# Forethumb vs ShavKey

The clearest difference is price: ShavKey at Free against Forethumb's $0.99. ShavKey also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Forethumb's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ShavKey is free to download; Forethumb costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Forethumb holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Forethumb's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShavKey's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Forethumb ships an update every 2 weeks, ShavKey every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forethumb | ShavKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forethumb/id1325147667/reviews)** | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shavkey/id6478062450/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 71 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Takuto Nakamura](https://appshunter.io/developer/1203150472) | [Joshua Lancaster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514379384) |

## What reviewers say

### Forethumb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forethumb/id1325147667)

This keyboard app allows users to input text on their iOS devices using Morse code. It offers single-key or paddle input methods, with options for sound feedback and customizable gap lengths. It supports alphabets, numbers, some symbols, and Japanese characters.

**Highlights:** Morse code input (single key or paddle), Sound feedback on input, Swipe gestures for delete/space, Customizable gap length, Supports alphabets, numbers, symbols, Japanese

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShavKey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shavkey/id6478062450)

This keyboard app provides quick access to all 48 Shavian characters without requiring shifts. It includes an always-on number row that can be configured for Base 12 input.

**Highlights:** All 48 Shavian characters accessible, No shift key required, Always-on number row, Optional Base 12 number input, Optimized for single-stroke input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forethumb free?

Forethumb costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShavKey free?

ShavKey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Forethumb or ShavKey?

Forethumb is rated higher. Forethumb averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while ShavKey averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do Forethumb or ShavKey have ads?

Neither Forethumb nor ShavKey shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Forethumb or ShavKey?

Forethumb ships an update every 2 weeks, and ShavKey every 2 months. Most recently, Forethumb was updated on November 2, 2026 and ShavKey on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*