write next time. A big advantage of Dasher over other predictive text-entry interfaces that offer word-completions to the user is that it is mode-free: the user does not need to switch from a writing mode to an "accept-model-predictions" mode. Another advantage is that it is easy to train the model on any writing style: simply load up an example file, then write away! More information can be found here: http://www.inference.org.uk/dasher/ Note that this is a port of the original Dasher for iPhone which no longer runs on iOS 11. This port has been funded by donations to the Ace Centre. To support this, ask for feature requests and help fund future development please see https://acecentre.org.uk/project/dasher-for-ios/

About

Menu Box

Create visually appealing menus for your device's shortcuts. Customize menu items with emojis, app icons, or custom images to build personalized automations. Dynamically generate menus on the fly for advanced shortcut customization.

Highlights
  • Create beautiful menus for Shortcuts
  • Customize with emojis, SF Symbols, or custom images
  • Attach custom data to menu items
  • Fully controllable via Shortcuts
  • Dynamically create menus on the fly
  • Enhance Action Button functionality
Features
Read full description

Menu Box allows you to create beautiful menus in Shortcuts, further customising your advanced Automations. Menus can be created using emojis, SF Symbols App Icons or your own custom images to create truly individual menus with near limitless options. Custom data attached to each menu items allows you to create even more advanced Shortcuts. Menu Box is fully controllable via Shortcuts, including creating Menus dynamically on the fly. Menu Box is perfect for creating advanced Shortcuts to allow you to further customise how your menus look, and becomes especially useful when combined with the Action Button. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Dasher Mobile2 screens
Menu Box4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dasher Mobile at none against Menu Box's 4. Dasher Mobile also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.5). Menu Box's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 3). On price, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. Menu Box sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Dasher Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dasher Mobile holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 14 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dasher Mobile versus Menu Box: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDasher MobileMenu Box
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.7 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews—85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings314 — better
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAce CentreSnailed It Development Ltd

Customer experience

Dasher Mobile

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Menu Box

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative7.1%

In-app purchases

None

Dasher Mobile

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Menu Box

Subscriptions1
  • Premium$4.991 Year
One-time3
  • Tip Jar - Small$0.99
  • Tip Jar - Medium$2.99
  • Tip Jar - Large$4.99

Questions

Is Dasher Mobile free?
Dasher Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Menu Box free?
Menu Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dasher Mobile or Menu Box?
Dasher Mobile is rated higher. Dasher Mobile averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Menu Box averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.
Do Dasher Mobile or Menu Box have ads?
Neither Dasher Mobile nor Menu Box shows ads.

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