# xKeyboard vs Formalize Light

The clearest difference is rating: xKeyboard at 3.2 against Formalize Light's 2.3. xKeyboard also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months) and review sentiment (39% vs 17%). Formalize Light's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. xKeyboard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month. Formalize Light asks for nothing beyond the download.

xKeyboard holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: xKeyboard has 181 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of xKeyboard's written reviews are positive against 17% of Formalize Light's.

xKeyboard ships an update monthly, Formalize Light every 12 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | xKeyboard | Formalize Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (181 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkeyboard-custom-keyboard/id1440245962/reviews)** | [2.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formalize-light/id1467203618/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **181** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **39.2% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 103 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [煦 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/494537607) | [Ben Hambrecht](https://appshunter.io/developer/1035136614) |

## What reviewers say

### xKeyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkeyboard-custom-keyboard/id1440245962)

Design your own keyboard with custom layouts, keys, symbols, and Unicode characters. This app allows you to create specialized keyboards for various needs, from mathematical equations to phonetic alphabets, and use them across different text editing applications.

**Highlights:** Custom keyboard layouts, Symbol and Unicode integration, Specialized keyboards (Math, IPA, Chemistry), Template-based creation, Use in text editing apps

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP - 1 Month | $0.29 | per month |
| VIP - 1 Year | $2.99 | per year |
| VIP - Lifetime | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly customizable
- 👍 Versatile for various use cases
- 🚀 Powerful keyboard creation capabilities
- 👍 Useful for conlangs and rare scripts
- 👍 Allows creating custom characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for core functionality
- 🐛 Crashes when deleting/editing keys
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 👎 Lacks documentation and tutorials
- 👎 Missing basic features like autocorrect

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to delete/edit keys
- Installed keyboards don't show custom layouts
- App crashes on certain script/language changes

**Requested features**

- Add ability to export/share custom keyboards
- Improve keyboard customization workflow
- Implement swipe typing and autocorrect
- Add more language/script support
- Allow creating custom characters/symbols


### Formalize Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formalize-light/id1467203618)

This utility app provides a keyboard extension for typing mathematical formulas on iOS devices. It offers easy access to over 100 symbols and generates professionally typeset equations that can be converted to TeX.

**Highlights:** Mathematical keyboard extension, Over 100 symbols, One-handed access, Professionally typeset formulas, Convert formulas to TeX, Insert formulas into any app

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is xKeyboard free?

xKeyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Formalize Light free?

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

### Which has better reviews, xKeyboard or Formalize Light?

xKeyboard is rated higher. xKeyboard averages 3.2 out of 5 from 181 ratings, while Formalize Light averages 2.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do xKeyboard or Formalize Light have ads?

Neither xKeyboard nor Formalize Light shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, xKeyboard or Formalize Light?

xKeyboard ships an update monthly, and Formalize Light every 12 months. Most recently, xKeyboard was updated on October 24, 2026 and Formalize Light 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.*