# IPA Phonetic Keyboard vs Cool Fonts+

The clearest difference is ads: IPA Phonetic Keyboard at none against Cool Fonts+'s shown. IPA Phonetic Keyboard also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 67%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Cool Fonts+'s advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (582 vs 193). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IPA Phonetic Keyboard sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Cool Fonts+ sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for IPA Phonetic Keyboard against 4.5 for Cool Fonts+. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 193 and 582 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of IPA Phonetic Keyboard's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cool Fonts+'s.

IPA Phonetic Keyboard ships an update every 4 months, Cool Fonts+ every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IPA Phonetic Keyboard | Cool Fonts+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetic-keyboard/id1440241497/reviews)** | [4.5 (582 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-fonts-plus/id1551828938/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 193 | **582** |
| Positive reviews | **92.1% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vincent Cai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453621798) | [Hoang Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454922804) |

## What reviewers say

### IPA Phonetic Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetic-keyboard/id1440241497)

This free keyboard provides easy access to all IPA and extended IPA symbols. Its intuitive layout mirrors the IPA chart, making symbol input fluid and efficient for linguists, language learners, and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Full IPA chart (2020) symbols, ExtIPA chart (2016) symbols, Organized symbol sections, Intuitive symbol layout, Convenient input for common characters, Completely free, no ads

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donation: Buy me a drink | $2.99 | one-time |
| Obsolete/Non-Standard Symbols | $5.99 | one-time |
| Donation: Buy me a meal | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient IPA keyboard
- 💡 Extensive IPA symbol coverage
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🤩 Great for linguistics and conlanging
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paid access for some symbols
- 🔍 Keyboard layout could be more customizable
- 🐛 Occasional keyboard switching issues
- 🔇 Keyboard clicking sounds can't be disabled

**Reported bugs**

- Vowel [ʁ] displays incorrectly
- Keyboard disappears after switching, requiring settings access to re-enable

**Requested features**

- Add angle brackets and parentheses for orthographic notation
- Implement a 'frequently used' section for common symbols
- Allow users to rearrange the keyboard layout
- Add support for laryngeal notation in Proto-Indo-European


### Cool Fonts+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-fonts-plus/id1551828938)

Enhance your mobile communication with a vast collection of unique fonts and decorative text styles. Customize your keyboard with themes and wallpapers to express yourself creatively in messages, social media, and more.

**Highlights:** Over 70 fonts and 40 decorations, 3000+ text style combinations, 2000+ cool symbols for nicknames, 400+ Text Art messages, Supports accent marks and multiple keyboard layouts, Customizable keyboard color and wallpaper, Easy font and language switching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Basket | $0.99 | one-time |
| Large Basket | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Highly customizable keyboard themes and fonts
- 📱 Free option with basic features available
- 🖼️ Ability to use personal photos as keyboard backgrounds
- 🌍 Support for multiple languages
- ⌨️ Wide variety of stylish text formatting options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for fonts and features
- 🐛 Keyboard doesn't work in some applications (WhatsApp, Roblox)
- ❌ No auto-correct or spell-check functionality
- 📺 Excessive advertisements
- ⏱️ Slow acorn/currency earning system

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard doesn't apply in WhatsApp and other messaging apps
- Keyboard freezes or becomes unresponsive
- Keyboard closes when selecting emojis
- Backgrounds don't display in some applications
- Vietnamese diacritical marks display incorrectly

**Requested features**

- Auto-correct and spell-check functionality
- Word suggestion and prediction feature
- More free font options
- Emoji row/line on keyboard
- Swipe typing capability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IPA Phonetic Keyboard free?

IPA Phonetic Keyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cool Fonts+ free?

Cool Fonts+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, IPA Phonetic Keyboard or Cool Fonts+?

IPA Phonetic Keyboard is rated higher. IPA Phonetic Keyboard averages 4.5 out of 5 from 193 ratings, while Cool Fonts+ averages 4.5 from 582 ratings.

### Do IPA Phonetic Keyboard or Cool Fonts+ have ads?

Cool Fonts+ shows ads; IPA Phonetic Keyboard does not.

### Which is updated more often, IPA Phonetic Keyboard or Cool Fonts+?

IPA Phonetic Keyboard ships an update every 4 months, and Cool Fonts+ every 9 days. Most recently, IPA Phonetic Keyboard was updated on October 26, 2026 and Cool Fonts+ on October 24, 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.*