Comparison

xKeyboard vs -•- (Dash Dot Dash)

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

Head to head
About

xKeyboard

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
Read full description

Using xKeyboard, you can create a custom keyboard that includes layout, keys, symbols, and Unicode. The created custom keyboard can be used in text editing software on iPhone and iPad, such as Word, PPT, Excel, notes, and can also be used in text editing boxes. Built-in Keyboards - Unicode Keyboard - ABC Keyboard - ASCII Keyboard - Digits Keyboard : Binary, Integer, Decimal, Octonary, Hexadecimal - Date & Time Keyboard - Color Keyboard - Collection Keyboard : Symbols, Words, Sentences, Images, Colors - IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) Keyboard : IPA English ( DJ, K.K. ) - Subjects: Math, Chemistry, Music Language - Word Keyboards: English, French, German, Spanish ... - Code-Word Keyboards: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional ... Culture - Astrology Keyboard: 12 zodiac signs, 10 celestial bodies, full set of aspects, elements, moon phases and auxiliary symbols - I Ching Keyboard - Chess Keyboard: Chess notation keyboard, chess symbols - Chinese Chess Keyboard: Chinese chess notation keyboard - Dice Keyboard - Mahjong Keyboard - Playing Cards Keyboard ---------- Custom - Layout: Custom layouts are better suited for specialized input scenarios. - Environment: Different environments have different rules - Certain keyboards can serve as templates, allowing you to build custom keyboards faster and more easily. ---------- Privacy : We DO NOT COLLECT ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU TYPE using this app. xKeyboard does not require network access, and Allow Full Access is not necessary. If users Allow Full Access, the following functions will be enabled: - Copy, Paste, Cut : these functions will call UIPasteboard APIs. ---------- Tips: 1. If the xKeyboard is not visible in Settings > Keyboards, then reboot the device and reinstall 2. If you could not find xKeyboard when tap globe key : Remove xKeyboard in the system settings, re-add it. ---------- Charging method: Most of the features of this software are paid for, but before purchasing, we hope that users can know if the software has the desired features and if it is possible to customize a keyboard that the user wants. Therefore, the software can be downloaded for free and allows users to try creating a keyboard before paying. Terms of Use : https://www.jianshu.com/p/b2a855c32ffe Privacy Policy : https://www.jianshu.com/p/46e225ffbc59

About

-•- (Dash Dot Dash)

Create custom widgets for your home screen featuring photos and text. Share these widgets with friends, allowing them to see your pictures and notes directly on their devices. Data is securely stored and shared via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Custom widget creation
  • Add photos and text
  • Share widgets with friends
  • iCloud data synchronization
  • Display current date
  • Ad-free experience with subscription
Features
Read full description

A very easy to use widget creator. Put a photo and your text (or current date) on a widget. Then put the widget on your home screen. Your friends can put widgets on their home screens and you can send pictures (e.g. selfies) to their screens. Widget examples: • Monthly calendar on your holiday photo. • Yellow sticky note with a shopping list. • A photo with your comment. • Put a photo on your friend's screen. The data is kept in your iCloud and is shared to your friend's iCloud, so we have no access to your pictures. This app contains optional auto-renewing subscriptions that are offered as in-app purchases. Subscriptions allow you to use the app without advertisements, and to use more features. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period; your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: http://www.efrac.com/dashdotdashpriv.html Terms of Use: http://www.efrac.com/dashdotdashterms.html

Screenshots

xKeyboard4 screens
-•- (Dash Dot Dash)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: -•- (Dash Dot Dash) at 4.1 against xKeyboard's 3.2. -•- (Dash Dot Dash) also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 39%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. xKeyboard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month and -•- (Dash Dot Dash) sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

-•- (Dash Dot Dash) holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 181 and 337 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of xKeyboard's written reviews are positive against 65% of -•- (Dash Dot Dash)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xKeyboard ships an update monthly, -•- (Dash Dot Dash) weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
xKeyboard versus -•- (Dash Dot Dash): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxKeyboard-•- (Dash Dot Dash)
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (181 ratings)4.1 (337 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.2% of reviews65.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings181337 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer煦 张EFRAC

Customer experience

xKeyboard

All ratings181 ratings
Positive50.3%
Neutral14.9%
Negative34.8%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive39.2%
Neutral20.8%
Negative40.0%

-•- (Dash Dot Dash)

All ratings335 ratings
Positive77.6%
Neutral7.2%
Negative15.2%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive65.2%
Neutral11.3%
Negative23.5%

User reviews

xKeyboard

From 181 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

-•- (Dash Dot Dash)

From 337 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Customizable widgets
  • 🎨 Aesthetic appearance
  • 💡 Allows multiple widgets
  • 🤩 Great for organization

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Limited free features
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues after OS updates
  • 🤔 Confusing to use

Bugs and requests

xKeyboard

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

-•- (Dash Dot Dash)

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Widgets not showing up
  • Widgets resetting after device restart
  • Crashes and freezes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more widget types (clock, weather, reminders, etc.)
  • Allow more than 10 widgets in free version
  • Improve widget positioning and sizing controls
  • Add dark mode support

In-app purchases

3 purchases

xKeyboard

Subscriptions2
  • VIP - 1 Month$0.291 Month
  • VIP - 1 Year$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • VIP - Lifetime$8.99
1 purchases

-•- (Dash Dot Dash)

Subscriptions1
  • Upgraded Version1 Month trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is xKeyboard free?
xKeyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is -•- (Dash Dot Dash) free?
-•- (Dash Dot Dash) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, xKeyboard or -•- (Dash Dot Dash)?
-•- (Dash Dot Dash) is rated higher. xKeyboard averages 3.2 out of 5 from 181 ratings, while -•- (Dash Dot Dash) averages 4.1 from 337 ratings.
Do xKeyboard or -•- (Dash Dot Dash) have ads?
Neither xKeyboard nor -•- (Dash Dot Dash) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, xKeyboard or -•- (Dash Dot Dash)?
xKeyboard ships an update monthly, and -•- (Dash Dot Dash) weekly. Most recently, xKeyboard was updated on October 24, 2026 and -•- (Dash Dot Dash) on October 27, 2026.

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