# IPA Phonetic Keyboard vs ShavKey

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShavKey at none against IPA Phonetic Keyboard's 3. IPA Phonetic Keyboard's advantage is ratings volume (193 vs 10) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IPA Phonetic Keyboard sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ShavKey asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for IPA Phonetic Keyboard against 4.6 for ShavKey. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IPA Phonetic Keyboard has 193 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of IPA Phonetic Keyboard's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShavKey's.

IPA Phonetic Keyboard ships an update every 4 months, ShavKey every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IPA Phonetic Keyboard | ShavKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipa-phonetic-keyboard/id1440241497/reviews) | **[4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shavkey/id6478062450/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **193** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 92.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vincent Cai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453621798) | [Joshua Lancaster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514379384) |

## 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


### 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 IPA Phonetic Keyboard free?

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

### Is ShavKey free?

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

### Which has better reviews, IPA Phonetic Keyboard or ShavKey?

ShavKey is rated higher. IPA Phonetic Keyboard averages 4.5 out of 5 from 193 ratings, while ShavKey averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do IPA Phonetic Keyboard or ShavKey have ads?

Neither IPA Phonetic Keyboard nor ShavKey shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IPA Phonetic Keyboard or ShavKey?

IPA Phonetic Keyboard ships an update every 4 months, and ShavKey every 2 months. Most recently, IPA Phonetic Keyboard was updated on October 26, 2026 and ShavKey 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.*