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.
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.
- Character creation and leveling
- Ability score guidance
- Class and race selection
- Spell slot tracking and preparation
- In-app die roller
- iCloud backup and sync
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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/
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.
- Real-time encounter management
- Player and enemy stat tracking
- Automated attack rolls
- Built-in monster sheets
- Custom monster creation
- Encounter generation
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
PRD Characters ships an update every 4 months, DnD 5e Encounter Keep every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.
| Parameter | PRD Characters | DnD 5e Encounter Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (146 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 146 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.3 — better | 12.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Shiny Button Software, LLC | Fanni Putnoczki |
Customer experience
PRD Characters
DnD 5e Encounter Keep
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
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- 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
PRD Characters
- 3 Month Subscription$2.493 Months
- 1 Year Subscription$5.491 Year
DnD 5e Encounter Keep
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PRD Characters free?
Is DnD 5e Encounter Keep free?
Which has better reviews, PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep?
Do PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep have ads?
Which is updated more often, PRD Characters or DnD 5e Encounter Keep?
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