Comparison

PRD Characters vs DnD 5e Encounter Keep

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

Head to head
About

PRD Characters

Create, level up, and track characters for the Pathfinder gaming system. Get guidance on ability scores, classes, races, and spells. Includes a die roller and iCloud backup.

Highlights
  • Character creation and leveling
  • Ability score guidance
  • Class and race selection
  • Spell slot tracking and preparation
  • In-app die roller
  • iCloud backup and sync
Features
Read full description

PRD Characters allows you to create, level-up, and track characters for the PRD(Pathfinder Reference Document) gaming system. The App will give you choices and guidance for such aspects as ability scores, class selection, race selection, feature choices, spells, and more. Pop-up menus will display exactly how scores are calculated, allowing you to add your own adjustments if there is something else you want taken into account. Spell tracking tells you how many spell slots you have, lets you prepare spells in those slots, and keep track of which ones have been cast. You can back up and sync your characters between devices using Apple's iCloud. In addition, the App provides a die-roller for performing standard die rolls, as well as custom die rolls for any need. The free version allows you to create and level up characters up to level 4 using all the Core Rulebook races and 4 basic classes, Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, and Wizard. Buying a subscription gives you access to all the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player's Guide classes (except for Loremaster and Pathfinder Chronicler) and allows character levels all the way up to 20. PRD Characters now supports races from the Advanced Race guide. See demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFX52Z751pA There are two Full Functionality Subscriptions, one for 3 months and the other for 1 year. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account after you confirm purchase. These are auto-renewable subscriptions, which means they automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Accounts will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same charge as the initial purchase. 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 to that publication, where applicable. The Privacy and Terms of Use can be found at: http://shinybuttonsoftware.com/prd-characters/prd-characters-privacy-policy/

About

DnD 5e Encounter Keep

This app helps Dungeon Masters manage Dungeons and Dragons 5e encounters in real-time. It allows for pre-planning battles, inviting players to see stats, and automating combat actions. Features include monster management, encounter generation, and built-in cheatsheets for easier gameplay.

Highlights
  • Real-time encounter management
  • Player and enemy stat tracking
  • Automated attack rolls
  • Built-in monster sheets
  • Custom monster creation
  • Encounter generation
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Encounter Keep, your real-time battle tracker for Dungeons and Dragons 5e. As a Dungeon Master, you can plan your encounters and invite your players to join, enabling you to see each other's stats. With the built-in cheatsheets, monster sheets, and automatic attack system, running encounters has never been easier. Leave the battle management to Encounter Keep, so you can focus on having fun. DESIGN YOUR BATTLES: - Prepare for your next session by creating encounters in advance. - Select a difficulty and add monsters from a vast list of enemies. - Create custom monsters for your epic boss battles. GENERATE ENCOUNTERS: - Automatically generate encounters for different player levels and difficulties. - Support different encounter types: boss fight, boss with minions, horde of monsters etc... - Specify environment and enemy type for a better monster match. INVITE YOUR PLAYERS: - You and your players can see each other's characters in real time. - Roll for initiative and control the encounter as you want. - Check your players' character sheets as they update their HP and other stats. MANAGE ENEMIES: - Streamline the encounter with automated enemy attack rolls. - Access built-in detailed info sheets for hundreds of monsters. - Quickly manage the enemies, tracking their hit points, armour class, and other stats during the fight. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

PRD Characters3 screens
DnD 5e Encounter Keep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DnD 5e Encounter Keep at 100% against PRD Characters's 56%. DnD 5e Encounter Keep also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). PRD Characters's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (146 vs 2). On price, update cadence 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. PRD Characters sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 3 months. DnD 5e Encounter Keep asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DnD 5e Encounter Keep holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PRD Characters has 146 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of PRD Characters's written reviews are positive against 100% of DnD 5e Encounter Keep's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PRD Characters ships an update every 4 months, DnD 5e Encounter Keep every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PRD Characters versus DnD 5e Encounter Keep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPRD CharactersDnD 5e Encounter Keep
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (146 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings146 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.3 — better12.4
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB26 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperShiny Button Software, LLCFanni Putnoczki

Customer experience

PRD Characters

All ratings146 ratings
Positive76.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral12.5%
Negative31.3%

DnD 5e Encounter Keep

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

PRD Characters

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Hint system illegible
  • Exotic Weapon Proficiency selection issue
  • Tips not showing properly in dark mode

Requested features

11 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More books added
  • Change text color in tip bubbles
  • Fix tips not showing in dark mode
  • Ability to edit feats
Show 6 more
  • Enchanting items feature
  • More content released
  • Tile to track HP with damage/heal buttons
  • Immersive overlay over character picture
  • Regular human characters option
  • More customizability

DnD 5e Encounter Keep

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PRD Characters

Subscriptions2
  • 3 Month Subscription$2.493 Months
  • 1 Year Subscription$5.491 Year
None

DnD 5e Encounter Keep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PRD Characters free?
PRD Characters is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DnD 5e Encounter Keep free?
DnD 5e Encounter Keep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep?
DnD 5e Encounter Keep is rated higher. PRD Characters averages 4.1 out of 5 from 146 ratings, while DnD 5e Encounter Keep averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep have ads?
DnD 5e Encounter Keep shows ads; PRD Characters does not.
Which is updated more often, PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep?
PRD Characters ships an update every 4 months, and DnD 5e Encounter Keep every 2 months. Most recently, PRD Characters was updated on October 7, 2026 and DnD 5e Encounter Keep on October 7, 2026.

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